Please tune in Sunday on KSFR. The show starts at 10 p.m. Mountain Time. I'll probably do the Chilton segment about 11 p.m.
Meanwhile, here's some videos. Some folks on YouTube say the first one is NOT from 120 Minutes, but an older show that was called The Cutting Edge. That's Peter Zaremba of The Fleshtones introducing him.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
TERRELL'S TUNEUP: NIMBLE AS GIMBLE
A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
March 19, 2010
He fiddled with Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. He fiddled with Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel, Dolly Parton, and Merle Haggard — and also on TV with Hee Haw’s Million Dollar Band. His fiddling won him a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship in 1994, presented to him by then first lady Hillary Clinton. And he fiddled on the campaign trail for Louisiana Gov. Jimmie Davis. (Oops! He actually played banjo for the singing governor.)
Johnny Gimble turns 84 in a couple of months, and he’s still fiddling. He has a new album out, Celebrating With Friends, on which he’s joined by friends like Nelson, Haggard, Ray Benson from Asleep at the Wheel, Vince Gill, Jesse Dayton, and Prairie Home Companion’s Garrison Keillor. And the album’s cover art is by Mekon/Waco Brother/western-swing lover Jon Langford.
Personal digression: Despite his lengthy western-swing/country music résumé, I didn’t become aware of Johnny Gimble until the late 1960s. It was on a record called Make a Joyful Noise by a wild tribe of hippies called Mother Earth, led by a rich-throated blues belter named Tracy Nelson and a warbling poet named R.P. St. John.
Gimble was one of several country-music veterans to appear on this record. There was also another veteran fiddler — Grover C. “Shorty” Lavender — as well as steel-guitar master Pete Drake. One of the best moments on Joyful Noise was Gimble’s jaw-dropping solo on Hank Williams’ “You Win Again.” Shamefully, this album was out of print for decades until it was reissued on the Wounded Bird label about six years ago.
Back to the present: Celebrating With Friends almost seems like a tribute album. Indeed, on a couple of tunes Gimble doesn’t actually play. A younger fiddler, Jason Roberts, an impressive musician who is part of the house band that forms the backbone of the record, fills in for the master on the Gimble-penned instrumental “Gardenia Waltz.” He also plays and recites the lyrics of Gimble’s “Fiddlin’ Around.”
And then there’s the final track, “Owed to Johnny Gimble,” which is from a 1994 Prairie Home Companion show recorded shortly after Gimble won the NEA award. This is an actual tribute song by Keillor, who sings, “There was a fiddler named Gimble/Whose fingers were nimble.” (Keillor also rhymes “Darling Nelly” with Stephane Grapelli, but at least he doesn’t end any line with “Nantucket.”)
But the best tributes here are the classy jams featuring Gimble, who plays electric mandolin on some tracks and even sings a few songs. He swaps verses with Gill on “Somewhere South of San Antone,” showing that time has been kind to his vocal chords. Gimble’s granddaughter Emily Gimble sings “If I Had You” while grandpa proudly plays in the background.
Jesse Dayton takes time off his duties as Rob Zombie’s resident country singer to do a fun little number called “Hey Mr. Cowboy.” It’s nice to hear Dayton, whose last album was the Zombie-produced Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures, sing a song that has nothing to do with flesh-eating ghouls or demonic forces.
Of course, I’m partial to Willie and Merle. Nelson’s “Lady Be Good” is a snazzy, jazzy take on this Gershwin number, with a standout piano solo by Danny Levin. But I think my favorite tune on this album is Haggard’s spot, a hot version of “Sweet Georgia Brown.” It’s so good I can make it almost all the way through without thinking of the Harlem Globetrotters.
If you’re a fan at all of western swing, there’s no way Celebrating With Friends isn’t going to make you smile.
Also recommended:
* Somewhere in Time by Reckless Kelly. This is an album that Reckless Kelly has been threatening to make for years.
It’s a collection of songs written by the band’s country-music mentor, one Pinto Bennett. Never heard of Pinto Bennett? Neither had I before this album. Apparently he’s a honky-tonk hero up in Idaho, where he led a band called the Famous Motel Cowboys during the Outlaw Era of the ’70s.
And this sounds as if it were a fun album to make. Texas luminaries like Joe Ely, Lloyd Maines, Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson’s harp man), and Bukka Allen (Terry and Jo Harvey’s boy) show up. And so does Pinto Bennett. The old Idaho Cowboy himself is here to sing lead on “Thelma,” a sad waltz about a doomed love.
While RK is known for its powerful roots-rock — and there’s plenty of that here, such as in the opening track, “Little Blossom” — my favorite songs are the more traditional honky-tonkers like “I’ve Done Everything I Could Do Wrong,” “You Cared Enough to Lie,” and “I’ll Hold the Bottle, You Hold the Wheel.” I can imagine Ray Price singing that one.
March 19, 2010
He fiddled with Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. He fiddled with Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel, Dolly Parton, and Merle Haggard — and also on TV with Hee Haw’s Million Dollar Band. His fiddling won him a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship in 1994, presented to him by then first lady Hillary Clinton. And he fiddled on the campaign trail for Louisiana Gov. Jimmie Davis. (Oops! He actually played banjo for the singing governor.)
Johnny Gimble turns 84 in a couple of months, and he’s still fiddling. He has a new album out, Celebrating With Friends, on which he’s joined by friends like Nelson, Haggard, Ray Benson from Asleep at the Wheel, Vince Gill, Jesse Dayton, and Prairie Home Companion’s Garrison Keillor. And the album’s cover art is by Mekon/Waco Brother/western-swing lover Jon Langford.
Personal digression: Despite his lengthy western-swing/country music résumé, I didn’t become aware of Johnny Gimble until the late 1960s. It was on a record called Make a Joyful Noise by a wild tribe of hippies called Mother Earth, led by a rich-throated blues belter named Tracy Nelson and a warbling poet named R.P. St. John.
Gimble was one of several country-music veterans to appear on this record. There was also another veteran fiddler — Grover C. “Shorty” Lavender — as well as steel-guitar master Pete Drake. One of the best moments on Joyful Noise was Gimble’s jaw-dropping solo on Hank Williams’ “You Win Again.” Shamefully, this album was out of print for decades until it was reissued on the Wounded Bird label about six years ago.
Back to the present: Celebrating With Friends almost seems like a tribute album. Indeed, on a couple of tunes Gimble doesn’t actually play. A younger fiddler, Jason Roberts, an impressive musician who is part of the house band that forms the backbone of the record, fills in for the master on the Gimble-penned instrumental “Gardenia Waltz.” He also plays and recites the lyrics of Gimble’s “Fiddlin’ Around.”
And then there’s the final track, “Owed to Johnny Gimble,” which is from a 1994 Prairie Home Companion show recorded shortly after Gimble won the NEA award. This is an actual tribute song by Keillor, who sings, “There was a fiddler named Gimble/Whose fingers were nimble.” (Keillor also rhymes “Darling Nelly” with Stephane Grapelli, but at least he doesn’t end any line with “Nantucket.”)
But the best tributes here are the classy jams featuring Gimble, who plays electric mandolin on some tracks and even sings a few songs. He swaps verses with Gill on “Somewhere South of San Antone,” showing that time has been kind to his vocal chords. Gimble’s granddaughter Emily Gimble sings “If I Had You” while grandpa proudly plays in the background.
Jesse Dayton takes time off his duties as Rob Zombie’s resident country singer to do a fun little number called “Hey Mr. Cowboy.” It’s nice to hear Dayton, whose last album was the Zombie-produced Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures, sing a song that has nothing to do with flesh-eating ghouls or demonic forces.
Of course, I’m partial to Willie and Merle. Nelson’s “Lady Be Good” is a snazzy, jazzy take on this Gershwin number, with a standout piano solo by Danny Levin. But I think my favorite tune on this album is Haggard’s spot, a hot version of “Sweet Georgia Brown.” It’s so good I can make it almost all the way through without thinking of the Harlem Globetrotters.
If you’re a fan at all of western swing, there’s no way Celebrating With Friends isn’t going to make you smile.
Also recommended:
* Somewhere in Time by Reckless Kelly. This is an album that Reckless Kelly has been threatening to make for years.
It’s a collection of songs written by the band’s country-music mentor, one Pinto Bennett. Never heard of Pinto Bennett? Neither had I before this album. Apparently he’s a honky-tonk hero up in Idaho, where he led a band called the Famous Motel Cowboys during the Outlaw Era of the ’70s.
Bennett was friends with the father of Cody and Willie Braun, the brothers at the core of Reckless Kelly, who grew up in Idaho before moving to Austin, Texas. Pinto, a burly bearded guy who looks like a healthier version of Blaze Foley, is not well-known outside of the potato capital, but judging from this album, he’s a heck of a songwriter.
And this sounds as if it were a fun album to make. Texas luminaries like Joe Ely, Lloyd Maines, Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson’s harp man), and Bukka Allen (Terry and Jo Harvey’s boy) show up. And so does Pinto Bennett. The old Idaho Cowboy himself is here to sing lead on “Thelma,” a sad waltz about a doomed love.
While RK is known for its powerful roots-rock — and there’s plenty of that here, such as in the opening track, “Little Blossom” — my favorite songs are the more traditional honky-tonkers like “I’ve Done Everything I Could Do Wrong,” “You Cared Enough to Lie,” and “I’ll Hold the Bottle, You Hold the Wheel.” I can imagine Ray Price singing that one.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
Sunday, March 14, 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
Webcasting!
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Just Like Me by Paul Revere & The Raiders
Maid of Sugar Made of Spice by Mouse & The Traps
The Snake by Johnny Rivers
Valley of Neptune by Jimi Hendrix
Stain by The Laundronauts
Sick by The Ultimatemost High
Wig Wag by Manby's Head
Cysco Sanchez Has a Drink by Cysco Sanchez Supergroup
Super Hero by Electricoolade
My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama by Frank Zappa
Don't Bogue My High by The Dirtbombs
Come Down With Me by The Organs
Stolen Love by Thee Headcoatees
Get Ready, I'm Gonna Move in the Room Upstairs by The Rev. Louis Overstreet
Shortnin' Bread by Neal Pattman
Goin' Manic by The Rev. Horton Heat
Fissure of Rolando by The Cramps
PRE-ST. PATRICK'S DAY CELEBRATION
March to Battle by The Chieftains with Liam Neeson
The Fairy Hills by The Wolfe Tones
The Likes of You Again by Flogging Molly
The Rocky Road to Dublin by The Young Dubliners
Donnegal Express by Shane MacGowan & The Popes
Captain Kelly's Kitchen by The Dropkick Murpheys
Whiskey in a Jar by The Dubliners
Wild Rover by The Dropkick Murpheys with Shane MacGowan
Irish Rover by The Dubliners with The Pogues
Long Lost Tapes of Hendrix by Black 47
A Bang on the Ear by The Waterboys
Yer Drunk Again/Polka del Diablo by The Mollys
Carrickfergus by Van Morrison The Chieftains
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
Webcasting!
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Just Like Me by Paul Revere & The Raiders
Maid of Sugar Made of Spice by Mouse & The Traps
The Snake by Johnny Rivers
Valley of Neptune by Jimi Hendrix
Stain by The Laundronauts
Sick by The Ultimatemost High
Wig Wag by Manby's Head
Cysco Sanchez Has a Drink by Cysco Sanchez Supergroup
Super Hero by Electricoolade
My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama by Frank Zappa
Don't Bogue My High by The Dirtbombs
Come Down With Me by The Organs
Stolen Love by Thee Headcoatees
Get Ready, I'm Gonna Move in the Room Upstairs by The Rev. Louis Overstreet
Shortnin' Bread by Neal Pattman
Goin' Manic by The Rev. Horton Heat
Fissure of Rolando by The Cramps
PRE-ST. PATRICK'S DAY CELEBRATION March to Battle by The Chieftains with Liam Neeson
The Fairy Hills by The Wolfe Tones
The Likes of You Again by Flogging Molly
The Rocky Road to Dublin by The Young Dubliners
Donnegal Express by Shane MacGowan & The Popes
Captain Kelly's Kitchen by The Dropkick Murpheys
Whiskey in a Jar by The Dubliners
Wild Rover by The Dropkick Murpheys with Shane MacGowan
Irish Rover by The Dubliners with The Pogues
Long Lost Tapes of Hendrix by Black 47
A Bang on the Ear by The Waterboys
Yer Drunk Again/Polka del Diablo by The Mollys
Carrickfergus by Van Morrison The Chieftains
Friday, March 12, 2010
NO SF OPRY TONIGHT
Because of transmitter problems at KSFR, there will be no Santa Fe Opry tonight.
