woensdag 30 maart 2016

* Huey P. Meaux *


Huey Purvis Meaux (1929-2011): must-read full story on The Rag Blog: 

Prior to producing Freddy Fender's USA-#1-hit 'Before the Next Teardrop Falls' (1975),
Meaux made his last Crazy Cajun radio show on KPFT, 1974 (great YouTube-find!)

Mo' Meaux below, a six-pack for your pleasure, slow start - furious finish:

* Big Sambo and the House Wreckers-'The Rains Came' ('61; written by Huey P. Meaux)
band led by Texas sax man James 'Big Sambo' Young.

* Jimmy Donley-'Think It Over' ('62 swamp-pop; written by Huey P. Meaux)


* Barbara Lynn-'You'll Lose a Good Thing' ('62 Jamie-label; producer Huey P. Meaux)

* Sir Douglas Quintet-'She's About a Mover' ('65 Tribe-label, producer Huey P. Meaux);
The original title 'She's A Body Mover' was considered too risqué for 1965;
Voor Nederlandse lezers: gecoverd door Andre van Duin als 'Moet Ik Lopen?' (ook '65).

* Roy Head and the Traits-'Treat Her Right' ('65 Back Beat, producer Huey P. Meaux)

* Ripp Tide-'Dynamite' ('67/68 Josie-single; producer Huey P. Meaux)
where to find this explosive Ripp Tide-song: LP 'Buttshakers soul party vol. 6'

donderdag 24 maart 2016

* 22-Pistepirkko *


In the summer of 2015 the band 22-Pistepirkko, formed in 1980 in Utajärvi Finland, decided the three of them, brothers P-K and Asko Keränen plus drummer Espe Haverinen, needed a break after 35 years together. Announcement from keyboardplayer Asko on their homepage:

"22-p will be 35 years young this year. We tried to make an album to celebrate with you all: Made a bunch of tunes, some of them are really pretty ! Brothers fell in a fight ring, stopped rocking, this time it ended ugly. After several bow wow wows = 22-p needs a pause. Now we are back in peace/calm. 
We´ll play these summer gigs and quit for a while. Last gig will naturally be in Helsinki, our hometown, 22.08. at Tavastia Club."

While P-K (vocals and guitar) is doing solo-gigs in Finland right now, it remains to be seen if the band will ever play together again. So let's look back and cherish memories. Please start with the videos of 'Frankenstein', 'Birdy' and 'Boardroom Walk', and see how this band developed from wild and weird to wonderful. Live they could switch from surf to tundra-blues to delicate pop to electronic beats, all in one set. Our pick of 22 songs:


1986 - 1. 'Ou Wee' / 2. 'Hiss Hiss'
1987 - 3. 'Hong Kong King'
1988 - 4. 'Bone Bone Baby' / 5. 'Frankenstein' / 6. 'Don't Go Home Joe' (singleversion with alto sax)
1990 - 7. 'Don't Play Cello'
1992 - 8. 'Bubblegum Couple' / 9. 'Don't Say I'm So Evil' / 10. 'Tired of Being Drunk' / 11. 'Birdy'
1994 - 12. 'Wild Billy' / 13. 'Oo My Head' / 14. '(Just A) Little Bit More' / 15. 'Hey Mona' (live)
         - 16. 'Snowy Dave' / 17. 'Gimme Some Water' / 18. 'Coffee Girl'
1996 - 19. 'Roundabout'
1998 - 20. 'Boardroom Walk' / 21. 'Onion Soup' / 22. 'Frustration'

Track 3 from their album 'The Kings of Hong Kong'
Track 4, 5 and 7 from album 'Bare Bone Nest'
Tracks 8-11 from album 'Big Lupu'
Tracks 12-14 & 16-18 from album 'Rumble City, Lala Land'
Tracks 20-22 from album 'Eleven'
Tracks 1-7, 15, 19-21 can be found on 'The Singles' (5-cd-set + 1 dvd with the official music videos).

