Jinx!

Fresh from the litter-pan, here's one for all ya'll Triskaidekaphobics out there.

Whether you do hoodoo ala William Seabrook, or you just have cliche tattoos, you are undoubtedly familiar w/ the intimate relationship between black cats and bad luck. While ancient cultures equated black cats asleep beside the hearth w/ coiled vipers, the most I can attribute to their demeanor is a complete indifference to their owners, not to mention the proclivity for licking their crotch when company is about.

Seeing as how I cannot achieve the latter (too many ribs -I counted), the most I can do is exalt the virtues of these frisky lil' harbingers o' doom by way of the Pacific Northwest.



While Seattle can be a cruel mistress to those w/ Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D !?), history has proven those Space-needle junkie skies as down-right conducive to rock and roll. All references to the Kingsmen and the Wailers' aside, quite a few bands, including the 'Checkers', were chompin' at the bit in 63' for a place in the sun (or lack thereof) and Jerden records, in it's many incarnations, was their jumping -off point:

Jerden Records was based in Seattle and majority owned by Jerry Dennon (JER-DEN) and Bonnie Guitar, both of whom had been involved previously with Dolton Records and the careers of The Fleetwoods. A split with Dolton due to artistic control problems brought about the new Jerden label. Certain Jerden record issues were distributed by Liberty Records.

The label closed after the first year's trading due to a complete lack of success. Its owners went their separate ways although both ended up in Hollywood, Bonnie as an artist for RCA Victor Records and then Dot Records and Dennon doing promotion work for Era Records.

Dennon's promising career in the music business was halted briefly by military service but in late 1962 he was back in circulation and resurrecting his old label as full owner but lack of funds meant that he began releasing old recordings from Jerden's early days...even a disc by Bonnie Guitar herself issued in January 1963.

It was during this second life that The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" arrived (1963) and it is this million selling disc that is by far the best known of all Dennon's products. In Summer 1964 Jerden updated its label design with a turquoise background. In Fall 1965 Jerden began a distribution agreement with ABC-Paramount Records. This agreement ended in October 1968.

Burdette Records founded in 1967 by Jerry Dennon was the label that took Jerden's place for national exposure. Burdette was distributed by Tower Records which was a division of Capitol Records. The label ended in 1971.

The Sonics may get all the glory, but if you ask me, the Checkers are the cat's ass. Don't cross em', or they just might tear your shit up, or, at the very least, piss in your houseplants. Happy Friday the 13th!

Black Cat - Checkers

Soft Blue - Checkers

RedBoy II

The Art of David Nicholson

http://www.aeroplastics.net/David_Nicholson/index.html

"Never Had Nuthin' But Misery."

Here's another gem on 'Jewel' records (Clever, right?), this time from the inimitable Carter brothers. Practically a blues number, this track has just enough brass shoved up the midsection to place this firmly in the soul category - and just enough fried chicken references to place it firmly in the sub-cockle area of my heart. The flip ain’t no slouch for that matter (Do the Flo' Show), but fate saw fit to carve a very obnoxious furrow through the groovy grooves on my copy, so you’ll have to take my word on it (or, better yet, get your own damned copy!).

The Carter Brothers Roman (lead vocals, bass), Albert (guitar), and Jerry (vocals, piano) came from Garland, AL, and began recording in 1964 for producer/songwriter Duke Coleman's local label. Stan Lewis' Jewel Records licensed a pair of their singles, of which "Southern Country Boy" got to number 21 on the R&B charts nationally. They never cut an album, but before splitting up in 1967 (when Albert and Jerry Carter were said to have been drafted) the trio recorded more than a dozen single sides.

It certainly is a special kinda trim which is willing to de-seed a melon for her man. Don’t let her get away fellas, or else you'll just have to kidnap yourself another one, and who has the time or the Chloroform for that?

Southern Country Boy - Carter Brothers

RedBoy I

Pussy-Whipped in Rhode Island

Only the addition of big honkin' guitars could've ever gotten the redux of this sappy 66' love dirge across Tim Warren's desk and into the annals of BFTG. If the original version - presented here- seems a tad dandified it's because Rhode Island's Malibus hadn't yet gotten around to futzin' w/ the AM formula by way of some cowbell and a liberal dollop of germanium-fueled excess.

Yup, these kids actually put a lot of effort into murdering their nice little ditty for subsequent re-release on 'Planet' records. Is the version which appears of BFTG vol 1 superior? Beats me, but plenty of people with funny haircuts tend to think so. Personally, I think they're both aces (and you ain't even seen my haircut).One things for sure, these kids sure grew a pair between cuts.