Hopefully the station will be back up by Sunday. I'm planning an hour or so of Irish music -- Celt Rock, traditional and everything between -- on Terrell's Sound World. Show starts at 10 p.m. Mountain Time on 101.1 FM in Northern New Mexico and streaming at http://www.ksfr.org
Thursday, March 11, 2010
TERRELL'S TUNEUP: SAN PATRICIOS GO BRAUGH
A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
March 12, 2010
If you get an emotional surge of patriotism in your soul when you hear the phrase “Remember the Alamo,” chances are you might not care for the new album by The Chieftains and Ry Cooder.
Or at least the subject matter. While some might not like the idea of celebrating those who fought hard against this country, it’s difficult to imagine that anyone could be unmoved by at least some of the wondrous collaboration that is San Patricio. Once you get swept into chief Chieftain Paddy Moloney’s magic, you might come dangerously close to forgetting the Alamo.
The inspiration behind this album is the story of the San Patricio Brigade, a band of predominantly Irish (although there also were a good number of German) immigrants, many of whom deserted the U.S. Army and joined the Mexican army to fight during the Mexican-American War.
Moloney and Cooder recruited their own brigade of musicians including Mexican band Los Tigres del Norte and Mexican American songbirds Lila Downs and Linda Ronstadt, as well as Irish actor Liam Neeson to record this tale. And there are lesser-known groups including Los Folkloristas and Los Cenzontles.
“If the Mexicans were there, there must have been music. I know for myself, if the Irish were there, there most certainly would have been music.” That’s what Moloney writes in the liner note of San Patricio. And he and his collaborators show what a sweet mix traditional Irish and Mexican music can be. Uilleann pipes and tin whistles play Mexican melodies. Mariachi mixes with Celtic themes. At one point, the "Mexican Hat Dance " becomes a jig.
Not all of the tunes deal directly with the San Patricios. In fact, “Persecución de Villa,” in which The Chieftains are joined by Mariachi Santa Fe de Jesus (Chuy) Guzman, is about Pancho Villa and the Mexican Revolution, which occurred more than 60 years after the Mexican-American War.
History lesson: In this country, the San Patricios were known as traitors. In Mexico, they are considered heroes who fought an invading Army. The war, derisively called “Mr. Polk’s War” (after President James K.), was controversial. Even Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, who served as an Army lieutenant during the conflict, sounded almost like Dennis Kucinich when he wrote in his memoirs, “To this day [I] regard the war, which resulted, as one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation.” The American Army suffered a desertion rate of more than 8 percent — more than for any other American war.
According to historian Martin Paredes, “Although the American Army was composed of recent immigrants, discrimination permeated through the ranks. Catholic prejudice and harsh treatment by Anglo-American superiors and the use of extreme disciplinary measures such as flogging added to the reasons for the desertions from Taylor’s ranks. ‘Potato heads,’ as the Irish were commonly called, were particularly singled out for harsh treatment.”
In a song called “Sands of Mexico,” Cooder sings, “ Now the Army used us harshly, we were but trash to them/Conscripted Irish farmers/Not first class soldier men/They beat us and they banged us/Mistreated us, you know.”
No, this was no picnic time for potato heads.
According to an article presented online by the Texas State Historical Association, “The Mexican government, aware of prejudice against immigrants to the United States, started a campaign after the Mexican War broke out to win the foreigners and Catholics to its cause. ... Mexican propaganda insinuated that the United States intended to destroy Catholicism in Mexico, and if Catholic soldiers fought on the side of the Americans, they would be warring against their own religion.”
Narrating “March to Battle (Across the Río Grande)” on San Patricio, Neeson recites, “We are the San Patricios, a brave and gallant band/There’ll be no white flag flying within this green command/We are the San Patricios, we have but one demand/To see the Yankees safely home across the Río Grande.”
The San Patricios were led by Sgt. John Riley, an Irish immigrant who had deserted the U.S. Army and fought hard for Mexico. But they made their last stand at the Battle of Churubusco (a name that came from the Aztec word meaning “Place of the War God”) in August 1847. Out of 260, only 75 survived. They killed at least 137 American soldiers and wounded nearly 900.
“We went down to Churubusco, but the devil got there first,” Cooder sings in “Sands of Mexico.” Many of the deserters were hung. “As I stand upon the gallows, it cheers the soul to know/History will absolve us on the sands of Mexico,” Cooder sings.
But Riley was in for a fate some might think worse than death. He was forced to dig the graves of some of his compatriots. He also received 50 lashes and was branded with the letter "D" (for "deserter") on his face — twice, actually. According to www.AmericanHeritage.com, “Since the letter was seared on upside down the first time, it was righted in a second branding.” Two years later, Riley would sue over this punishment, but a jury in Cincinnati ruled in favor of the government.
Again from Neeson in “March to Battle”: “We’ve disappeared from history like footprints in the sand/But our song is in the tumbleweeds and our love is in this land/But if in the desert moonlight you see a ghostly band/We are the men who died for freedom across the Río Grande.”
On a lighter note: My favorite Irish tune in recent weeks can be found on Black 47’s new album Bankers & Gangsters.
It’s a funny, upbeat song called “The Long Lost Tapes of Hendrix.” And yes, it’s about Jimi.
Leader Larry Kirwin sings, “One evening while out strollin’ a friend I chanced to see/He was begging behind a bottle on Spring and Bowery/He said ‘I got some news for you, only cost a couple of bob/About a buried treasure back home in Ballydehob.’ ”
But the treasure is as elusive as the wee folks’ pot of gold. To find the tapes, Kirwin has to confront a BBW bank teller — “200 pounds of sweet Maggie McGuire” — as well as an ominous “apparition in tie-dye.”
I’ll say no more, except “Purple Haze” never sounded so good on uilleann pipes.
March 12, 2010
If you get an emotional surge of patriotism in your soul when you hear the phrase “Remember the Alamo,” chances are you might not care for the new album by The Chieftains and Ry Cooder.
Or at least the subject matter. While some might not like the idea of celebrating those who fought hard against this country, it’s difficult to imagine that anyone could be unmoved by at least some of the wondrous collaboration that is San Patricio. Once you get swept into chief Chieftain Paddy Moloney’s magic, you might come dangerously close to forgetting the Alamo.
The inspiration behind this album is the story of the San Patricio Brigade, a band of predominantly Irish (although there also were a good number of German) immigrants, many of whom deserted the U.S. Army and joined the Mexican army to fight during the Mexican-American War.
Moloney and Cooder recruited their own brigade of musicians including Mexican band Los Tigres del Norte and Mexican American songbirds Lila Downs and Linda Ronstadt, as well as Irish actor Liam Neeson to record this tale. And there are lesser-known groups including Los Folkloristas and Los Cenzontles.
“If the Mexicans were there, there must have been music. I know for myself, if the Irish were there, there most certainly would have been music.” That’s what Moloney writes in the liner note of San Patricio. And he and his collaborators show what a sweet mix traditional Irish and Mexican music can be. Uilleann pipes and tin whistles play Mexican melodies. Mariachi mixes with Celtic themes. At one point, the "Mexican Hat Dance " becomes a jig.
Not all of the tunes deal directly with the San Patricios. In fact, “Persecución de Villa,” in which The Chieftains are joined by Mariachi Santa Fe de Jesus (Chuy) Guzman, is about Pancho Villa and the Mexican Revolution, which occurred more than 60 years after the Mexican-American War.
History lesson: In this country, the San Patricios were known as traitors. In Mexico, they are considered heroes who fought an invading Army. The war, derisively called “Mr. Polk’s War” (after President James K.), was controversial. Even Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, who served as an Army lieutenant during the conflict, sounded almost like Dennis Kucinich when he wrote in his memoirs, “To this day [I] regard the war, which resulted, as one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation.” The American Army suffered a desertion rate of more than 8 percent — more than for any other American war.
According to historian Martin Paredes, “Although the American Army was composed of recent immigrants, discrimination permeated through the ranks. Catholic prejudice and harsh treatment by Anglo-American superiors and the use of extreme disciplinary measures such as flogging added to the reasons for the desertions from Taylor’s ranks. ‘Potato heads,’ as the Irish were commonly called, were particularly singled out for harsh treatment.”
In a song called “Sands of Mexico,” Cooder sings, “ Now the Army used us harshly, we were but trash to them/Conscripted Irish farmers/Not first class soldier men/They beat us and they banged us/Mistreated us, you know.”
No, this was no picnic time for potato heads.
According to an article presented online by the Texas State Historical Association, “The Mexican government, aware of prejudice against immigrants to the United States, started a campaign after the Mexican War broke out to win the foreigners and Catholics to its cause. ... Mexican propaganda insinuated that the United States intended to destroy Catholicism in Mexico, and if Catholic soldiers fought on the side of the Americans, they would be warring against their own religion.”
Narrating “March to Battle (Across the Río Grande)” on San Patricio, Neeson recites, “We are the San Patricios, a brave and gallant band/There’ll be no white flag flying within this green command/We are the San Patricios, we have but one demand/To see the Yankees safely home across the Río Grande.”
The San Patricios were led by Sgt. John Riley, an Irish immigrant who had deserted the U.S. Army and fought hard for Mexico. But they made their last stand at the Battle of Churubusco (a name that came from the Aztec word meaning “Place of the War God”) in August 1847. Out of 260, only 75 survived. They killed at least 137 American soldiers and wounded nearly 900.
“We went down to Churubusco, but the devil got there first,” Cooder sings in “Sands of Mexico.” Many of the deserters were hung. “As I stand upon the gallows, it cheers the soul to know/History will absolve us on the sands of Mexico,” Cooder sings.
But Riley was in for a fate some might think worse than death. He was forced to dig the graves of some of his compatriots. He also received 50 lashes and was branded with the letter "D" (for "deserter") on his face — twice, actually. According to www.AmericanHeritage.com, “Since the letter was seared on upside down the first time, it was righted in a second branding.” Two years later, Riley would sue over this punishment, but a jury in Cincinnati ruled in favor of the government.
Again from Neeson in “March to Battle”: “We’ve disappeared from history like footprints in the sand/But our song is in the tumbleweeds and our love is in this land/But if in the desert moonlight you see a ghostly band/We are the men who died for freedom across the Río Grande.”
On a lighter note: My favorite Irish tune in recent weeks can be found on Black 47’s new album Bankers & Gangsters.
It’s a funny, upbeat song called “The Long Lost Tapes of Hendrix.” And yes, it’s about Jimi.
Leader Larry Kirwin sings, “One evening while out strollin’ a friend I chanced to see/He was begging behind a bottle on Spring and Bowery/He said ‘I got some news for you, only cost a couple of bob/About a buried treasure back home in Ballydehob.’ ”
But the treasure is as elusive as the wee folks’ pot of gold. To find the tapes, Kirwin has to confront a BBW bank teller — “200 pounds of sweet Maggie McGuire” — as well as an ominous “apparition in tie-dye.”
I’ll say no more, except “Purple Haze” never sounded so good on uilleann pipes.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
eMusic March
* Animal God Of The Streets by Kim Fowley. I met Kim Fowley -- producer, songwriter, Rock 'n' Roll Svengali, Sultan of Sunset Strip -- at one of the first South by Southwest festivals I attended back in the mid 90s. He was in the Austin Convention Center wearing a fairly psychedelic coat of many colors and was in the company of a sexy young singer he claimed to be "The Next Janis Joplin." (I listened to her cassette tape when I got back home. She was not the next Janis Joplin.) I don't even remember how our conversation started, but he was pitching this singer to me so intently you'd have thought I was some major producer. A film crew approached us and Fowley focused his pitch on the camera. Fowley ranted, the Next Janis Joplin slinked around looking sexy. I decided, what the hell, I held up the tape with a stern expression, nodding my head, as if I were the muscle in the entourage. I don't know where that camera crew was from, but what I'd give to have that footage!So that's my Kim Fowley story. It has nothing to do with this album. Or maybe it has everything to do with it. His inspired quasi-political babblings of "Is America Dead?" definitely is the same voice I remember ranting about that singer at the convention hall.