15. 'Hey Mona' is a Bo Diddley-cover // 22. based upon 'Frustration' by The Painted Ship (1966).

woensdag 16 maart 2016

* Dave Bartholomew *


Dave Bartholomew was the driving force behind Fats Domino and lots of other New Orleans artists back in the fifties. As bandleader, producer, arranger and co-writer he contributed to many hits. Sadly, his own recordings as vocalist and trumpet-player never became hits, yet they were easily as good.

Some of those songs have been rediscovered in recent years. 'The Monkey (Speaks His Mind)' showed up on various compilations, and Jazzman Records included two Bartholomew 45s in their Jukebox Jam Series, first 'Shrimp and Gumbo' backed with 'Ah Cubanas (2010 JBJ 1004), then 'Carnival Day' b/w 'Cat Music' (2011 JBJ 1026). Also, there's a repro 45 of his Imperial single 'Can't Take It No More'.

The material that Bartholomew recorded between 1949 and 1960 in New Orleans for the Los Angeles-based Imperial-label can be bought best on three LP's released in France by EMI/Pathé Marconi.
The first was 'Jump Children' (1983), which I happened to find in a bargain bin years ago. Worth its price for the cover alone ofcourse, but the record is even better. Track A1 'Country Gal' immediately blew me away, then 'Carnival Day' did. Great horns, weird rhythms, nothing like I had heard before.
More highlights: 'Ah Cubanas', 'Jump Children' and 'Can't Take It No More'.


Second in the series of French LP's was 'The Monkey' (1985), again with fourteen songs from the same era and almost as good, yet at a little more laid back pace. The title track (see link above) stands out, with its infectious jumping rhythm topped by witty lyrics:

"Three monkeys sat in a coconut tree, discussing things as they are said to be.
Said one to the other, now listen you two: There's a certain rumour that can't be true.
That man descended from our noble race, the very idea is a big disgrace.
No monkey ever deserted his wife, starved her baby and ruined her life."
- Yeah, the monkey speaks his mind! -

Closing side B is Bartholomew's faithful cover of the instrumental 'Hard Times (The Slop)', originally by saxman Noble "Thin Man" Watts with Wild Jimmy Spruill on guitar, both recorded in 1957.


If God is willing one day we'll be able to add LP numéro trois, 'Shrimp and Gumbo' (1986) to our ménage (household), an LP containing the title track and 'Cat Music'. But if not (you can't always get what you want / in every dreamhome a heartache), we can do with the unofficial CD-compilation 'The Very Best of Dave Bartholomew' (2003 Bayou Records). The majority of the 42 LP-tracks is included on this 32-song-disc, albeit with inferior sound and without liner notes or session details.


Newcomers might as well try the latest Bartholomew compilation 'Golden Rule in New Orleans - King and Imperial sides 1950-1961', released March 2016 on Hoodoo Records. Must admit, haven't heard this one yet, but the 30 tracks include his most important stuff. But who the hell decided this CD should start with his two most cheesy songs?! First you get 'Who drank my beer while I was in the rear', then it gets even worse with the original version of 'My Ding-a-ling' (1952), the same simple song that gave Chuck Berry his first US-#1 some twenty years later. Trust me, it only gets better after that, promised.


-------------------------------
September 2020 update:

Everything above was written March 2016. Soon after I bought the Hoodoo CD of course. Then in 2017 I finally managed to find a reasonably priced copy of the third Imperial LP Shrimp and Gumbo. No more heartaches in this dreamhome, mission completed!

But the same year, the UK-based Jasmine Records released the most complete Bartholomew collection so far: the 2CD-set 'Jump Children! Imperial singles 1950-1962' (Jasmine JASCD 845).
A whopping 57 tracks, in chronological order. All the highlights I mentioned above are included: Carnival Day, Cubanas, Country Gal, Jump Children, Cat Music, Shrimp and Gumbo, The Monkey.
If you're new to Dave Bartholomew, this is the place to start.