Let this be a lesson to you romantic types out there w/ your silk handkerchiefs and your "feelings" - You may catch more flies w/ honey than you do w/ vinegar, but you can catch even more w/ crap.

Cry - Malibus

David's Current Mood: Anger.

Ok, so you are Jack Ely, the singer of Portland Oregon's own watered-down Wailers, the Kingsmen. Now, you ain't no sap. You've been kickin' the shit just long enough to know that playing this Rock and/or Roll junk in some crappy little band is just never going to cut the mustard. Taking matters into your own adolescent hands, you drop your band mates like a two-dollar pistol (or, if it pleases you, a twenty dolla' ho) for the life-affirming embrace of college (Yuck!)

There you are, on the fast track w/ your keggers and your Cardigans, when a certain Boston DJ blows the dust off one of your previous band's old singles and Bang! You ex-band mates got America by the short-hairs w/ their hit version of Richard Berry's 'Louie Louie', and you got 'Advanced Calculus' and your dick in your hand.

But not to fear! Your old band would always take you back right? Wrong! They are, after all, the mighty Kingsmen, and even though you sneered your way through their hit single, they tell you, in a decidedly kingly fashion, to hit the bricks before they crown ya.



So, picking yourself up and dusting yourself off, you do the only thing a musician of that time could do, you form your own goddamned Kingsmen, and when that doesn't pan out you rustle up some 'Courtmen' and cut your own 'Louie'(b/w a catchy little instro dubbed 'David's Mood') on the McCoy's old alma mater, 'Bang!' Records, and what happens next?

I'll give you a hint: THEY SPELL YOUR FUCKIN" NAME WRONG ON THE DISC!

Still...I guess it could be worse. I mean, you could be Pete Best. Poor Pete.

David's Mood - Jack Eely & the Coachmen

"A Teenage Tiger Lookin' for a Feast."

I must confess, its been several days and I'm still rather bummed about this Lux Interior business. Besides the fact that never again can I set my Elgin movement by a Cramps tour (Much like the Hale-Bopp Comet & Brigadoon, it was only ever a question of 'When' the Cramps would come around again), I'm left w/ the lingering suspicion, given a litany of ham-fisted obituaries, that the Cramps cultural significance has already been reduced to a kitchy slurry of panties, pumps and pancake make-up. How soon we forget that a certain six-foot-four cross-dressing golem was, in addition to all those things (and more), a bonafied musical archaeologist.

Take Ronnie Cook's 'The Goo Goo Muck'. That this Bakersfield, California ode-dee-doo-dah-day would have disappeared down the toilet of obscurity is certain, had not some wax-dipped skeleton from Ohio uncovered in this singles grooves, a statement of the average nubile teen's more libidinous intentions.

Much has been made of the Cramps proclivity to 'borrow' chords and progressions from yesteryear (or in the case of the 'Muck', a flat-out cover), but as the Cramps never hid their influences, and in fact, have openly championed the re-discovery of erstwhile useless artists and genres of music, then that makes them some of the least selfish and indeed most self-less musicians to ever drink wine out of a stranger's shoe or otherwise shove their head through a bass-drum.

Cut in 65'on the left coast's predominantly soul-centered 'Astra' label, if you can find another record besides 'Muck' which so perfectly typifies the 'modus-operandi' of the American teen...well, then I'll eat my Wighat.

XOXO - RB

P.S. "I'll get you baby w/ a little luck..."

The Goo Goo Muck - Ronnie Cook & the Gay Lads

The Scotch - Ronnie Cook & the Gay Lads

"Life is Short, Filled With Stuff..."

I had the pleasure of playing w/ the Cramps several years ago @ Irving Plaza in NYC. After a brief exchange w/ Lux and Ivy (I make no pretext of having known him - though I like many other people in NYC have seen his dick waaay too many times to be considered strangers) I watched as Lux proceeded to lay on the floor backstage w/ a camera taking pictures up the skirts of the opening act (Unbeknownst to them) during sound check. Stage hands kept tripping over him during the entire set, but he did not waver from his purpose, which I can only assume resulted in some memorable photographs. Bottom line - in a world of artifice, where nothing is done w/o an ulterior motive and authenticity is bought and sold like any commodity, Lux was just as weird and offbeat offstage as he was w/ spotlights on him and a microphone shoved in his mouth. The Cramps weren't just an act, they were a state of being.

R.I.P. Lux Interior 10/21/46 - 02/04/09

Sooooo Wild!