Animal God was released in 1975, shortly before he was recruiting The Runaways. But it was recorded a few years before. (In "Is America Dead?" he mentions the fact that Woodstock was the year before., and he's not afraid to use the word "groovy.") The music is good stripped-down blues rock informed by psychedelia.
The first track "Night of the Hunter" sounds almost like Steppenwolf. And "Swamp Dance" is sweet and swampy. I'm not sure why Fowley attempted a cover of Link Wray's "Rumble." But "Hobo Wine" -- a pretty close relative of " Drinkin' Wine-Spo-Dee-Oo-Dee" sounds like something from a jukebox on skid row. I mean that in a good way, of course.
* 1950s Gospel Classics by Various Artists. Here's another happy find. This 25-song collection is a treasure chest of some great, if very obscure, gospel belters and guitar pickers.
There's Professor Johnson, who's got a Henry Green, Rev, Robert Ballinger, Deacon Leroy Shinault and the Rev. Anderson Johnson, who does a tune called "Death in the Morning," which either is a precursor to or a crazy bastard son of "O Death."
There's Professor Johnson, who's got a Henry Green, Rev, Robert Ballinger, Deacon Leroy Shinault and the Rev. Anderson Johnson, who does a tune called "Death in the Morning," which either is a precursor to or a crazy bastard son of "O Death."
Sister Rosetta Tharpe's fans will immediately recognize a couple of her tunes here. Green does a version of "Strange Things" (though he does it as a dirge, not upbeat like Tharpe) and "God Don't Like It," which is done twice here by Anderson Johnson. If anything, his version, featuring his slide guitar, is even more jaunty than Sister Rosetta's. On one take, Johnson ends it with a disclaimer: "Now I wasn't talking about anyone, I was just singing my song." So despite the hell-fire lyrics, he's letting us know he's not really judging anyone. He sings it with a smile on his face and love in his heart.
* Bankers and Gangsters by Black 47. Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, a new Black 47 album. Sometimes Larry Kirwin gets a little heavy-handed when he gets going on the politics. The title track here for instance isn't all that inspired. And nothing here matches my favorite 47 song, "Forty Deuce" -- the story of real gangsters.
But there are a few standouts here. "Izzy's Irish Rose" is a fun look at a Hebrew/Celtic romance (and has a tasty little Irishfied blast of "Hava Nagila.") "Celtic Rocker" is a light-hearted look at the subculture that has grown around bands like The Dropkick Murphys, Flogging , The Young Dubliners, and, yes, Black 47.
And then there's "Long Lost Tapes of Hendrix." Check my Terrell's Tune-up column this Friday for more on that.
* Descending Shadows by Pierced Arrows Even though Dead Moon is gone, two-thirds of the band — Fred Cole and his bass player and wife of 40-plus years, Toody Cole — are back with another fine group, Pierced Arrows. The Arrows released an album called Straight to the Heart a couple of years ago on Tombstone.And now comes their sophomore effort — and it's no slump,
The good news for Dead Moon fans is that the new trio sounds like a continuation of Moon's basic guitar/bass/drums sound. I suppose hard-core followers could argue over which drummer is better, Loomis or new guy Kelly Halliburton (no relation to Dick Cheney), but I don't see a major difference. The important thing is there was no cheesy attempt to update or "modernize" the sound. And Fred is still writing some memorable songs.
See my full review in Terrell's Tune-up a couple of weeks ago.
* The Second Stop Is Jupiter by Sun Ra. Herman Poole "Sonny" Blount, better known in this solar system as Sun Ra (1914-1993), not only played cosmic jazz but also dabbled in doo-wop and R & B in the 1950s and a little funky soul in the '60s and '70s. And danged if Ra didn't make that sound cosmic too!
Norton Records recently released three CDs of his material. Interplanetary Melodies and The Second Stop Is Jupiter feature recordings from the mid-1950s, while Rocket Ship Rock spans the late '50s through early '70s. I picked up the two of the three a couple of months ago, but just got my hands on Jupiter lately. I reviewed the whole shebang a few weeks ago in my Tuneup column. Read it HERE.
Plus
* "New Mexico" by Johnny Cash. A few weeks back Leslie Lithicum of The Albuquerque Journal had a fun column about songs about New Mexico. I was ashamed to realized that I had never heard this one. Luckily, eMusic had it on a Sun Records collection. It's a classic chunka chunka Cash tune about a young cowboy who is recruited for a job here, has a miserable time and gets ripped off.
No, this is one the Tourism Department never will use in ads: "Go back to your friends and loved ones, tell others not to go/To the God-forsaken country they call New Mexico."
* The tracks from The Sheik Said Shake by Hipbone Slim & The Knee-Tremblers that I didn't get last month. It's just good British psychobilly blues from the Dark Dimension.My favorite in this batch is "Buried Next to You," a slow-grooving meditation on eternal love. I don't know whether this is an original or otherwise, but I can easily imagine Charlie Feathers singing this one. And there's "One-Legged Rock," which takes up where Terry Allen's "Peggy Leg" left off.
Now I've got to get my hands on the new one by Hipbone -- The Kneeanderthal Sound of…
Monday, March 08, 2010
New Delaney Davidson: Self Decapitation
Delaney Davidson, the New Zealan singer and multi-instrument ace who played in Santa Fe last year opening for Rev. Beat-Man (and playing in the Rev's band) has just released a solo album called Self Decapitation on Voodoo Rhythm Records.
In addition to his musical talent, he's a fine photographer. He took this picture in Santa Fe:
Check out the video below.
Check out the video below.
R.I.P. Mark Linkous
Mark Linkous, aka Sparklehorse, is dead. He committed suicide in Knoxville, Tenn. Shot himself in an alley near a friend's house. Here's the New York Times account.
In honor of his music, here's his yet-to-be-released collaboration with Danger Mouse and David Lynch, Dark Night of the Soul. (It's been up at NPR for nearly 9 months.)
Here's a grim little note. Linkous is the second musician on this album who has committed suicide. Vic Chestnut, who killed himself in December, sings the song "Grim Augury."
Tracks:
01 Revenge (w/ The Flaming Lips)
02 Just War (w/ Gruff Rhys)
03 Jaykub (w/ Jason Lytle)
04 Little Girl (w/ Julian Casablancas)
05 Angel’s Harp (w/ Frank Black)
06 Pain (w/ Iggy Pop)
07 Star Eyes (I Can’t Catch It) (w/ David Lynch)
08 Everytime I’m With You (w/ Jason Lytle)
09 Insane Lullaby (w/ James Mercer of The Shins)
10 Daddy’s Gone (w/ Nina Persson)
11 The Man Who Played God (w/ Suzanne Vega)
12 Grim Augury (w/ Vic Chestnutt)
13 Dark Night Of The Soul (w/ David Lynch)
Sunday, March 07, 2010
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
Sunday, March 7, 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Celluloid Heroes by The Kinks
New Age by The Velvet Underground
My Beloved Movie Star by Stan Ridgway
Tiffany Anastasia Lowe by June Carter Cash
Martin Scorsese by King Missile
Shout Bama Lama by The Detroit Cobras
Beyond the Sound of Time by The Bomboras
Psycho Daiseys by The Hentchmen
Spin Cycle by The Laundronauts
Make You Sorry by The Routes
Crazy Pills by Quan & The Chinese Takeouts
Seersucker Suit by J.J. & The Real Jerks
The Mollasses by The Scrams
Melt My Mind by The Tex Reys
Medusa by The Hydes
The Orange Shadows by The Molting Vultures
(We're the) Knights of Fuzz by Marshmallow Overcoat
Sour and Vicious Man by The Strawmen
Hush, Hush/12 O'Clock Midnight/Dizzy Miss Lizzy by The Plimsouls
Bad Boy by The Backbeat Band
Slow Down by The Beatles
You Bug Me Badly by Larry Williams
Wiggling Fool by Jack Hammer
Honey I Need by The Pretty Things
Daddy You Lied to Me by The Del Moroccos
Hell of a Woman by Impala
Shivers Down My Spine by King Khan & The Shrines
Down on the Riverbed by Los Lobos
Death in the Morning by Rev. Anderson Johnson
Jungle Music by Simon Stokes
My Yoke is Heavy/It's a Wonderful Life by Sparklehorse
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Celluloid Heroes by The Kinks
New Age by The Velvet Underground
My Beloved Movie Star by Stan Ridgway
Tiffany Anastasia Lowe by June Carter Cash
Martin Scorsese by King Missile
Shout Bama Lama by The Detroit Cobras
Beyond the Sound of Time by The Bomboras
Psycho Daiseys by The Hentchmen
Spin Cycle by The Laundronauts
Make You Sorry by The Routes
Crazy Pills by Quan & The Chinese Takeouts
Seersucker Suit by J.J. & The Real Jerks
The Mollasses by The Scrams
Melt My Mind by The Tex Reys
Medusa by The Hydes
The Orange Shadows by The Molting Vultures
(We're the) Knights of Fuzz by Marshmallow Overcoat
Sour and Vicious Man by The Strawmen
Hush, Hush/12 O'Clock Midnight/Dizzy Miss Lizzy by The Plimsouls
Bad Boy by The Backbeat Band
Slow Down by The Beatles
You Bug Me Badly by Larry Williams
Wiggling Fool by Jack Hammer
Honey I Need by The Pretty Things
Daddy You Lied to Me by The Del Moroccos
Hell of a Woman by Impala
Shivers Down My Spine by King Khan & The Shrines
Down on the Riverbed by Los Lobos
Death in the Morning by Rev. Anderson Johnson
Jungle Music by Simon Stokes
My Yoke is Heavy/It's a Wonderful Life by Sparklehorse
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Friday, March 05, 2010
THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST
Friday, March 5, 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Harm's Way by The Waco Brothers
Guacamole by The Texas Tornados
Buzz, Buzz, Buzz by The Blasters
Miss Froggy by Warren Smith
Drunk by Noon by Sally Timms
Juke Joint Jumpin' by Wayne Hancock & Hank Williams III
Shake, Rattle & Roll by Doc Watson
I Fall to Pieces by Patsy Cline
My Own Kind of Hat by Merle Haggard
Flowers on the Wall by The Statler Brothers
In-a Gadda da Vida by Mojo Nixon
Entella Hotel by Peter Case
Monday Morning Blues by Peter Case & Dave Alvin
Raymond Martinez by Kell Robertson
Can't Pay the Bill by Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band
Palenque by Felix y Los Gatos
New Mexico by Johnny Cash
A Human Coyote Stole My Girl by Rex Allen
Sands of Mexico by Ry Cooder with The Chieftains
Long Lost Tapes by Black 47
Wild Irish Rose by George Jones
Danny Boy by Shane MacGowan
Going Up the Country by Mike Cullison
Country Girl by Dale Hawkins
Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette by Johnny Bond & His Red River Valley Boys
That Nightmare is Me by Mose McCormack
Satin Sheets by Jeannie Pruett
Cherokee Fiddle by Michael Martin Murphey
I Just Dropped in to Say Goodbye by Carl Smith
16th Avenue by Lacy J. Dalton
Waltzing's For Dreamers by Carrie Rodriguez
I Believe in You by Don Williams
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets
Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Harm's Way by The Waco Brothers
Guacamole by The Texas Tornados
Buzz, Buzz, Buzz by The Blasters
Miss Froggy by Warren Smith
Drunk by Noon by Sally Timms
Juke Joint Jumpin' by Wayne Hancock & Hank Williams III
Shake, Rattle & Roll by Doc Watson
I Fall to Pieces by Patsy Cline
My Own Kind of Hat by Merle Haggard
Flowers on the Wall by The Statler Brothers
In-a Gadda da Vida by Mojo Nixon
Entella Hotel by Peter Case
Monday Morning Blues by Peter Case & Dave Alvin
Raymond Martinez by Kell Robertson
Can't Pay the Bill by Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band
Palenque by Felix y Los Gatos
New Mexico by Johnny Cash
A Human Coyote Stole My Girl by Rex Allen
Sands of Mexico by Ry Cooder with The Chieftains
Long Lost Tapes by Black 47
Wild Irish Rose by George Jones
Danny Boy by Shane MacGowan
Going Up the Country by Mike Cullison
Country Girl by Dale Hawkins
Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette by Johnny Bond & His Red River Valley Boys
That Nightmare is Me by Mose McCormack
Satin Sheets by Jeannie Pruett
Cherokee Fiddle by Michael Martin Murphey
I Just Dropped in to Say Goodbye by Carl Smith
16th Avenue by Lacy J. Dalton
Waltzing's For Dreamers by Carrie Rodriguez
I Believe in You by Don Williams
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets
Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list
TERRELL'S TUNEUP: PLIMSOULS MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME
A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
March 5, 2010
The Plimsouls are one of those rock ’n’ roll bands that never quite achieved mega-success at the commercial level. But nearly 30 years after they broke up, their adherents claim that they were one of the most vital groups of all time.
