9.21.2005
Another Stack of 45s
So...I brought a bunch of 45s to work and threw them on the turntable sitting on my desk. No research on these pups, just what I hear. Some will be sampled for future cruds.
United Fruit Co. Yes We Have No Bananas 45 (York)
A surprisingly good bubblegum version of this old whore. The laid back tempo, a heavily whispered "Bananas," and a very cool vocal break makes this a keeper. The flip is so-so folk pop.
Bobby Russell Ain't Society Great? 45 (Elf)
After Ray Davies started dragging tubas and shit into his Kinks kritiques of class and status, hundred of others followed with their faux-social commentary, of course dressed up with some kind of strings or vocals that was supposed to represent high society or something like that. Funny thing is most of these knock offs came from the US, where we've always denied the existence of an aristocracy (at least post Civil War). This is Bobby Russell's stab at the form. It is not bad. Kind of mellow but maybe that is his southern drawl, some cool backing vocals, and the obligatory string part. This would have been baroque pop if Russell wasn't on a budget. The flip is horrible.
Bobby Byrd Keep on Doin What You're Doin (Brown Stone)
This has got to be the third or fourth copy of this I've picked up. I can't pass it up. It is one of my favorite James Brown productions. Not only is there a dance floor filling groove here but the guitar is fantastic. The flip, Let Me Know, is a nice blues ballad with a killer organ running through it.
The Surf Symphony Night of the Lions 45 (Capitol)
A pretty tough sounding orchestrated surf song. It starts off with the riff from Money and builds on that. The distorted (but unfortunately partially buried) guitar sounds nice with a huge band and strings behind it. And do I hear a harpsichord? Reminds me of a ballsier Billy Strange. The flip, Bluebird of the Summer, is a bit more subdued and sounds like Brian Wilson Smile pop.
Gonzales Crystal Blue Persuasion 45 (Emi)
As much as I try to resist, Crystal Blue Persuasion is one of my favorite songs of all time. I walk down the street and for no reason I find myself singing it. So I pick up copies when I find it. Here Gonzales does a funky Latin version of it that sounds pretty much exactly like what you would think War would do with it, including the dorky salsa part at the end. Serviceable.
Buddy Knox I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself 45 (Roulette)
I am a BIG fan of suicide songs so when my record store pal told me Buddy Knox of Party Doll fame had a song about killing himself, I knew I had to have it. A very cool rockabilly lite song with a nice guitar break which segues into a "boppa boppa toody boppa" vocal part and immediately slides into "I bow my head/because in the morning I'm gonna be dead/I think I'm gonna kill myself"! What an unexpected treasure!
Bobby Staker Leave Marriage Alone b/w Let Them Talk 45 (Hunt)
Calypso pop that favors the pop over the calypso. Some good horns otherwise not too exciting. Sounds like Hollywood calypso.
Jerry Blavat, The Geator & the Geatorettes All Be Joyous (Bond)
A very strange but totally cool mix of bongo drums, strummy guitar, psych flute, and chanting. Sounds like if the Fugs were trapped in a movie set jungle. Tasty (to Me), the flip, is a bubblegum answer song to Yummy Yummy with a reference to drinking menstrual blood and a hell of a drum break. What a great 45! It will definitely be crudded.
Liz Damon's Orient Express 1900 Yesterday 45 (White Whale)
It is always a mixed bag with White Whale. Some times you get great bubblegum and Sixties baroque pop. Other times you get schlock. And every once in while you get both in the same song. LDOE fuses very nice baroque pop with easy listening vocal schlock. Turn it over and You're Falling in Love is total Georgie Girl pop. Disposable.
Aztecs Regulation Three Puff 45 (Rak)
The song starts of mid jam and the jam is a funky rock groove with duel guitar/piano solos. The horn starts off doing scales and then descends into some netherworlds and then it is back doing the toodly-tot thing and so it goes. This has the electric funky Miles stamp all over it. The flip is a god awful folky hippie boogie called Most People Think That I am Crazy.
Flavor Shop Around 45 (Columbia)
Great funky, heavy bubblegum with a garage sneer. And then a Mitch Easter meets bubblegum meets Young Rascals version of Sally Had a Party. A perfect house party 45.
Mable John Don't Hit Me No More 45 (Stax)
People who grouse about He Hit Me and It Felt Like a Kiss, have never heard Mable John's answer to it. Mable just won't to take that shit. "A woman wasn't taken from a man's hand bone/That means she wasn't meant to be beat on." A tuff ballad that has the full Stax sound cruising through it. Left Over Lover doesn't have the same message or novelty, but it is a better song. Mable's vocals has a tad huskier Etta James thing going on and the music is damn great, slow and swinging.
Ya'Soo Doo Boo Doo Boo Za b/w Tsamico Horos 45 (Gorgona)
Yeah, that's band and title and label and the song sounds as fucked up as those words suggest. Though this is out of San Mateo, California, it sounds like Middle Eastern Mexican Gypsies were trapped in a psychedelic circus haunted house. This is definitely crud material and some day I'll let you hear it.
# posted by Scott Soriano : 14:49
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Could Mable John be any more underrated? I was just listening to "I'm a Big Girl, Now" this morning and the sheer raw emotion in her voice just fills the room.
# posted by 
: 12:09
: 12:09
They all sound great. You should post some. A and B sides. I love when you do that. Thanks. Your sight is amazing because of your good taste and good eye for great finds.
# posted by : 18:23
: 18:23
Suicide songs are also a favorite of mine, so I flipped my dumb wig when I friend turned me onto that Buddy Knox song. Great tune.
EL
EL
# posted by : 15:45
: 15:45
have you heard the "only we women bleed" off recent ike & tina comps from 1970 sessions on delicious vinyl? verrrrry, verrry not right. good music, though!
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# posted by : 00:42
: 00:42<< Home