Here's some bonafide Rock o' billy from northern New Jersey of all places. That might seem strange for a genre pursuant of cotton plants and medicine shows, but it would please you to remember that the Mason Dixon line actually passes through Jersey (Technically 'around'-albeit Southern Jersey.

To put it in perspective, we're kinda like Pennsylvania - Yankee by geography, Southern by affectation. Shit, we even got our own species of hillbilly (see: Piney).

Anyhoo, Boonton NJ's 'Castle' label featured such cool customers as the 'Southlanders' and 'Ray Arlo' of 'She's My Steady Date' fame (I'm sure Devil Dick will be getting to that disc sometime soon). Rounding out the trio of 'Castle' releases, 1959's 'So Wild' was written by the 'Pete' portion of 'Pete & Jimmy' otherwise known as Peter Navaez and subsequently published by R'n'R demi-god Alan Freed (And just who the hell are you to deny the Moondog?)

As if 'So Wild' weren't enough to pad a whole post, I've also included the sentimental flip 'Bye & Bye' for a solid twin-spin. Better get to it before the Pineys eat ya!

Don't make any sudden moves...just back away from the post slooowly...




So Wild - Pete & Jimmy w/ the Rhythm Knights

Bye & Bye - Pete & Jimmy w/ the Rhythm Knights

Lovin' Honey

Perhaps not what the 'Ohio Players' had in mind, Morris' 'Honey' first made the rounds on Abeline's own 'Edmoral' label before getting picked up by RCA subsidiary 'Vik' in 57' (Home of Mickey Baker & Sylvia Robinson among others).

'Edmoral' Records, later 'Winston' Records, was originally owned by country legend Slim Willet, '4 Star' recording artist and author of country standard "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes". Evidently he didn't heed his own advice, as Willet saw enough moxie in Gene Morris to release 'Honey' as well as two subsequent singles by Morris sans Pages ('I Need it' and the awesome 'I Craw Fished') , though none would prove as viable as this sweet little honeycomb enclosed.

Since I ain't got no copy on Morris ( A slight historical oversight, I'm sure) check out the straight jaw on Willet instead.

"Born Winston Lee Moore on Dec. 1, 1919 near Dublin, TX, Willet received a BA degree in journalism in 1949 from the Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. Following a short stint in the aircraft industry, Willet began broadcasting on Abilene country station KRBC. He remained a popular DJ at the station until 1956. He used his popularity from the radio show to form his first band, the Hired Hands. In 1950 Willet released his first single "Tool Pusher From Snyder." Willet and the Hired Hands made regular appearances on The Big D Jamboree up until 1954 on WFAA in Dallas, as well as becoming as the Louisiana Hayride for four years beginning in 1951. In the early 50's, Willet released a few hit singles on the 4 Star label including "Red Rose," "No Love Song To You," and his biggest record "Don't Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes." By 1954, Willet set up his own label, Winston, releasing sporadic singles over a ten year period culminating with "You're the Only Woman," his final release in 1966. Slim was working full time at KCAD in Abilene, where he was part owner, until his death in 1966 from a heart attack. "

"There is no Bee w/o the sting; Cleverness consists of gathering the honey nevertheless"

Lovin' Honey - Gene Morris w/ the Pages

Chicken Fat: An Impulse Discovery

What can I say? I'm down with the chicken.

Be it 'Greasy Chicken', 'Chicken Crazy' or 'Chicken Strut', I'll eat that shit down to the bone and wear it like a necklace (fat 'n' all).

Today in this clap-board abode we are privy to that rare species of 'Rhode Island Red' that can jump genres from jazz to soul and back again without roostin' too high for the layman to grasp. And in a refreshing turn, we've even got some bonifide skinny on the artist in question:

"Mel Brown (born October 7, 1939, in Jackson Mississippi)is an American blues guitarist. Best known for his decade-plus stint in support of Bobby "Blue" Bland, Brown channeled elements of soul, funk, and jazz to create one of the most distinctive guitar styles in contemporary blues. Brown received his first guitar at the age of 14 while battling meningitis, spending hours each day studying the music of idols like B. B. King and T-Bone Walker from his sickbed. In late 1960, he toured with The Olympics, followed by a two-year tour of duty with Etta James. By 1963 Brown launched a session career, playing on records by everyone from Bobby Darin to Bill Cosby as well as T-Bone Walker's Funky Town album. His contributions so impressed record producer Bob Thiele that he invited Brown to record his own album: 1967's Chicken Fat, a blues-funk outing pairing Brown with fellow guitarist Herb Ellis. A series of impressive LPs including The Wizard, I'd Rather Suck My Thumb, and Big Foot Country Gal followed in quick succession before Brown joined Bland in 1971, appearing on the singer's California Album two years later."