Those who believe that — and I’m one who has slowly been drifting to that conclusion — have some fresh new evidence for that argument, a newly released concert album titled Live! Beg, Borrow & Steal. Recorded Halloween night in 1981 at the Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles, it captures the band at the height of their considerable powers.
So who were these guys?
The Plimsouls were a quartet led by singer Peter Case, who had previously played with a punk-rock unit called The Nerves. (And before that, he was a street busker in San Francisco, where, Case told me several years ago, none other than Dan Hicks used to harass and harangue him as he tried to sing for tips on the streets of North Beach.) Case has since gone on to establish himself as a respected singer/songwriter and contemporary folk singer.
In the fertile L.A. punk/New Wave scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s, The Plimsouls became major contenders. With Eddie Muñoz on guitar, Dave Pahoa on bass, and drummer Louie Ramirez, the Plims created a sound with the chaotic energy of punk rock but featuring hook-heavy melodies with nods to mid-’60s folk-rock and soul (their first EP, 1980’s Zero Hour, had a cover of Otis Reddings’ “I Can’t Turn You Loose”). Rodney Bingenheimer championed their signature tune “A Million Miles Away” on his KROQ radio show (the song was later included in the cinematic classic Valley Girl). And somehow it got tagged with the label “power pop” — which might put off some potential listeners wary of anything pop.
After their maiden album on the independent Planet Records, the Plimsouls got snatched up by Geffen Records. Their one-and-only major-label outing, Everywhere at Once, contained some of their classic songs. But I found it way overproduced in a glitzy, ’80s kind of way.
The band broke up soon after the release of Everywhere at Once. Case was becoming more and more interested in his folk and blues roots and less and less enthralled at the prospect of leading a rock band.
Every decade or so, The Plimsouls reunite. They recorded an album of new songs in the mid-1990s — the criminally neglected Kool Trash. Though I never got to see them in the ’80s, I’ve been fortunate to see them in 1996 and 2006 at the South by Southwest Festival. The latter show was held in perhaps the most jam-packed bar I’ve ever been in. Both shows are among the most high-charged and energetic I’ve ever seen.
For my money, the best Plimsouls albums are the live ones — this new record, and 1988’s excellent One Night in America. While listening to their albums is not the same as seeing them live, you still can hear the sweat.
If you’re a Plimfan, chances are your favorite song by the group is on Live! Beg, Borrow & Steal. “Million Miles” is here, of course, as well as perhaps the finest version of “Zero Hour” I’ve ever heard and a not-too-shabby “Lost Time.” The set starts out with “Hush Hush” and moves straight to “Shaky City,” which sounds like some unknown old Yardbirds tune mutated with some unexpected chord changes.
One of the standouts is “I Want You Back.” No, it’s not the Jackson 5 hit. It’s a Case original and perhaps as closes to rockabilly as the Plimsouls ever sounded.
In addition to their original tunes, the Plimsouls honor their forefathers with several hopped-up covers of early rock ’n’ roll classics. Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love” sneaks in on a medley. The group pays tribute to the early L.A. Chicano rockers Thee Midnighters with a frenzied take on “Jump, Jive, and Harmonize.” There’s Larry Williams’ “Dizzy Miss Lizzy,” which was most famously done by the Beatles (this one also appeared on One Night in America).
And there’s a real treat. The Plimsouls are joined by The Fleshtones, who apparently were the opening act that night, on spirited covers of Gary “U.S.” Bonds’ “New Orleans” and Little Richards’ “Hey Hey Hey.” There’s an uncredited sax player who seems to come out of nowhere on “New Orleans.” Is it the late Gordon Spaeth, who frequently played with The Fleshtones? I hope this live album will spark enough interest to bring about a new Plimsouls reunion. This music is timeless and welcome in any decade.
March 5, 2010
The Plimsouls are one of those rock ’n’ roll bands that never quite achieved mega-success at the commercial level. But nearly 30 years after they broke up, their adherents claim that they were one of the most vital groups of all time.Those who believe that — and I’m one who has slowly been drifting to that conclusion — have some fresh new evidence for that argument, a newly released concert album titled Live! Beg, Borrow & Steal. Recorded Halloween night in 1981 at the Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles, it captures the band at the height of their considerable powers.
So who were these guys?
The Plimsouls were a quartet led by singer Peter Case, who had previously played with a punk-rock unit called The Nerves. (And before that, he was a street busker in San Francisco, where, Case told me several years ago, none other than Dan Hicks used to harass and harangue him as he tried to sing for tips on the streets of North Beach.) Case has since gone on to establish himself as a respected singer/songwriter and contemporary folk singer.
In the fertile L.A. punk/New Wave scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s, The Plimsouls became major contenders. With Eddie Muñoz on guitar, Dave Pahoa on bass, and drummer Louie Ramirez, the Plims created a sound with the chaotic energy of punk rock but featuring hook-heavy melodies with nods to mid-’60s folk-rock and soul (their first EP, 1980’s Zero Hour, had a cover of Otis Reddings’ “I Can’t Turn You Loose”). Rodney Bingenheimer championed their signature tune “A Million Miles Away” on his KROQ radio show (the song was later included in the cinematic classic Valley Girl). And somehow it got tagged with the label “power pop” — which might put off some potential listeners wary of anything pop.
After their maiden album on the independent Planet Records, the Plimsouls got snatched up by Geffen Records. Their one-and-only major-label outing, Everywhere at Once, contained some of their classic songs. But I found it way overproduced in a glitzy, ’80s kind of way.
The band broke up soon after the release of Everywhere at Once. Case was becoming more and more interested in his folk and blues roots and less and less enthralled at the prospect of leading a rock band.
Every decade or so, The Plimsouls reunite. They recorded an album of new songs in the mid-1990s — the criminally neglected Kool Trash. Though I never got to see them in the ’80s, I’ve been fortunate to see them in 1996 and 2006 at the South by Southwest Festival. The latter show was held in perhaps the most jam-packed bar I’ve ever been in. Both shows are among the most high-charged and energetic I’ve ever seen.
For my money, the best Plimsouls albums are the live ones — this new record, and 1988’s excellent One Night in America. While listening to their albums is not the same as seeing them live, you still can hear the sweat.
If you’re a Plimfan, chances are your favorite song by the group is on Live! Beg, Borrow & Steal. “Million Miles” is here, of course, as well as perhaps the finest version of “Zero Hour” I’ve ever heard and a not-too-shabby “Lost Time.” The set starts out with “Hush Hush” and moves straight to “Shaky City,” which sounds like some unknown old Yardbirds tune mutated with some unexpected chord changes.
One of the standouts is “I Want You Back.” No, it’s not the Jackson 5 hit. It’s a Case original and perhaps as closes to rockabilly as the Plimsouls ever sounded.
In addition to their original tunes, the Plimsouls honor their forefathers with several hopped-up covers of early rock ’n’ roll classics. Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love” sneaks in on a medley. The group pays tribute to the early L.A. Chicano rockers Thee Midnighters with a frenzied take on “Jump, Jive, and Harmonize.” There’s Larry Williams’ “Dizzy Miss Lizzy,” which was most famously done by the Beatles (this one also appeared on One Night in America).
And there’s a real treat. The Plimsouls are joined by The Fleshtones, who apparently were the opening act that night, on spirited covers of Gary “U.S.” Bonds’ “New Orleans” and Little Richards’ “Hey Hey Hey.” There’s an uncredited sax player who seems to come out of nowhere on “New Orleans.” Is it the late Gordon Spaeth, who frequently played with The Fleshtones? I hope this live album will spark enough interest to bring about a new Plimsouls reunion. This music is timeless and welcome in any decade.
Check out The Plimsouls at Alive Records. And there are songs and videos at their MySpace page, even though nobody’s updated the site in two or three years.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
Sunday, February 28, 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Goodbye Sweet Dreams by Roky Erikson & Okkervile River
The Sky is a Poisonous Garden by Concrete Blonde
Drinkin' Wine Spo Dee O-Dee by Jerry Lee Lewis
Too Much Fun by Sons of Hercules
New Orleans by The Plimsouls with The Fleshtones
7 and 7 Is by Love
Two Shakes by The Ettes
Pachuco Boogie by Don Tosti's Pachuco Boogie Boys
Ralph Rook by The Scrams
Diet Pill by L7
Howlin' at the Moon by The Nekromantix
Emotional Cockroach by TAD
You Are What You Is by Frank Zappa
A House is Not a Motel by Marshmallow Overcoat
Fireman Ring That Bell by R.L. Burnside
Let it Rain by Pierced Arrows
You Must Be a Witch by The Lollipop Shoppe
Dead Moon Night by Dead Moon
Fire in the Western World by The Dirtbombs
Ain't Life Strange by Pierced Arrows
Whistling Past the Graveyard by Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Only Darkness Has the Power by The Mekons
Human Cannonball by The Butthole Surfers
Start Wearing Purple by Gogol Bordello
Do It Yourself by The Polkaholics
Crack in the Universe by Wayne Kramer
Part Time Lover by Howard Tate
Tne Third Degree by The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
Oomp Boomp by The Rhythm Addicts
I'll Take Care of You by Gil Scott Heron
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Goodbye Sweet Dreams by Roky Erikson & Okkervile River
The Sky is a Poisonous Garden by Concrete Blonde
Drinkin' Wine Spo Dee O-Dee by Jerry Lee Lewis
Too Much Fun by Sons of Hercules
New Orleans by The Plimsouls with The Fleshtones
7 and 7 Is by Love
Two Shakes by The Ettes
Pachuco Boogie by Don Tosti's Pachuco Boogie Boys
Ralph Rook by The Scrams
Diet Pill by L7
Howlin' at the Moon by The Nekromantix
Emotional Cockroach by TAD
You Are What You Is by Frank Zappa
A House is Not a Motel by Marshmallow Overcoat
Fireman Ring That Bell by R.L. Burnside
Let it Rain by Pierced Arrows
You Must Be a Witch by The Lollipop Shoppe
Dead Moon Night by Dead Moon
Fire in the Western World by The Dirtbombs
Ain't Life Strange by Pierced Arrows
Whistling Past the Graveyard by Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Only Darkness Has the Power by The Mekons
Human Cannonball by The Butthole Surfers
Start Wearing Purple by Gogol Bordello
Do It Yourself by The Polkaholics
Crack in the Universe by Wayne Kramer
Part Time Lover by Howard Tate
Tne Third Degree by The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
Oomp Boomp by The Rhythm Addicts
I'll Take Care of You by Gil Scott Heron
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
NEW BIG ENCHILADA: MADNESS & GLORY!
Madness & Glory is the name of this episode of The Big Enchilada. I'm going to subject you to about 40 minutes of musical madness from the likes of Pierced Arrows, The Reigning Sound, King Automatic, Sun Ra, Kim Fowley, Butterbeans & Susie and Rev. Beat-Man -- plus some great New Mexico bands like Gary Farmer & The Troublemakers and The Scrams. Then, for the conclusion, we switch to sweet gospel glory with The Persuasions, The Pilgrim Travelers, Luther Magby and more. It'll be good for your soul -- and maybe even your sanity.
