THROWBACK THURSDAY: Songs for Billy

One hundred thirty five years ago tonight Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett went into the home of Pete Maxwell in Ft. Stockton, N.M.where he shot and killed Billy the Kid.

In his stocking feet.

That was the end of Henry McCarty, (or was it William Bonney?) Dead at 21.

But that was just the beginning of the legend of Billy the Kid. Heroic tales of the "Boy Bandit King" spread across the country, spread by biographies, pulp novels and, of course songs.

In some tellings he was a sociopathic killer. In others, a Robin Hood who stood up to the political powers of the day.

I want to say "rest in peace, Billy." But I know he'll never rest in peace.

As Paul Hutton, a history professor at the University of New Mexico told me a few years ago, “Billy can’t be killed. He’s the outlaw of our dreams.”

Here are my favorite Billy songs.

Woody Guthrie sings the classic.

Ry Cooder put a new melody (and song great mandolin) on his version



Bob Dylan, who co-starred in the Sam Peckinpah movie Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, wrote the soundtrack or the film. I'll never forget the time I was visiting the old Lincoln County Courthouse -- where Billy killed two deputies to make his escape -- and this haunting song was playing.



Joe Ely's Billy the Kid isn't tied to any historical version of Billy. I personally don't believe the Kid would really shoot his girlfriend's chihuahua. But it's still a great song.



This is the late John Hartford's Billy song.



And here's Bone Orchard from Taos, N.M. adding to Billy's legend.

WACKY WEDNESDAY: Just Some Songs for Some Strippers

This week for Wacky Wednesday I'm just posting a bunch of songs for strippers.

Let's start with one my Mom taught me as a kid.

Seriously.

Actually she just sang the first verse of this saga of Queenie, the cutie of the burlesque show. I thought it was hilarious and she did too.

(That's one of two songs I remember my mom teaching me. The other was a parody making fun of Mary Margaret Truman. ("She lives up in the White House with her father, Harry S") It was sung to to the tune of "The Missouri Waltz.")

A couple of weeks before Mom died, I played her this YouTube of "Strip Polka" on my iPhone, in her nursing home.

She wasn't completely conscious, but she smiled. The nurses thought I was crazy. But it meant something to us. Here's that song ...



This next one was a huge Top 40 radio hit in the early '60s. Probably because it didn't have any lyrics. But oh what pictures it put in my dirty little grade-school mind!



This one's a David Bromberg original about a supernatural carnival "coochie" dancer.



Here is one of the songs that made me love Doug Kershaw.



Here's a live 1977 rendition of Tom Waits' "Pasties and a G String" (with a little West Side Story and "Hernando's Hideaway" thrown in at the end.)



Finally, here is my own contribution to the genre

Start Your Week Off with a New Mekons song

The Mekons have just released a new song and video called "Fear & Beer (Hymn for Brexit)"

They call this sweet little dirge "a hymn for a post factual democracy sung joyously by the disenchanted and forgotten as they tumble teary eyed into the arms of their oppressors."

Beware the Langford trumpet solo!

The song is from an upcoming album (and video and book) called Mekons Existentialism scheduled for release in September.

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, July 10, 2016 
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(at)ksfr.org

Here's the playlist

OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Money Money by A-Bones

Magic Sam by The Devils

Mean Machine by The Cramps

The Day I Got My Spine Back by Deadbolt

Bumble Bee by The Casual Dots

Jim Dandy by LaVern Baker

I Ain't Got You by The Yardbirds

Murder in My Heart for the Judge by Moby Grape

Junk Train by Lonesome Shack

Go-Go Girls by Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs

Rock this Joint by Tim Timebomb

Subway Train by New Mystery Girl

Terry Got a Muffin by NRBQ

Circus by Left Lane Cruiser

Pump it Up by Mudhoney

Family Business by Dengue Fever

Cyclo by Yol Aularong

Big Damn Roach by The Immortal Lee County Killers

Baby You Crazy by Nick Curran & The Lowlifes

International Man of Mystery by Pierre Omer's Revue Swing Cremora

I May Be Gone by The Oblivians

Those Little Lies by The Bonnevilles

Ghost Rider by Alan Vega

Kremlin Dogs by GreggTurner 

Bad Suggestion by The Sinners

Rollin' Stone by Muddy Waters

Give Me Back My Wig by Luther Allison

Detroit (I'm So Glad I Stayed) by Andre Williams

Village of Love / Going Back to the Village by Nthaniel Mayer

Tiger in a Cage by Johnny Rawls

Switched to Drinkin' Gin by Mojo Ju Ju

Picking Up After You by Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

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THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, July 8, 2016
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show! terrel(at)ksfr.org

Here's my playlist :