Fresh from the fryer @ 'Vintage Vinyl', we got a big ole' glob o' 'Chicken Fat', and the greasy spoon it came with. You can eat all you like, just so long as you eat what you take.

Chicken Fat - Mel Brown

Greasy Spoon - Mel Brown

"A fleeting moment, but not a frozen moment."

R.I.P. Andrew Wyeth 07/12/17 - 01/16/09







www.andrewwyeth.com

This One Time @ Band Camp...

Cut on Buddah's 'Cobblestone' subsidiary (Same joint which gave us the awesome 'Suicidal Flowers') here we gots a "Flute Thang", and it ain't no 'Blues Project'.

A Sicilian message from the self-professed "Ebony Godfather", 'Comin' Home Baby' ain't quite as frantic as 'Chitlins & Cuchifritos', but w/ a skiff of snow on the cold, cold ground (Did i mention that its cold?), this track packs just enough "Easy Does it" for my low rent tastes.


Feathering jazz luminaries Jiggs Chase on organ, Robby Porter on baritone and Kenny Pollard on drums, you can do worse than givie it a spin, and if you happen to wake up to a horse head in your bed sporting a Kaya Kente Hat (What is w/ my current hat obsession?), just consider it a gift on the day of your daughter's wedding. May your first child be a masculine child.

Comin' Home Baby - The Joe Thomas Group

Hellooo Baaaaby!!!

What's that you say? Big Bopper's coffin for sale! Slightly Used! Half-price! Well hot-diggity!!!

Turn the Key On the Little Tin Soldier

Before you go crownin' your dome piece with a 'Natani Nez' wide-brim and kicking people (Namely Me) in the face, be forewarned that this is NOT the tune made famous in the movie 'Bill Jack'. That would be Coven of 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls' fame.

Not about to be outdone by some Kung-Fu injun (or Jinx Dawson for that matter), this fuzzy soul bit is brought to you by the wonderful architect of dance-floor favorite 'The Push', though to be fair, I think this tune has got enough moxie to push right back and then some.

Cut on the 'Jewel' imprint in 67' (Fuck what the label says), 'Soldier' was produced by The great Charlie 'The Best That's Ever Been' Daniels and features a back-up band of 'Jades', though I doubt they are related to either the 'Surfin' Crow' or 'Boomstix' variety. Still, I like to think William Jack would approve.



Oh...and thank you for not kicking me in the face.

Little Tin Soldier - Billy Joe Young

...May Flights of Rat Pfinks Pfink Thee To Thine Rest.

R.I.P. Ray Dennis Steckler



For more info see: The Incredibly Strange Blogger Who Stopped Posting and Became A Mixed-Up Zombie.

Hunka Hunka Burnin' Totalitarianism

ELVIS: King of Rock & Roll Anti-Fascism?!



Courtesy of Instapundit

Gettin' Ready to Gooooo to the Grand Ole' Opry Show!

Been in a country state o' mind these past few weeks, due in no small part to the general cold and ever present greyness that is Mid-Atlantic December. Sorry to say, but we got a good ground-hogs shadow to go before the leghorns molt and a fresh stubble of 'Jack in the Pulpit break ground, so I'm inclined to keep this yodel blue for a bit longer.

Not quite sure how a Jersey boy got Georgia on his mind, but god bless Hub Reynolds and Somerville New Jersey's own WGW records for waxing this here cousin-humpin'country bopper.

I've been combing the quaint suburbs of Somerville for awhile now, half expecting to turn up more choice cuts on this local favorite of a record label, but as of this writing this is the only example to be found in the field, though specimens frequently show up online @ arm/leg prices.

Perhaps most famous for their release of the BFTG classic 'Love's a Fire' by the Werps (Horns and all), WGW has seen a lot of strange and noteworthy recordings come out of the surrounding sprawl, including such acts a UGE, the Apostles and Leather Apple (not that anyones ever heard of them).

Wish I could tell you more about this particular release, but with history so tight lipped about the comings and goings of WGW records, wishes just aren't horses today, but if they were, I'd hitch em' up and hit that Georgia farm.

Georgia Farm - Hub Reynolds

Two Days a Week - Hub Reynolds

Riding Shotgun! pt 2

Finally got around to slicking up last months coach gun. Took the Stoeger down to it's bones and applied some valve-grinding compound before workin' the action to something approaching acceptable tolerance. Polished the chambers with ought-four steel wool/break-free and slapped on a Galco leather cheek pad (Good quality -by-the-by) replete with five rounds of buckshot.

Only ever an arms length away.