(Background Music: La Pajarera by Freddie Gomez y Sus Dinamicos)
Buried Alive by Pierced Arrows
Night of the Hunter by Kim Fowley
Eugene Landy by Oh No! and the Tiger Pit
Vague Information by King Automatic
Straight Shooter by Reigning Sound
I Am Gonna Unmask the Batman by Lacy Gibson (with Sun Ra)
Flea Market Rock by The Scrams
Slight Delight by The Routes
Under New Management by Crappy Dracula
Eat My Wiener by Lothar
I Want a Hotdog for My Roll by Butterbeans & Susie
Save My Soul From Hell by Rev. Beat-Man & The Unbelievers
(Background Music: God Wants Your Soul to Be Holy by Bryan "Josh" Taylor and Elder Jerry Taylor)
The Old Rugged Cross by The Pilgrim Travelers
Where Shall I Be by Professor Johnson & His Gospel Singers
When Jesus Comes by The Persuasions
Babylon's Fallen by The Trumpeteers
Jesus is Getting Us Ready For That Great Day by Luther Magby
Let it Be by Rev. Robert Ballinger
The Big Enchilada Web site with all my episodes is HERE
Become a Facebok fan The Big Enchilada HERE.
Friday, February 26, 2010
10 BILLIONTH iTUNES CUSTOMER: 71-YEAR OLD JOHNNY CASH FAN
The man who downloaded the 10 billionth iTunes song is older than the 9 billionth, 8 billionth and 7 billionth customer put together.
Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Georgia was minding his own business, downloading “Guess Things Happen That Way,” a 1958 hit for JC, for his new iPod Nano when the bells went off and the confetti came down. No, actually he got a phone call from Steve Jobs, another from Roseanne Cash (who sang him the song over the phone) and, best of all, a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card (which I bet his none grandchildren are already fighting over.)
This song's for Louie:
That's just a guess. But Mr. 10 Billion is a grandfather with good taste in music.
Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Georgia was minding his own business, downloading “Guess Things Happen That Way,” a 1958 hit for JC, for his new iPod Nano when the bells went off and the confetti came down. No, actually he got a phone call from Steve Jobs, another from Roseanne Cash (who sang him the song over the phone) and, best of all, a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card (which I bet his none grandchildren are already fighting over.)
This song's for Louie:
Thursday, February 25, 2010
TERRELL'S TUNEUP: PIERCING SOUNDS
A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
February 26, 2010
Fred Cole, as he's told us himself, has "been screaming at the top of my lungs since 1965."
That's from a song called "Poor Born" by Cole's lost lamented band Dead Moon, which broke up about four years ago after a roughly 20-year run that produced more than a dozen albums (mainly self-released on the band's own Tombstone Records label, though Sub Pop Records released a great double-disc retrospect compilation, Echoes of the Past, a few years ago).
But don't spend too much time lamenting. Even though Dead Moon is gone, two-thirds of the band — Fred Cole and his bass player and wife of 40-plus years, Toody Cole — are back with another fine group, Pierced Arrows. The Arrows released an album called Straight to the Heart a couple of years ago on Tombstone.
And now comes their sophomore effort — and it's no slump — Descending Shadows on Vice Records (also the home of The King Khan & BBQ Show, The Black Lips, and others among my recent favorites), which is a rocking triumph and a sweet jab in the eye to the idiotic notion that rock 'n' roll belongs exclusively to the young.
Lollipops and witches: According to a recent online interview with Fred and Toody, as a mere teen in Las Vegas, in the mid-'60s, Fred played bass with Frank Sinatra Jr.'s band. Now that's paying dues. He also had a band called The Weeds. Some record-label munchkin thought that name was too close to The Seeds, so they renamed the group The Lollipop Shoppe. I've always believed this qualified Cole and company to be the best band with the crappiest name. Their intense, urgent-sounding hit "You Must Be a Witch", which can be found on the first Nuggets box set of '60s garage-band hits, brings a lot of images to a listener's head, none of which are of lollipops.
After the Shoppe closed for business, Fred Cole persevered. He and the Mrs. opened a music store in the Portland area, raised a bunch of kids, and kept playing music. The birth of punk rock inspired a group called The Rats, which also featured Toody.
And then, with drummer Andrew Loomis, came Dead Moon; its history is lovingly told in the documentary Unknown Passage: The Dead Moon Story (Netflix fans, you can find it there).
In "Down to Earth," an emotional cruncher in which the guitar and drums remind me of some Crazy Horse tune, Toody sings of her mixed feelings about being a rock 'n' roll granny:
My favorite here is "Paranoia," a snarling slow-burner given an almost playful bounce by Toody's bass. Fred sounds downright paranoid as he screeches about shadowy enemies coming after him. I'm also fond of "On the Move," especially when Fred and Toody do some call-and-response vocals, and it's hard to immediately tell who is who.
It's refreshing to see a good example of rockers not becoming old softies after a few decades. But actually, it's missing the point to emphasize their age. Fred and Toody are clearly possessed of a spirit that's beyond the strangling hands of time. May they ever rock.
Cool Pierced Arrows links: You can find five free and legal tracks from the Arrows' first album, Straight to the Heart, at the Free Music Archive. And while you're there, check out a live Dead Moon show on WFMU in 2001 at the archive.
Meanwhile, the entire Descending Shadows album is streaming at piercedarrows.com and at Vice Records. And for that Fred and Toody interview I mentioned, go HERE. And, of course there's their MySpace page.
Quality radio: I'll pierce your lollipop this week on Terrell's Sound World, freeform weirdo radio, in a little tribute to Fred Cole's career. That's 10 p.m. Sunday on KSFR-FM 101.1. It's streaming and screaming on the Web
February 26, 2010
Fred Cole, as he's told us himself, has "been screaming at the top of my lungs since 1965."
That's from a song called "Poor Born" by Cole's lost lamented band Dead Moon, which broke up about four years ago after a roughly 20-year run that produced more than a dozen albums (mainly self-released on the band's own Tombstone Records label, though Sub Pop Records released a great double-disc retrospect compilation, Echoes of the Past, a few years ago).
But don't spend too much time lamenting. Even though Dead Moon is gone, two-thirds of the band — Fred Cole and his bass player and wife of 40-plus years, Toody Cole — are back with another fine group, Pierced Arrows. The Arrows released an album called Straight to the Heart a couple of years ago on Tombstone.
And now comes their sophomore effort — and it's no slump — Descending Shadows on Vice Records (also the home of The King Khan & BBQ Show, The Black Lips, and others among my recent favorites), which is a rocking triumph and a sweet jab in the eye to the idiotic notion that rock 'n' roll belongs exclusively to the young.
Lollipops and witches: According to a recent online interview with Fred and Toody, as a mere teen in Las Vegas, in the mid-'60s, Fred played bass with Frank Sinatra Jr.'s band. Now that's paying dues. He also had a band called The Weeds. Some record-label munchkin thought that name was too close to The Seeds, so they renamed the group The Lollipop Shoppe. I've always believed this qualified Cole and company to be the best band with the crappiest name. Their intense, urgent-sounding hit "You Must Be a Witch", which can be found on the first Nuggets box set of '60s garage-band hits, brings a lot of images to a listener's head, none of which are of lollipops.
After the Shoppe closed for business, Fred Cole persevered. He and the Mrs. opened a music store in the Portland area, raised a bunch of kids, and kept playing music. The birth of punk rock inspired a group called The Rats, which also featured Toody.
And then, with drummer Andrew Loomis, came Dead Moon; its history is lovingly told in the documentary Unknown Passage: The Dead Moon Story (Netflix fans, you can find it there).
In that group, Fred didn't stray far from "You Must Be a Witch" (a song Dead Moon was known to sometimes include in its sets). His ragged, at times falsetto voice and fuzzy guitar were still out front. Rooted in the Nuggets era and invigorated by psychedelia and punk rock, Dead Moon played a timeless style of rock, comparable to that of Cole's contemporary Roky Erickson.
And now, Pierced Arrows: I'm not sure why Dead Moon broke up. But at least Mr. and Mrs. Cole are still together.
The good news for Dead Moon fans is that the new trio sounds like a continuation of Moon's basic guitar/bass/drums sound. I suppose hard-core followers could argue over which drummer is better, Loomis or new guy Kelly Halliburton (no relation to Dick Cheney), but I don't see a major difference. The important thing is there was no cheesy attempt to update or "modernize" the sound. And Fred is still writing some memorable songs.
"Buried Alive" is a grungy stomper (this is probably an obscure reference, but the arrangement reminds me of L7's "Diet Pill") telling a story of "sinister science." Fred sings of a nightmare future where bio-electronic implants are used to "improve" people.
And now, Pierced Arrows: I'm not sure why Dead Moon broke up. But at least Mr. and Mrs. Cole are still together.
The good news for Dead Moon fans is that the new trio sounds like a continuation of Moon's basic guitar/bass/drums sound. I suppose hard-core followers could argue over which drummer is better, Loomis or new guy Kelly Halliburton (no relation to Dick Cheney), but I don't see a major difference. The important thing is there was no cheesy attempt to update or "modernize" the sound. And Fred is still writing some memorable songs.
"Buried Alive" is a grungy stomper (this is probably an obscure reference, but the arrangement reminds me of L7's "Diet Pill") telling a story of "sinister science." Fred sings of a nightmare future where bio-electronic implants are used to "improve" people.
"My spirit's in a ditch, a machine's replacing me/They can make me even better than how I used to be," he sings. "It doesn't make mistakes, it doesn't get confused/It doesn't eat or drink or think or feel it's being used."
In "Down to Earth," an emotional cruncher in which the guitar and drums remind me of some Crazy Horse tune, Toody sings of her mixed feelings about being a rock 'n' roll granny:
"Once upon the stage nervousness and age hit me like a plague/I've told myself before/Can't do this anymore/It's hard to walk away/Guess it's in my blood, I still can't get enough enough/It's what I've come to love."
My favorite here is "Paranoia," a snarling slow-burner given an almost playful bounce by Toody's bass. Fred sounds downright paranoid as he screeches about shadowy enemies coming after him. I'm also fond of "On the Move," especially when Fred and Toody do some call-and-response vocals, and it's hard to immediately tell who is who.
It's refreshing to see a good example of rockers not becoming old softies after a few decades. But actually, it's missing the point to emphasize their age. Fred and Toody are clearly possessed of a spirit that's beyond the strangling hands of time. May they ever rock.
Cool Pierced Arrows links: You can find five free and legal tracks from the Arrows' first album, Straight to the Heart, at the Free Music Archive. And while you're there, check out a live Dead Moon show on WFMU in 2001 at the archive.
Meanwhile, the entire Descending Shadows album is streaming at piercedarrows.com and at Vice Records. And for that Fred and Toody interview I mentioned, go HERE. And, of course there's their MySpace page.
Quality radio: I'll pierce your lollipop this week on Terrell's Sound World, freeform weirdo radio, in a little tribute to Fred Cole's career. That's 10 p.m. Sunday on KSFR-FM 101.1. It's streaming and screaming on the Web
OF KOOKS & KOOKABURRA
Here's an update on the Kookaburra Krisis.
Loyal readers might remember a couple of months ago when I blogged about an Australian music publishing company suing Colin Hay and Ron Strykert of the early '80s Aussie band Men at Work claiming copyright violation. The owners of the copyright of the song "Kookaburra" -- yes, the kiddie song about the bird who sits in the old gum tree you might have learned at summer camp -- claim The Men stole their song by using two bars of it in an instrumental section of their hit "Down Under."
Hey, Larriken Music, why don't you do something constructive and sue Barney the Dinosaur?
Loyal readers might remember a couple of months ago when I blogged about an Australian music publishing company suing Colin Hay and Ron Strykert of the early '80s Aussie band Men at Work claiming copyright violation. The owners of the copyright of the song "Kookaburra" -- yes, the kiddie song about the bird who sits in the old gum tree you might have learned at summer camp -- claim The Men stole their song by using two bars of it in an instrumental section of their hit "Down Under."
I thought this probably was some kind of nuisance suit. So I nearly choked on my vegemite sandwich when I learned the Evil Doers actually won their suit!
MAW's record company, EMI, is appealing according to ABC News, which put me in the position of rooting for a major record level.
As Benjamin J. Grimm would say, "What a revoltin' development."
Here's the NPR story that first alerted me to this.