Dave Bartholomew, who celebrated his 100th birthday on Christmas Eve 2018, passed away the following year on June 23rd. Jasmine Records was just about to release another 2CD-set, which turned out to be a fitting tribute: 'The King Of New Orleans R&B' (2019 Jasmine JASCD 866).
48 tracks cover Dave's recordings for Deluxe, Decca, King, Specialty and Park from 1947 to 1952.
Don't let the subtitle 'the best of the rest' put you off, buy this if you enjoyed the first volume.


donderdag 10 maart 2016

* The Ideals - Go-Go Gorilla *


Finally got myself a copy of Jerk Boom! Bam!  volume 2, and YES, exactly as promised on the sleeve, it's a "greasy rhythm n' soul party", a mixed bag of late-1950s to mid-1960s American rhythm 'n' blues and greasy soul. The only track I already knew is 'The Twitch', irresistible 1963 New Orleans soul by Danny White (mentioned earlier in our Sax Kari-post, SMoRaS 2015-01-10). Greatest finds: an early song by Texas bluesman Albert Collins in his wilder days (late 1960s?) called 'Whatcha Say (I Don't Know)' and a tune by The Ideals. 


                                                                       The Ideals           

This R&B vocal group from Chicago had already recorded 'The Gorilla' for the Cartland-label in 1962, followed the next year by 'Mo Gorilla' (to be found on the Shakin Fit-comp). 
Jerk Boom! Bam! 2 offers the best part of the trilogy, issued by Satellite: 'Go-Go Gorilla'! 

 Norton 45 reissue

Before The Ideals went ape with 'The Gorilla' their line-up included for a short time singer Major Lance, best known for his hits 'The Monkey Time' ('63) and 'Um Um Um Um Um Um'. Another early Ideals-member was Robert Tharp, who later went by the name of Tommy Dark and teamed up with Jerry Murray as the duo Tom & Jerrio, famous for 'Boo-Ga-Loo' ('65).

By that time, The Ideals had inspired a few cover versions: in September of 1964 The Dynasty's (from Wisconsin) released their Coulee-45 'Go Gorilla', followed in December by The Shandells (from Eau Claire, WI) with a 45 on Bangar Records. The latter found a new audience when it was included on the first Wavy Gravy-compilation, by mistake listed as 'Go Go Gorilla'. Pics of the Bangar-45 show their song was actually called 'Gorilla', and as you can hear their wild garage-remake covers the first part of The Ideals 'Gorilla'-trilogy.


Modern day remakes: Cheater Slicks (1990, on the B-side of their Dog Meat-debut) and The Incredible Staggers-'Go Go Gorilla' (2010, on Squoodge Records, from Austria).

vrijdag 4 maart 2016

* Hillbillies in Hell *


Hillbillies in Hell: Country Music's Tormented Testament (1952-1974)
Verzameling zeldzame country 45s, voorlopig enkel leverbaar op LP. Vrijwel allemaal obscure nummers, alleen Wendell Austin ('L.S.D.') was hier bekend van het verzamelalbum Wavy Gravy, en Red River Dave ('California Hippie Murders') stond al op de Psycho Serenade-LP. Niet alles is briljant, maar er zitten toch wat fijne ontdekkingen bij, zoals Art Killmer, Jimmy Minor, de Johnny Cash-San Quentin-remake van Johnny Price ('Marijuana, the Devil Flower') en Wayne, Pat & Keith (I'm Tired of You, Satan'). Of deze twee: Benny Joy's 'Dark Angel' en Buck Ritchey's 'The Slave'. Wow!

De vinyl-versie verscheen onlangs op het IMAR-label (the Iron Mountain Analogue Research facility), in een oplage van 666 stuks, geperst op rood of zwart vinyl (ons exemplaar is rood).
CD-release op OMNI* staat gepland voor 18/3.

* Voor meer over OMNI in uw Secret Museum of Rock and Soul, ga terug naar 17 December 2014: http://legoblockhead.blogspot.nl/2014/12/omni-country-electronica.html