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens

Granny Panties by Broomdust Caravan

Gamblin' Man by Mike Ness

Devil's at Red's by Anthony Leon & The Chain

Way Out West by Moonshine Willie

Thank You Lord by James Hand

Don't Get Weird by Boris & The Saltlicks

Everybody Out by Al Scorch

Quit That Ticklin' Me by Bayou Seco

Robot Drone by Holly Wood

San Antonio Romero by Cathy Faber's Swingin' Country Band

Band of Gold by Loretta Lynn

My Tight Wad Daddy by Audrey Williams

Dead Bury the Dead by Legendary Shack Shakers

Kohrn Sirrup Sundea by Imperial Rooster

Drinking Champagne by Willie Nelson

A Girl Don't Have to Drink to Have Fun byThe Stumbleweeds

Rehab Girl by Joe West & The Sinners

Big City by Merle Haggard

No Relief in Sight by Dallas Wayne

Baton Rouge by Bill Hearne

Keep Your Mouth Shut by Beth Lee

TJ by Hickoids

Do You Think About Me by The Waco Brothers

Pins and Needles by Alex Maryol

Dance This Mess Around by Asylum Street Spankers

Rainbow Stew by Jason Ringenberg

Aunt Peg's New Old Man by Robbie Fulks (Coming to Los Alamos Aug. 5)

Singing for My Supper by Jaime Michaels

Down on Me by Mary Pickney and Janie Hunter

Weather Woman by Tom Adler

Still Lookin' For You by Townws Van Zandt

CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets


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THROWBACK THURSDAY: Lookin' for that Bully of the Town

Bullys suck.

They've always sucked.

And thus a song that became known as "Bully of the Town" became popular with folk, blues and country musicians in the 20th Century.

Actually, though it sprang from the late 19th Century, where,  credited to Charles Trevathan, it was originally known as "The Bully Song."

Musician and music writer Elijah Ward writes of the song.

“The Bully Song” was a huge hit in 1895 for a Scots-Canadian singer named May Irwin, who performed it in a stage play called The Widow Jones — which is also notable because a brief scene which she kisses one of the other actors was filmed by Thomas Edison in 1897 and hence is one of the first movie love scenes. Irwin followed with other songs about African American badmen, sung in exaggerated dialect — though, unlike most white singers who specialized in that sort of material, she did not wear blackface make-up — and she was one of the few pop stars of the late 19th century to record some of her hits, including “The Bully Song.”

But Ward explains there is some evidence that the song predates Irwin's version. He quotes W.C. Handy saying he heard it in the early 1890s.

Songs of this sort could be tremendous hits sometimes. On the levee at St. Louis I had heard Looking for the Bully sung by the roustabouts, which later was adopted and nationally popularized by May Irwin. I had watched the joy-spreaders rarin’ to go when it was played by the band

Below is Irwin's recording of the song. Unlike some of the versions that followed, Irwin is explicit in her desire to give the bully a taste of his own medicine.

She also explicitly -- and repeatedly-- uses that well racist term that contemporary polite folk call "The N-Word." You'd think she was NWA or something.

So if you don't want to hear that word, don't press play! (Ward does a cleaned-up version of the song HERE)



Gid Tanner was rather vague about the circumstances of the song here.



Lead Belly's version is similar, though he gives some additional information -- the Bully "shot the woman down." I suspect Mr. Ledbetter wanted to kill the Bully, go to prison for it, then get released by writing a song sucking up to the governor of whatever state he was in.



Here's Jerry Reed singing with Buck Owens and Roy Clark on Hee Haw. Without the racist language, Jerry's version is closer in spirit to May Irwin's original. This bully is a definite asshole. There's a violent confrontation and the bully loses.




For more deep dives into songs, check out The Stephen W. Terrell Web Log Songbook

WACKY WEDNESDAY: Late, but Don't Judge Me!

This is the latest in the day that I've ever posted a Wacky Wednesday.

Besides battling some bug (I got eight hours of sleep last night!) I've also been commuting to Albuquerque to cover legal proceedings, so I just couldn't do it this morning.

I was going to try to post this from the courthouse during the lunch break today.

But the public wi-fi there does not allow users to access any fun sites like Youtube or Blogspot -- both of which I need to do this work.

But enough of my sniveling excuses. Here's a Wacky Wednesday musical tribute to the American legal system.

Starting with Pigmeat Markham, of course:






Here's Wynonie Harris



Here's a classic from Moby Grape. [Disclaimer: this song does not reflect my personal feelings toward any of the many wise and hard-working men and women I know who have served on the bench.]