Hey, Larriken Music, why don't you do something constructive and sue Barney the Dinosaur?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
A COUPLE OF TREATS FROM PLIMSOULS & ROKY
I'd just like to share a couple of new songs from a couple of my favorite artists.Well the first one's not really "new" per se. It was recorded in 1981. But it's on the newly released CD Live! Beg, Borrow & Steal by The Plimsouls. I'll be telling you a lot more about that album in the near future. But for now, enjoy this song.
Secondly, Roky Erikson is coming out with a new album, True Love Cast Out All Evil, featuring the Austin band Okkervile River. It's not due out until April, but Pitchfork magazine is making available the song "Goodbye Sweet Dreams."
Sweet dreams.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
Sunday, February 21, 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Leave the Capitol by The Fall
A Hit Gone Wrong by Deadbolt
Tripped by Pierced Arrows
Gentleman's Twist by The Fleshtones
Frog Went a Courtin' by Flat Duo Jets
Flea Market Rock by The Scrams
Pappa Satan Sang Louie by The Cramps
Parties in the Sea by Jonathan Richman
Hang On Sloopy by Lolita #18
I Can't Surf by The Rev. Horton Heat
Cherry Bomb by Joan Jett & L7
California Swamp Dance by Kim Fowley
Subway Train by New York Dolls
Archive From '59 by The Buff Medways
Cock a Hoop by The Purple Merkins
How Do You Catch a Girl? by Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs
Ace of Spades by 3 Bad Jacks
Diggin' Up My Date by Blood-Drained Cows
Batman Theme by Iggy Pop
Ramblin' Rose by The Persuasions
Rudy Wants to Buy Yez a Drink by Frank Zappa
The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing by The Persuasions
Runnin' Wild by Ron Haydock & The Boppers
The Devil's Comin' by Stud Cole
Mean and Evil by The Juke Joint Pimps
Built For Comfort by Gary Farmer & The Troublemakers
I'm Gonna Dig Up Howlin' Wolf by Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper
Dig a Hole by Little Freddie King
You Knock Me Out by The Del Moroccos
Bitch, I Love You by Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
The Slouch by Ray Gee & His Orchestra
Long Green by Barrence Whitfield
Fancy Dan by Gene Summers
All Beauty Taken From You by Chris Whiltey
Deathletter in the Mail by Bernadette Seacrest
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Leave the Capitol by The Fall
A Hit Gone Wrong by Deadbolt
Tripped by Pierced Arrows
Gentleman's Twist by The Fleshtones
Frog Went a Courtin' by Flat Duo Jets
Flea Market Rock by The Scrams
Pappa Satan Sang Louie by The Cramps
Parties in the Sea by Jonathan Richman
Hang On Sloopy by Lolita #18
I Can't Surf by The Rev. Horton Heat
Cherry Bomb by Joan Jett & L7
California Swamp Dance by Kim Fowley
Subway Train by New York Dolls
Archive From '59 by The Buff Medways
Cock a Hoop by The Purple Merkins
How Do You Catch a Girl? by Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs
Ace of Spades by 3 Bad Jacks
Diggin' Up My Date by Blood-Drained Cows
Batman Theme by Iggy Pop
Ramblin' Rose by The Persuasions
Rudy Wants to Buy Yez a Drink by Frank Zappa
The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing by The Persuasions
Runnin' Wild by Ron Haydock & The Boppers
The Devil's Comin' by Stud Cole
Mean and Evil by The Juke Joint Pimps
Built For Comfort by Gary Farmer & The Troublemakers
I'm Gonna Dig Up Howlin' Wolf by Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper
Dig a Hole by Little Freddie King
You Knock Me Out by The Del Moroccos
Bitch, I Love You by Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
The Slouch by Ray Gee & His Orchestra
Long Green by Barrence Whitfield
Fancy Dan by Gene Summers
All Beauty Taken From You by Chris Whiltey
Deathletter in the Mail by Bernadette Seacrest
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Friday, February 19, 2010
THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST
Friday, February 19, 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Tomorrow's Just a Train Wreck Away by Joe Swank & The Zen Pirates
Beyond Our Means by Dollar Store
The Golden Inn Song by The Last Mile Ramblers
Preacher Man by Quarter Mile Combo
Hole in the Ground by Iggy Yoakam & His Famous Pogo Ponies
Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer by Johnny Russell
Detroit City by Bobby Bare
I Could Love You (If You Let Me) by The Persuasions
Frankie by Dyke's Magic City Trio
Look at That Moon by Carl Mann
George Jones Talkin' Cell Phone Blues by Drive-By Truckers
Small Ya'll by George Jones
Drinking For Two by Mudhoney
Dirty Mouth Flo by Robbie Fulks
Baby He's a Wolf by Werly Fairburn
The Check's in the Mail by Johnny Dilks
Haggard (Like I've Never Been Before) by Merle Haggard
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong by John Lily
Zat You Myrtle? by The Carlisles
Kentucky Blues by Little Hat Jones
I'll Have to Forget You by The Pine Leaf Boys
Zydeco Gris Gris by BeauSoleil
Keep on the Sunny Side of Life by Bayou Seco
You're Not the First Girl by Lonnie Barron
Natural Man by Dale Hawkins
Rub a Dub Dub by Hank Thompson
Blues in a Bottle by The Texas Sheiks
Let You Light Shine on Me by The West Memphis String Band
Wade in the Water by Aylum Street Spankers
Up on the Ridge by Joe Ely & Joel Guzman
Are You Afraid to Die? by Red Allen
Rank Stranger by The Stanley Brothers
Your Love Light Never Shone by The Maddox Brothers & Rose
Take it Easy Mama by Ryan Bingham
Dreamin' My Dreams with You by Waylon Jennings
Old Friends by Roger Miller, Ray Price & Willie Nelson
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets
Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Tomorrow's Just a Train Wreck Away by Joe Swank & The Zen Pirates
Beyond Our Means by Dollar Store
The Golden Inn Song by The Last Mile Ramblers
Preacher Man by Quarter Mile Combo
Hole in the Ground by Iggy Yoakam & His Famous Pogo Ponies
Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer by Johnny Russell
Detroit City by Bobby Bare
I Could Love You (If You Let Me) by The Persuasions
Frankie by Dyke's Magic City Trio
Look at That Moon by Carl Mann
George Jones Talkin' Cell Phone Blues by Drive-By Truckers
Small Ya'll by George Jones
Drinking For Two by Mudhoney
Dirty Mouth Flo by Robbie Fulks
Baby He's a Wolf by Werly Fairburn
The Check's in the Mail by Johnny Dilks
Haggard (Like I've Never Been Before) by Merle Haggard
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong by John Lily
Zat You Myrtle? by The Carlisles
Kentucky Blues by Little Hat Jones
I'll Have to Forget You by The Pine Leaf Boys
Zydeco Gris Gris by BeauSoleil
Keep on the Sunny Side of Life by Bayou Seco
You're Not the First Girl by Lonnie Barron
Natural Man by Dale Hawkins
Rub a Dub Dub by Hank Thompson
Blues in a Bottle by The Texas Sheiks
Let You Light Shine on Me by The West Memphis String Band
Wade in the Water by Aylum Street Spankers
Up on the Ridge by Joe Ely & Joel Guzman
Are You Afraid to Die? by Red Allen
Rank Stranger by The Stanley Brothers
Your Love Light Never Shone by The Maddox Brothers & Rose
Take it Easy Mama by Ryan Bingham
Dreamin' My Dreams with You by Waylon Jennings
Old Friends by Roger Miller, Ray Price & Willie Nelson
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets
Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list
Thursday, February 18, 2010
TERRELL'S TUNEUP: ACOMPELLING SOUL
A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
February 19, 2010
The whole band only played one instrument — the human voice.
I'm talking about The Persuasions, the undisputed kings of a cappella soul. Armed only with their vocal cords, these guys, who first got together in New York City more than 40 years ago, made some magical sounds covering doo-wop, gospel, show tunes, rock 'n' roll, and, of course, sweet '60s soul.
On their latest release, The Persuasions: Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop, they do songs made famous by Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley, The Drifters, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Mills Brothers, and Frank Zappa, and songs written by Arlen and Mercer, Leiber and Stoller, Thomas Dorsey, Kurt Weill, and Bobby Bare.
But it all sounds like The Persuasions to me. And that's a good thing.
This album was recorded 12 years ago in Santa Monica. (Local note: the night before they recorded this show, The Persuasions drove all night from Silver City. "It's wonderful," one of the group members says.)
After a rousing "I Woke Up in Love This Morning," The Persuasions launch into one of the greatest songs they've ever sung — Cooke's "Chain Gang," which kicked off their wonderful second album (the first Persuasions album I ever owned), 1971's We Came to Play. With no disrespect to Cooke's original, The Persuasions do this more convincingly than he did. While none of the individual Persuasions could match Cooke's vocals (few if any mortals can), without the strings and slick arrangement of Cooke's classic record, The Persuasions sound as if they really could be on a chain gang working on some highway or byway.
This is followed by "Looking for an Echo," which originally appeared on The Persuasions' 1977 album, Chirpin'. Though they didn't write it, they altered the lyrics a bit so it tells their story. "We used to practice in a subway, in a lobby, or a hall/Even in the doorway, singing doo-wops to the wall./And if we went to a party, and they wouldn't let us sing/We'd lock ourselves in the bathroom, and nobody could get in"
February 19, 2010
The whole band only played one instrument — the human voice.
I'm talking about The Persuasions, the undisputed kings of a cappella soul. Armed only with their vocal cords, these guys, who first got together in New York City more than 40 years ago, made some magical sounds covering doo-wop, gospel, show tunes, rock 'n' roll, and, of course, sweet '60s soul.
On their latest release, The Persuasions: Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop, they do songs made famous by Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley, The Drifters, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Mills Brothers, and Frank Zappa, and songs written by Arlen and Mercer, Leiber and Stoller, Thomas Dorsey, Kurt Weill, and Bobby Bare.
But it all sounds like The Persuasions to me. And that's a good thing.
This album was recorded 12 years ago in Santa Monica. (Local note: the night before they recorded this show, The Persuasions drove all night from Silver City. "It's wonderful," one of the group members says.)
After a rousing "I Woke Up in Love This Morning," The Persuasions launch into one of the greatest songs they've ever sung — Cooke's "Chain Gang," which kicked off their wonderful second album (the first Persuasions album I ever owned), 1971's We Came to Play. With no disrespect to Cooke's original, The Persuasions do this more convincingly than he did. While none of the individual Persuasions could match Cooke's vocals (few if any mortals can), without the strings and slick arrangement of Cooke's classic record, The Persuasions sound as if they really could be on a chain gang working on some highway or byway.
This is followed by "Looking for an Echo," which originally appeared on The Persuasions' 1977 album, Chirpin'. Though they didn't write it, they altered the lyrics a bit so it tells their story. "We used to practice in a subway, in a lobby, or a hall/Even in the doorway, singing doo-wops to the wall./And if we went to a party, and they wouldn't let us sing/We'd lock ourselves in the bathroom, and nobody could get in"
Two of my favorites on this album are Nat King Cole hits — "Mona Lisa" (with lead vocals by Jayotis Washington and bassman Jimmy Hayes) and "Ramblin' Rose." Lead singer Jerry Lawson's finest moment in this show might have been "500 Miles Away From Home." Shortly before this show, his home had been destroyed by a flood. He sings the refrain "away from home, away from home, cold and tired and all alone" with real urgency.
Gospel music was always one of The Persuasions' major strengths. They do some fine versions of "Peace in the Valley," "Come on and Save Me," "I Have but One Desire," and Weill's "Oh Heavenly Salvation." So it comes as a real sucker punch when they do Frank Zappa's "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing," a cynical look at church hypocrisy and superstition right between "When Jesus Comes" and "Building a Home" ("Some take the bible/For what it's worth/When it says that the meek/Shall inherit the Earth/Well, I heard that some sheik/Has bought New Jersey last week/'n you suckers ain't getting nothing.")
Gospel music was always one of The Persuasions' major strengths. They do some fine versions of "Peace in the Valley," "Come on and Save Me," "I Have but One Desire," and Weill's "Oh Heavenly Salvation." So it comes as a real sucker punch when they do Frank Zappa's "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing," a cynical look at church hypocrisy and superstition right between "When Jesus Comes" and "Building a Home" ("Some take the bible/For what it's worth/When it says that the meek/Shall inherit the Earth/Well, I heard that some sheik/Has bought New Jersey last week/'n you suckers ain't getting nothing.")
True fact: The Persuasions and Zappa went back a long way. He signed the group to his Bizarre label, on which they released their first album, Acappella, in 1970. The group paid tribute to him in 2000 with an all-Zappa covers album called Frankly A Cappella.)
But they sound heavenly, even when singing Zappa's hilarious blasphemy. If there is a kingdom come, I bet Zappa and Mark Twain are up there listening to The Persuasions.
I'm not sure why Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop took so long to release. Perhaps it had something to do with Lawson leaving the group in 2003 and moving to Arizona (where he hooked up with a group called Talk of The Town.) But it really doesn't matter. This is timeless music that sounds good in any decade.
Also recommended:
* The Filthy South Sessions by Bernadette Seacrest & Her Provocateurs. Back in the early part of this century, Seacrest, then with a band called The Yes Men, was a fixture on the Albuquerque and Santa Fe circuit, playing smoky, sultry, sexy torch songs and cocktail jazz. The group broke up by the end of 2005 and Seacrest grew discouraged with the music biz in general. She flew south. But she reemerged in Atlanta with a new band, The Provocateurs, and she sounds as smoky, sultry, and sexy as ever.
All the songs on this album are written by her guitarist, Charles Williams. (The other Provocateur is Kris Dale, whose main instrument is double bass.) The tunes are all well suited for Seacrest's voice and persona, and a few really stand out.
"Empty Streets" is slow and ominous with its refrain, "I love you, daddy, but put down that gun" — it sounds like it could be straight out of some film noir soundtrack. "G-d's Been Drinking" — which starts out with a sweet, a cappella "Amazing Grace" — is bound to invite comparisons with Tom Waits ("When the locusts start to flyin' I started thinkin'/What would happen if God started drinkin'").
"The Rain Has Rained Away" hints at Seacrest's rockabilly roots (an early band of hers was The Long Goners), with a cool steel-guitar solo by Dale.
Most of the tracks feature the basic band, but the up-tempo "Where Does it Hurt," which has guest drums and organ, is a treat, as is "Trashcan Lens," which features a horn section and brake-drum percussion.
It's great to hear from Bernadette again.
But they sound heavenly, even when singing Zappa's hilarious blasphemy. If there is a kingdom come, I bet Zappa and Mark Twain are up there listening to The Persuasions.
I'm not sure why Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop took so long to release. Perhaps it had something to do with Lawson leaving the group in 2003 and moving to Arizona (where he hooked up with a group called Talk of The Town.) But it really doesn't matter. This is timeless music that sounds good in any decade.
Also recommended:
* The Filthy South Sessions by Bernadette Seacrest & Her Provocateurs. Back in the early part of this century, Seacrest, then with a band called The Yes Men, was a fixture on the Albuquerque and Santa Fe circuit, playing smoky, sultry, sexy torch songs and cocktail jazz. The group broke up by the end of 2005 and Seacrest grew discouraged with the music biz in general. She flew south. But she reemerged in Atlanta with a new band, The Provocateurs, and she sounds as smoky, sultry, and sexy as ever.
All the songs on this album are written by her guitarist, Charles Williams. (The other Provocateur is Kris Dale, whose main instrument is double bass.) The tunes are all well suited for Seacrest's voice and persona, and a few really stand out.
"Empty Streets" is slow and ominous with its refrain, "I love you, daddy, but put down that gun" — it sounds like it could be straight out of some film noir soundtrack. "G-d's Been Drinking" — which starts out with a sweet, a cappella "Amazing Grace" — is bound to invite comparisons with Tom Waits ("When the locusts start to flyin' I started thinkin'/What would happen if God started drinkin'").
"The Rain Has Rained Away" hints at Seacrest's rockabilly roots (an early band of hers was The Long Goners), with a cool steel-guitar solo by Dale.
Most of the tracks feature the basic band, but the up-tempo "Where Does it Hurt," which has guest drums and organ, is a treat, as is "Trashcan Lens," which features a horn section and brake-drum percussion.
It's great to hear from Bernadette again.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
Sunday, February 14, 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
I'm 18 by Alice Cooper
Valentine by Concrete Blonde
Valentine by The Replacements
Gentle Violence by Black Lips
Al Capone by Salvajes
The Midnight Creep by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Night of the Hunter by Kim Fowley
Young Man Blues by The Who
Number Nine Train by Dale Hawkins
Suzie Q by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Wildcat Tamer by Dale Hawkins
Attack of the Zorch Men by The Meteors
I Got the Rock in My Underpants by Lightning Beat-Man
Wowsville by Bob Taylor
Down on Me by Big Brother & The Holding Company
Niki Hoeky by Bobby Rush
Little Red Rooster by Sam Cooke
Angelita by Mod East
The Next Stop is Jupiter by The Cosmic Rays
I'm Gonna Unmask the Batman by Lacy Gibson
Batman & Robin Over the Roofs by The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale
Little Sally Walker by The Crystals
Africa by Nu Sounds
Zippity Do-Dah by Sun Ra
Teenager's Love Letter of Promises by Juanita Rogers & Lynn Hollings
Cure for Pain by Morphine
All Over Again by Jay Reatard
(How Can I Keep You) Outta Harms Way by King Khan & The Shrines
Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon by The Jefferson Airplane
The City Never Sleeps by The Fall
Who's Buying? by Bernadette Seacrest & Her Provocateurs
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
I'm 18 by Alice Cooper
Valentine by Concrete Blonde
Valentine by The Replacements
Gentle Violence by Black Lips
Al Capone by Salvajes
The Midnight Creep by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Night of the Hunter by Kim Fowley
Young Man Blues by The Who
Number Nine Train by Dale Hawkins
Suzie Q by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Wildcat Tamer by Dale Hawkins
Attack of the Zorch Men by The Meteors
I Got the Rock in My Underpants by Lightning Beat-Man
Wowsville by Bob Taylor
Down on Me by Big Brother & The Holding Company
Niki Hoeky by Bobby Rush
Little Red Rooster by Sam Cooke
Angelita by Mod East
The Next Stop is Jupiter by The Cosmic Rays
I'm Gonna Unmask the Batman by Lacy Gibson
Batman & Robin Over the Roofs by The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale
Little Sally Walker by The Crystals
Africa by Nu Sounds
Zippity Do-Dah by Sun Ra
Teenager's Love Letter of Promises by Juanita Rogers & Lynn Hollings
Cure for Pain by Morphine
All Over Again by Jay Reatard
(How Can I Keep You) Outta Harms Way by King Khan & The Shrines
Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon by The Jefferson Airplane
The City Never Sleeps by The Fall
Who's Buying? by Bernadette Seacrest & Her Provocateurs
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Friday, February 12, 2010
SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST
Friday, February 12, 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way by Carl Smith
Wrong by Splitlip Rayfield
Crazy Boogie by Merle Travis
I Needed You by Johnny Gimble with Dale Watson
Rock Me by Little Jimmy Dickens
Jesus Walking on the Water by Asylum Street Spankers
My Knees Are Tremblin' by Hipbone Slim & The Knee Tremblers
Ring of Fire by Mingo Saldivar
I Cry, Then I Drink , Then I Cry by Cornell Hurd
I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive by Rosie Flores
Rockin' Rollin' Mama by Budddy Jones
Freight Train Boogie by Doc & Merle Watson
Cattin' Around by Charlie Adams
Stripper Song by Jacques & The Shakey Boys
Slide Off of Your Satin Sheets by DM Bob & The Derelicts
Sittin' on Top of The World by Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys
Wild Little Willie by Ronnie Hawkins
Under the Chicken Tree by Geoff Muldaur & The Texas Shieks
The Diplomat by Maria Muldaur
Easy Ridin' Mama by Devil in the Woodpile
Old Hen by South Memphis String Band
Ragtime Cowboy Joe by Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks
That Nasty Swing by Cliff Carlisle
Skinny White Girl by Trailer Bride
Voodoo Queen Marie by The Du-Tells
Valentine's Day by Steve Earle & The Fairfield Four
Blue Kentucky Girl by Loretta Lynn
One Sweet Hello by Merle Haggard
I Just Want to Meet the Man by Robbie Fulks
Just Between You and Me by Charlie Pride
Louise by Jerry Jeff Walker & Nicolette Larson
I Know I've Been Changed by Johnny Hammond & Tom Waits
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets
Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way by Carl Smith
Wrong by Splitlip Rayfield
Crazy Boogie by Merle Travis
I Needed You by Johnny Gimble with Dale Watson
Rock Me by Little Jimmy Dickens
Jesus Walking on the Water by Asylum Street Spankers
My Knees Are Tremblin' by Hipbone Slim & The Knee Tremblers
Ring of Fire by Mingo Saldivar
I Cry, Then I Drink , Then I Cry by Cornell Hurd
I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive by Rosie Flores
Rockin' Rollin' Mama by Budddy Jones
Freight Train Boogie by Doc & Merle Watson
Cattin' Around by Charlie Adams
Stripper Song by Jacques & The Shakey Boys
Slide Off of Your Satin Sheets by DM Bob & The Derelicts
Sittin' on Top of The World by Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys
Wild Little Willie by Ronnie Hawkins
Under the Chicken Tree by Geoff Muldaur & The Texas Shieks
The Diplomat by Maria Muldaur
Easy Ridin' Mama by Devil in the Woodpile
Old Hen by South Memphis String Band
Ragtime Cowboy Joe by Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks
That Nasty Swing by Cliff Carlisle
Skinny White Girl by Trailer Bride
Voodoo Queen Marie by The Du-Tells
Valentine's Day by Steve Earle & The Fairfield Four
Blue Kentucky Girl by Loretta Lynn
One Sweet Hello by Merle Haggard
I Just Want to Meet the Man by Robbie Fulks
Just Between You and Me by Charlie Pride
Louise by Jerry Jeff Walker & Nicolette Larson
I Know I've Been Changed by Johnny Hammond & Tom Waits
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets
Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list
BLOGOCIDE: THE CAT STRIKES BACK
In the great cat-and-mouse game known as the digital music revolution, the cat struck back last week.
As The Guardian (UK) reported:
In what critics are calling "musicblogocide 2010", Google has deleted at least six popular music blogs that it claims violated copyright law. These sites, hosted by Google's Blogger and Blogspot services, received notices only after their sites – and years of archives – were wiped from the internet.
The law being invoked here is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The blogs in question are Pop Tarts, Masala, I Rock Cleveland, To Die By Your Side, It's a Rap and Living Ears.
Of those, Samuel Axon on Mashable wrote, "Each was dedicated to introducing music fans to new songs and genres they might not otherwise experience, usually from obscure and independent artists."
The Guardian says:
Although such sites once operated on the internet's fringes, almost exclusively posting songs without permission, many blogs are now wined, dined and even paid (via advertising) by record labels. After the success of blog-buzzy acts such as Arcade Fire, Lily Allen and Vampire Weekend, entire PR firms are dedicated to courting armchair DJs and amateur critics.
A Los Angeles Weekly story, published a week ago appears that the assault started slowly, with individual blog posts -- not entire blogs -- disappearing. Weekly writer Jeff Weiss noted:
U.K.-based Web-scouring copyright detective Web Sheriff will soon open its first U.S. office, no doubt spurred by its success in policing the Web for unauthorized mp3 leaks. Music bloggers are bracing themselves for a new round of scrutiny, and are taking measures to prevent the RIAA from working its way into their music blogs.
Google's response on Wednesday:
“When we receive multiple DMCA complaints about the same blog, and have no indication that the offending content is being used in an authorized manner, we will remove the blog.”
Yesterday there was an update that said:
We looked into this issue further and identified one case where a blogger did not receive notification of any DMCA complaints before their blog was removed. We're sorry about this.
We've contacted the blog owner and restored their blog, effective immediately ... We know the DMCA process can be difficult to navigate, and we're working on ways to make this process as smooth as possible.
Smooth move, Google.
The ball is in the mice's court.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
TERRELL'S TUNEUP: SUN RA's COSMIC GRIT
A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
February 12, 2010
In the eyes of many jazz critics and jazz fans, there is "serious" music (jazz) and there is lowbrow unwashed pop music, which is to be disdained or perhaps tolerated in a condescending way.
Of course, a lot of actual jazz musicians don't quite feel that way. Miles Davis dug Hendrix and Sly. Sonny Rollins recorded with The Rolling Stones. Even back in the early days, Louis Armstrong recorded with country-music pioneer Jimmie Rodgers. And Herman Poole "Sonny" Blount, better known in this solar system as Sun Ra (1914-1993), not only played cosmic jazz but also dabbled in doo-wop and R & B in the 1950s and a little funky soul in the '60s and '70s. And danged if Ra didn't make that sound cosmic too!
Norton Records recently released three CDs of his material. Interplanetary Melodies and The Second Stop Is Jupiter feature recordings from the mid-1950s, while Rocket Ship Rock spans the late '50s through early '70s. Some of these songs appeared, mostly in different versions, on earlier Sun Ra lations like The Singles (1996) and Spaceship Lullaby (2003).
Ra's relationship with R & B goes back to the late 1940s. His first recordings were with R & B wild man Wynonie Harris. Back in 1954, Ra, then living in Chicago, became fascinated with R & B vocal groups. According to John F. Szwed's 1998 biography Space Is the Place: The Loves and Times of Sun Ra, Ra grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, listening to gospel quartets, so writing music for doo-wop groups came naturally to him.
Among those who appear on Interplanetary and Jupiter are The Qualities, The Crystals (not the girl group Phil Spector made famous), and, most appropriately for Sun Ra, The Cosmic Rays. But The Cosmic Rays weren't as otherworldly as The Nu Sounds, who performed on songs like "Spaceship Lullaby" and the drum-heavy "Africa."
One of the truest delights on the first two albums is Juanita Rogers, who sang a couple of heartbreakers called "Teenager's Letter of Promises" and "I'm So Glad You Love Me." Interplanetary has little Juanita singing the first song a cappella (under the title "Love Letters Full of Promises"). This is immediately followed by the full-blown version featuring a spoken introduction — with heavy reverb — by a guy named Lynn Hollings, saying, "Yes, teenagers do sometimes keep their promises. Meet Little Juanita, a teenager with the soul of an angel and the recipient of a love letter full of promises."
My favorite of these three albums is Rocket Ship Rock, simply because the music is at least a couple of notches crazier than it is on the other albums. Credit this to a singer called Yochanan, an R & B shouter who made Little Richard sound like a certified public accountant by comparison.
February 12, 2010
In the eyes of many jazz critics and jazz fans, there is "serious" music (jazz) and there is lowbrow unwashed pop music, which is to be disdained or perhaps tolerated in a condescending way.
Of course, a lot of actual jazz musicians don't quite feel that way. Miles Davis dug Hendrix and Sly. Sonny Rollins recorded with The Rolling Stones. Even back in the early days, Louis Armstrong recorded with country-music pioneer Jimmie Rodgers. And Herman Poole "Sonny" Blount, better known in this solar system as Sun Ra (1914-1993), not only played cosmic jazz but also dabbled in doo-wop and R & B in the 1950s and a little funky soul in the '60s and '70s. And danged if Ra didn't make that sound cosmic too!
Norton Records recently released three CDs of his material. Interplanetary Melodies and The Second Stop Is Jupiter feature recordings from the mid-1950s, while Rocket Ship Rock spans the late '50s through early '70s. Some of these songs appeared, mostly in different versions, on earlier Sun Ra lations like The Singles (1996) and Spaceship Lullaby (2003).
Ra's relationship with R & B goes back to the late 1940s. His first recordings were with R & B wild man Wynonie Harris. Back in 1954, Ra, then living in Chicago, became fascinated with R & B vocal groups. According to John F. Szwed's 1998 biography Space Is the Place: The Loves and Times of Sun Ra, Ra grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, listening to gospel quartets, so writing music for doo-wop groups came naturally to him.
Among those who appear on Interplanetary and Jupiter are The Qualities, The Crystals (not the girl group Phil Spector made famous), and, most appropriately for Sun Ra, The Cosmic Rays. But The Cosmic Rays weren't as otherworldly as The Nu Sounds, who performed on songs like "Spaceship Lullaby" and the drum-heavy "Africa."
One of the truest delights on the first two albums is Juanita Rogers, who sang a couple of heartbreakers called "Teenager's Letter of Promises" and "I'm So Glad You Love Me." Interplanetary has little Juanita singing the first song a cappella (under the title "Love Letters Full of Promises"). This is immediately followed by the full-blown version featuring a spoken introduction — with heavy reverb — by a guy named Lynn Hollings, saying, "Yes, teenagers do sometimes keep their promises. Meet Little Juanita, a teenager with the soul of an angel and the recipient of a love letter full of promises."
My favorite of these three albums is Rocket Ship Rock, simply because the music is at least a couple of notches crazier than it is on the other albums. Credit this to a singer called Yochanan, an R & B shouter who made Little Richard sound like a certified public accountant by comparison.
According to Szwed's book, by the mid-1950s, Ra had a way of attracting top-notch musicians, as well as some outright weirdos:
In other words, my kind of entertainer.
The Man from Mars is featured on the first nine tracks of Rocket Ship Rock. His shining moment is the down-and-gritty "Hot Skillet Mama." There are two versions on the CD, one of which was the flip side of the single "Muck Muck," which also appears in two versions here. But even nuttier than Yochanan's contributions is the song "I Am Gonna Unmask the Batman." There are two versions. A short one (under four minutes) is sung by Chicago blues guitarist Lacy Gibson, who at the time was Ra's brother-in-law. A horn riff suggests the "Batman Theme" from the Adam West television show. This is an extended version of a single released by Ra in 1974. And then there's a sprawling seven-minute lo-fi version that sounds like a rehearsal.
This wasn't Sun Ra's first encounter with the caped crusader. In 1966, he played organ on what Szwed called a "children's album" — but I call a "cash-in" record — titled Batman & Robin, released during the height of popularity for the TV series. It's jazzy, kinda cheesy, mostly instrumental rock — with song titles referring to the Dynamic Duo and the villains they fought. The band was called The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale, and musicians include Al Kooper and members of The Blues Project. It's actually available —
in glorious mono! — for download on Amazon and iTunes.
These Norton CDs show that while Sun Ra had his head in the cosmos, his feet were firmly planted in the soil and grit of this crazy planet.
Radio Ra: Hear selections from these new Sun Ra collections — plus a little taste of that crazy Batman record — on Terrell's Sound World, free-form weirdo radio, 10 p.m. Sunday. And don't forget The Santa Fe Opry, the country music Nashville does not want you to hear, same time on Friday, both on KSFR-FM 101.1.
"The band was also a magnet for the strange, drawing all sorts of people off the streets for rehearsals and performances. One of the most bizarre of those who turned up was Yochanan ... [who] had many stage names, including the Man from Outer Space, the Man from Mars, and the Muck Muck Man, and declared himself a descendant of the Sun. Dressed in turban, sandals, and red, orange, and yellow 'Asiatic' robes, he was always quick to hold forth to anyone on his private philosophy. And when he performed, he was unpredictable and crude, often working bawdy material into the last song he sang at club appearances."
In other words, my kind of entertainer.
The Man from Mars is featured on the first nine tracks of Rocket Ship Rock. His shining moment is the down-and-gritty "Hot Skillet Mama." There are two versions on the CD, one of which was the flip side of the single "Muck Muck," which also appears in two versions here. But even nuttier than Yochanan's contributions is the song "I Am Gonna Unmask the Batman." There are two versions. A short one (under four minutes) is sung by Chicago blues guitarist Lacy Gibson, who at the time was Ra's brother-in-law. A horn riff suggests the "Batman Theme" from the Adam West television show. This is an extended version of a single released by Ra in 1974. And then there's a sprawling seven-minute lo-fi version that sounds like a rehearsal.
This wasn't Sun Ra's first encounter with the caped crusader. In 1966, he played organ on what Szwed called a "children's album" — but I call a "cash-in" record — titled Batman & Robin, released during the height of popularity for the TV series. It's jazzy, kinda cheesy, mostly instrumental rock — with song titles referring to the Dynamic Duo and the villains they fought. The band was called The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale, and musicians include Al Kooper and members of The Blues Project. It's actually available —
in glorious mono! — for download on Amazon and iTunes.
These Norton CDs show that while Sun Ra had his head in the cosmos, his feet were firmly planted in the soil and grit of this crazy planet.
Radio Ra: Hear selections from these new Sun Ra collections — plus a little taste of that crazy Batman record — on Terrell's Sound World, free-form weirdo radio, 10 p.m. Sunday. And don't forget The Santa Fe Opry, the country music Nashville does not want you to hear, same time on Friday, both on KSFR-FM 101.1.
Monday, February 08, 2010
HEY MISTER, THAT'S ME ON THE JUKEBOX
Nothing like using the title of a James Taylor song to plug the fact that The Big Enchilada is now part of the official GaragePunk Jukebox!
The latest 20 shows from podcasters all over the world are there. Hours of entertainment right on your computer. The newest show will always be on top, so the latest Big Enchilada currently is number seven there, right between Rock 'n' Roll Rampage and The Mal Thursday Show.
So check out the jukebox. Won't even cost you a quarter.
UPDATE: Feb. 11, 2010 _ There were some technical difficulties for a few days there -- and problems my feed apparently caused at least one of the GaragePunk music players to crash. But it seems to be working again.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
Sunday, February 7, 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
I Wish I Was in New Orleans by Tom Waits
Wild Injuns by The Neville Brothers
The Great Joe Bob by Terry Allen
In New Orleans by C.W. Stoneking
I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say by Jelly Roll Morton
Goin' to New Orleans by Bobby Davis & The Rhythm Rockers
Coney Island Baby by Lou Reed
When the Saints Go Marching In by Jerry Lee Lewis
Mamma's Fried Potatoes by The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
Zydeco Tonight by Felix y Los Gatos
Muck Muck by Yochanan with Sun Ra
Flight of the Batman by The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale
Smash Crash by The Fleshtones
Cruisin' for a Bruisin' by Rev. Horton Heat
Don't Save it Too Long by Julia Lee & Her Boyfriends
I See the Light by Reverend Beat-Man
LUX INTERIOR TRIBUTE
All songs by The Cramps except where noted
You Got Good Taste
What's Behind the Mask
Miniskirt Blues by The Flower Children
All Women Are Bad
The Goo Goo Muck by Ronnie Cook & The Gaylads
Garbageman
The Mad Daddy
Funnel of Love by Wanda Jackson with The Cramps
Can Your Pussy Do the Dog? by The Rockin' Guys
Big Black Witchcraft Rock
Bikini Girls with Machine Guns
Strolling after Dark by The Shades
I Was a Teenage Werewolf
Booze Party by 3 Aces and a Joker
Psychotic Reaction
Bend Over I'll Drive
Rock-N-Bones by Elroy Dietzel
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
I Wish I Was in New Orleans by Tom Waits
Wild Injuns by The Neville Brothers
The Great Joe Bob by Terry Allen
In New Orleans by C.W. Stoneking
I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say by Jelly Roll Morton
Goin' to New Orleans by Bobby Davis & The Rhythm Rockers
Coney Island Baby by Lou Reed
When the Saints Go Marching In by Jerry Lee Lewis
Mamma's Fried Potatoes by The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
Zydeco Tonight by Felix y Los Gatos
Muck Muck by Yochanan with Sun Ra
Flight of the Batman by The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale
Smash Crash by The Fleshtones
Cruisin' for a Bruisin' by Rev. Horton Heat
Don't Save it Too Long by Julia Lee & Her Boyfriends
I See the Light by Reverend Beat-Man
LUX INTERIOR TRIBUTE
All songs by The Cramps except where noted
You Got Good Taste
What's Behind the Mask
Miniskirt Blues by The Flower Children
All Women Are Bad
The Goo Goo Muck by Ronnie Cook & The Gaylads
Garbageman
The Mad Daddy
Funnel of Love by Wanda Jackson with The Cramps
Can Your Pussy Do the Dog? by The Rockin' Guys
Big Black Witchcraft Rock
Bikini Girls with Machine Guns
Strolling after Dark by The Shades
I Was a Teenage Werewolf
Booze Party by 3 Aces and a Joker
Psychotic Reaction
Bend Over I'll Drive
Rock-N-Bones by Elroy Dietzel
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
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