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, July 3, 2016 
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(at)ksfr.org

Here's the playlist

OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
An American is a Very Lucky Man by Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians
4th of July by X

All By Myself by Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers

My Escape by Dead Moon

Gotta Get Fired by The Sloths

Gone Deep Underground by Stan Ridgway

They Took You Away by Gregg Turner

Listen by The Hotbeats

There's a UFO Up There by Travis Wammack

Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover by Bo Diddley

House Rockin' Boogie by Howlin' Wolf

Del Rio's Close Shave by The Fezz

I Hate You by The Sinister Six

Hey Gyp by The Orphans

Iron Dream by Kaos

Primitive Man by The Monsters

Work With Me Annie by Dave Van Ronk

We Want a Rock and Roll President by The Treniers

The Pusher by Left Lane Cruiser

Raise a Little Hell by Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band 

Safety Zone by Lonesome Shack

Pimps Don't Like It by Juke Joint Pimps

Suzy's Cookies by King Mud
Pucker Up Buttercup by Paul Wine Jones

Misery / Azael by The Devils

Crawl Through Your Hair by New Mystery Girl

Lonely Avenue by Sam Samudio

Zombie OUtbreak by Alien Space Kitchen

Harm's Way by The Ugly Beats

My Dark Heart by The Bonnevilles

Nothin' to Prove by Sons of Hercules

Old Man Mose by Pierre Omer's Swing Revue Swing Cremonia

Bang Bang by Gaunga Dyns

CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

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It's Big Enchilada Time!

You lucky devils! You're about to be treated to an hour's worth of Hellfire sinful rock 'n' roll -- just as the Prince of Darkness intended it to sound. There is new music from The Sloths, Gregg Turner, New Mystery Girl, Left Lane Cruiser, The Vagoos ... and of course the latest sensation from Voodoo Rhythm, The Devils!

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Here's the playlist:

(Background Music: Echo Four-Two by Johnny Gregory & His Orchestra)
I Must Be the Devil by Glambilly
Before I Die by The Sloths
Look in the Mirror by Gregg Turner
Coitus Interuptus From a Priest by The Devils
Chevrolet by Left Lane Cruiser
I Found a Peanut by Thee Midnighters

(Background Music: Lonely Road to Damascus by Milt Rogers & His Orchestra)
Stepping on My Toes by New Mystery Girl
The Devil & Me by The Vagoos
69 by The Four
Gimme That Girl by The Devil Dogs
I Don't Want to Die Again by White Fangs
It's a Cryin' Shame by The Gentlemen
Groovy Babe by Durand Jones & The Indications

(Background Music: Forbidden Planet by David Rose & His Orchestra)
Diablo con Vestido Azul by Los Streaks
The Man Without a Head by The Pulsebeats
Will Success Spoil Me by Help Me Devil
Lobo by Davilla 666
Cult Casualty by Messkimos
She Let the Devil In by Tom Morse
(Background Music: I Lost My Baby to a Satan Cult by Stephen W. Terrell)


Play it below:

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Dick Rosemont's Originals Project

Last Sunday night (actually early Monday morning) driving home after doing Terrell's Sound World at KSFR, I tuned into the show that comes on after mine, Oil of Dog with Gary Storm. On that show Gary had Dick Rosemont, who has a Santa Fe record shop called Guy in the Groove -- as well as a cool website called the Originals Project.

What he does there is simply track original versions of popular songs. Plus, without pretending to be a completest, Dick tries to list as many subsequent versions as possible.

Hey, I like doing stuff like that! I figured correctly that I'd like his website.

That night on Oil of Dog, Dick and Gary were playing various versions of "I Fought the Law," which was a hit for The Bobby Fuller Four in 1966.

I knew that Sonny Curtis, a Buddy Holly crony from Lubbock, had written it. But until that show I don't think I'd actually heard the original version by Sonny Curtis with the (post Buddy) Crickets.

Here that is:



Rosemont writes, "Be forewarned that not everything included here will be big news to music fans!" And that's true enough. But even for a jaded old rock 'n' roll freak like myself, I found plenty of surprises just puttering around The Originals Project.

For instance, I did not know that someone had recorded "Walkin' After Midnight' -- one of my favorite stalker songs -- before Patsy Cline. But actually a lady named Lynn Howard, with a  group called The Accents did in 1956 (The same year Patsy first recorded it.)



Likewise, I always just assumed that Big Bill Broonzy was the first to record "Key to The Highway" (which like everyone else my age, I first heard by Derek & The Dominoes in the '70s.) But actually it was recorded by a piano man named Charles Segar in 1940.



Now I knew that this '80s one-hit wonder called "Taco" wasn't the first to record called "Puttin' on the Ritz." (I still have a weird fondness from this video from the heyday of MTV.)


I knew it was written by Irving Berlin but I never knew who recorded it first. Rosemont's site informs us it was a guy named Leo Reisman, with Lew Conrad on vocals. And it's a Jazz Age delight.



Still, my favorite version is this one: