CRUD CRUD

Escape from Cuba

2008-05-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

The High & the Mighty Escape from Cuba b/w Trying to Stop Cryin' (ABC, 1966)

Before there were The High & the Mighty, there were the Reflections, a Detroit group who had a 1964 hit with the Nuggets classic "(Just Like) Romeo & Juliet." Though they released a scad of singles, the Reflections failed to hit again. When their contract with Golden World, ended they signed to ABC and ditched their name for The High & the Mighty. Their first single was this nice piece of propaganda pop.

"Escape from Cuba" is the only anti-Castro sunshine pop songs I've ever heard. Smack dab between The Rascals and Free Design, The High & the Mighty tell a tale of a young man rowing his fishing boat to the good US of A. Is it a good song. Let's say that the Cuba angle propels it to good enuf to chart in Miami for a couple weeks. The flip, which was the a-side outside of everywhere other than Little Havana, is a nice frantic pop number.

Escape from Cuba
Tryin to Stop Cryin

Cigarettes

2008-05-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

Lonnie Duvall Cigarettes b/w Street Walker 45 (Hip, 1966)

There are very few records I buy twice. I figure, no matter how beat a record is, once I have it, the search is over...but there are few that beg to be bought again. "My Girl" by Clyde McCullough & the Silks is one of them. A perfect song, recorded in the early 60s and smack dab between classic dowop and an early R&B ballad, "My Girl" stayed on my turntable for months, even though the only copy I had was beat to hell. Walked into what has become my favorite record store and asked the owner if he had a copy. He said he did, we talked about the song, it being somewhat obscure, and he asked me for $20 which I happily paid him. I figured my first copy cost me 50 cents and this one was flawless so why not. That was about five years ago.

About 15 years back, I found a copy of Lonnie Duvall's "Cigarettes" at the Ye Olde Record Store in Diamond Springs, California. All 45s were one dollar so I would buy stacks based on nothing but song title or band name or the way a label looked. There were three hooks for this Duvall single. First was the song title "Street Walker." Could it be about a prostitute? The flipside was called "Cigarettes" so maybe so. Second hook was the label name - Hip. Third hook was that the record label states that it is distributed by ATCO. I had just finished reading Peter Guralnick's Sweet Soul Music, his history of Stax Records, Muscle Shoals, and other Memphis area soul entities. From Guralnick, I knew that Stax was also distributed by ATCO, so I figured that there might be a connection and so Lonnie Duvall could be some wicked soulman. Well, I was right on Hip being a Stax imprint and wrong about Duvall being a R&B singer. "Street Walker" could or could not be about a prostitute, but even if it wasn't the song was a good poppy garage tune with a nice brooding organ. But what made the hooks pay off was the "plug side," the song "Cigarettes."

"Cigarettes" starts off with a match striking a match book, flame ignites, and cigarette is lit. The first bass note is struck and hangs there for a second before it coolly walks on. A solid drum beat is topped by a distant, wheezing organ, and a killer guitar. And then there are the vocals - dramatic , defeated, yet so fucking cool. During the break, another match is struck and then the plea. Such a great fucking song!

After hearing it the first time, I got on the interweb and searched for information and found nothing. I also looked for another copy because the dollar copy I had was two parts music, one part surface noise. Played it for a friend and he found one in a week, but not I, not I. About once a year a copy would turn up at auction and end at $40 or it would be listed for the same or more on some sale site. Last week, I stumbled across one for $10. Though I had no idea what the condition was, I bought it. It came and here it is, nice and clean.

As for who Lonnie Duvall was, I do not know. Because Hip was related to Stax, I assume he was from Memphis or thereabouts. He released one other single on Hip, something called "Your Mother and Daddy Are Right." The b-side of that one is "Cigarettes." Every copy of this single that I've seen with my eyes or listed on line are promo copies, so who knows if this ever got proper release.

Cigarettes
Street Walker

Is It a Lie

2008-05-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

Ernest J. Ruis Jr. / Sham & I Is It a Lie 45 (DCA, 196?)

Standard early to mid 60s R&B track with a nice solid kick to it + pop vocals by a couple teens that sound on the Whiter side of vocalese = man, I have no idea who the hell this is! The label credits either or both Ernest J. Ruiz Jr. and Sham & I as the artist. There is no writing credit, though that could be Mr. Ruiz, Jr. A Cohn and a Donig are given production credit and the music publisher is Donco, a combo of the producers' names. While this was administered by BMI, not any more. No record of this song or publisher appears in their database. This is a promo copy, so who knows if the song ever made it past this stage. A complete mystery. Enjoy.

Is It a Lie

Easter Queen

2008-05-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

Duchess of Saigon Easter Queen EP (S-S, 2002)

Time to tap into the S-S Records catalog of fine music. Though raved about by a select few when it was released (Byron Colley, WFMU, Ryan Wells, Jay Hinman), the debut by Sacramento's Duchess of Saigon was S-S Records' worst selling record. Although we pressed only 300, it took a little over 4 years to sell out the pressing. If I was to take a jab at why, I'd say sales were hindered by the hideous sleeve and, perhaps, it was released a few years too early. Too bad, maybe a little recognition would have kept the band around.

Formed in 2001, the Duchess of Saigon were Mary and Richard. Two artists, they met at UC Davis, started seeing each other and then formed a band. Though Richard had been in a handful of Sacramento bands (Rick & the Young Rogues, Sir & the Young Men), Duchess was Mary's first band. She was handed the drum duties...and good thing, too! Because she was unencumbered by formal lessons, Mary developed a unique drumming style in which she would keep the beat with her feet and play the melody with her hands. The unconventional approach to percussion, as well as her ethereal backing vocals, gave Richard's VU-influenced garage-pop songs an excellent twist. One reviewer likened them to the Carpenters if played by the Shaggs.

The first time I saw Duchess of Saigon, they were horrible. Just a goddamn mess of a band. However, the second time, six months later, they convinced me they were the best band in town and I hurriedly asked them if I could put out a record. That record is Easter Queen. We pressed 300, it sold slowly, and finally went out of print. Another Sacramento label, Plastic Idol, put out their second seven inch. That, too, sold slowly and is, I think, still in print. It is as good as the first.

The Duchess were working on an album, but recording and equipment problems kept dragging the project on. Mary, frustrated with her drumming, lost interest and quit. About a year later, both Mary and Richard picked up and moved to Florida. I do not know if they are playing music now.

Here are 3 of the 4 songs on Easter Queen. It is one of the best records I ever had a hand in.

Lycra Lace
Disagreement Song
Swan Lake

Do It Bop!

2008-04-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Various Do It Bop! EP (Ridge)

And now we turn to the bootleg. The bootleg is, in case you do not know, the unauthorized release of previously unissued live recordings, demos, or studio outtakes, usually of a particular band. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the "previously unreleased" album was the primary form of bootleg. The second kind of bootleg, which started in the 1960s but really took off in the late 70s and dominates to this day, is the unauthorized compilation of previous released but rare and/or out of print recordings. Record hounds and music freaks are very familiar with this kind of bootleg for that is what the Pebbles series of 60s garage, The Stompin' series of R&B, the Las Vegas Grind series of schmaltz, the Killed By Death series of 70s punk, and the Sound of Funk series of rare funk are. Add to that list any number of collections of rare rockabilly, Thai pop, YeYe, international psych, Afrobeat, etc. Name a genre of exotic, neglected, or underground music and I bet there is a comp of it. The flood of these bootlegs inspired authorized collections of similar material, many which you can buy today. However for years the only way one was to hear a rare rockabilly single - say something as vital and important as Charlie Feathers' "I Can't Hardly Stand It" was to shell out hundreds of dollars for it or find it on a bootleg. Many a youngster without mad cash bought bootlegs to educate themselves about rock & roll. It can be argued that the Punk Revolution of the mid to late 70s was fueled, in part, by bootlegs of old garage and rockabilly bands. Though rabid diggers, many hip hop dejays used bootlegs as tip sheets, cliff notes, or want lists. The 90s garage punk scene was hooked on 60s and 70s punk bootlegs. And the growing interest in 70s/80s DIY punk came about thanks to the then-bootleg series Methetics. Though bootlegs were sold (and sometimes profitable) and the artists did not get paid (something that distinguishes boots from reissues), money was not the primary motive (or even a motive at all) of the bootlegger. What drove the bootlegger is pretty much the same thing that drives the mp3 blogger of out of print and forgotten tunes: a madness for music. Unfortunately, many people confuse bootlegging with pirating, which is the unauthorized replication of a current release. Those who pirate could care less about the music. Those that pirate aren't uber fans, but organized crime and countries such as China. Pirates are bad. Bootleggers are, mostly, in theory, good. Yea! for the bootlegger.

The three tunes here come off a 7" bootleg EP issued in France, probably in the late 70s. Probably pressed in a batch of 500, the goal of this boot was to turn people onto some rare rockabilly. I, in turn, am bootlegging the bootlegger in order to turn you on to some of these songs. Of the three here, you might be familiar with Bobby Roberts' "Big Sandy," as it is a classic early rock & roll song. It was originally released in the early to mid 50s. I assume the other two songs came out about the same time. The originals on these things would have cost you thousands back when this boot was made. Nowadays, combined they would run you five figures. The boot probably cost three bucks. I got it for a buck in a used shop.

Billy Prager & the Cravans "Do It Bop!"
Bunny Paul "Sweet Talk"
Bobby Roberts "Big Sandy"

Drag Beat

2008-04-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

The De-Fenders Drag Beat LP (Del-Fi, 1964)

Aha! Crud Crud is back with some fresh meat! Took some unexpected time off. Life and getting the next issue of Z Gun together. During that time, I gave this gem of an album a lot of spins and, man, what a great surf/hot rod instrumental jam this is!

Who are the De-Fenders? I dunno. I am sure I could spend some time and get some names for you, but they will be a bunch of LA session guys that neither you or I have ever heard of, but have probably heard a thousand times before. What you need to know is that this pup is on Del-Fi and Del-Fi's track record (ha ha, track record get it....uh) on the rock & roll instro is pretty damn good.

So here are my three favorites. "Deuces Wild" is pretty much your straight forward garage instro, except that it has a nice R&B edge and gobs of great sound effects. Some internet idge says "Taco Truck" is a rip of Harry Belafonte. Nah. Well, maybe a little but this shit is also a West Coast grab of the East Coast Puerto Rican R&B craze ALA Jimmy Castor as well as a twist on Hollywood swinger anthems like "Music to Watch Girls By." And then there is the drum crazed "Drag Beat," a song I will let speak for itself.

Deuces Wild
Taco Truck
Drag Beat

You'll Lose

2008-04-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

The New Bag You'll Lose (Date, 1966)

Here is an odd one. Jazz producer Ted Macero hands the New Bag a Dave Brubeck tune and then throws a heap o' reverb on the monotone vocals and the band injects a bit of anger and angularity into the playing. The result? Fucking great! This is one of the rare successful mating of garage punk and bebop. Hell, it might be the only pairing of garage punk and bebop. Can you imaging what fusion would have sounded like if this was its stepping stone? We would have had an ocean of hard edged, pissed off pleasure and not the simpy noodling of Scientologists, guru stooges, and cokeheads.

Yes, there is a flipside on this pup, but it is a jazzy version of Norwegian Wood and you really don't need to hear another take on that old whore.

You'll Lose

Originally posted 01.05.06. Be back soon with new crud.

The Crud Crud Index

2008-04-01T20:08:00.000-07:00

On we go into Year 4 of Crud Crud! But before we continue, here is a list of all the record & tapes featured thus far on Crud Crud. There are entries for all of these records; however, few have songs linked to them. The files are gone. Once I post them I don't keep them around. No need to; I have the record (or tape). While some of the stuff below is obscure, much of it can be found...and for little money. All you gotta do is spend a little time from behind the computer and in record stores and rummage shops. There are plenty of treasures out there waiting for you to find them.*

2005

04.01 Black Flag Live (bootleg)
04.09 Rema Rema Wheel in the Roses 12” EP (4AD, 1980)
-------Leather Nun Slow Death 12” EP (Criminal Damage, 1979)
-------Gordons Future Shock 12” EP (Flying Nun, 1980)
04.15 Spizzoil Cold City EP (Rough Trade, 1979)
04.19 Brian Ingland The World of Gorillas and Monkeys 45 (Mala)
04.25 Metro Ulok egy rozsaszinu kadban b/w Citromizu banan 45 (Pepita, 1977)
04.29 Rupert Clemendore/John Buddy Williams Le Jazz Primitif LP (Cook, 1961)
05.06 The Good Rats s/t LP (Kapp, 1969)
05.08 Alter Ego & Friends Obsessional Schizophrenia LP (C. Schneider, 1972)
05.12 Mysterious Japanese children’s 10” record
05.16 Fottutissima Pellicceria Elsa s/t cassette tape (Fucof Records, 1983)
05.26 Albert Jones Vida Blue 45 (Tri-City, 1971)
06.01 The Carter Brothers Southern Country Boy b/w Do the Flo Show 45
--------(Jewel, 1965)
06.07 The Relations Blow Your Mind Part 1 & 2 45 (Bem Sole)
06.09 The Loading Zone All for One LP (Umbrella, 1968)
06.15 Blue's Men Prohibido Prohibir 10" (Odeon, 1967)
06.25 King Pleasure I'm in the Mood for Love 45 (Prestige, 1962)
06.28 Yaphet Kotto Have You Dug His Scene 45 (Chisa, 1968)
06.30 Keisa Brown Happy Birthday America 45 (Little Star, 1976)
-------Mike Bozzoli Bicentennial Salute to the American Truck Driver 45
-------(B&M, 1976)
07.04 Muhammad Ali I'm the Greatest (Ali's Bicentennial Freedom Song) 45
------ (Crimson Dynasty, 1976)
07.06 Toussaint McCall Shimmy 45 (Ronn, 1967)
07.09 The Work Slow Crimes LP (Woof, 1982)
07.10 Box and Bleacher Society Movin' with the Giants 45 (Mammoth)
07.12 Our Favorite Band! s/t EP (Praxis, 1982)
07.15 Exploding Seagulls Johnny Runs for Paregoric 7" (Fried Egg, 1980)
07.17 Von Freeman Cheeks 45 (Markie, 1962)
07.19 Hong Kong White Sox Cholley-Oop 45 (Trans-World, 196???)
07.23 Eddie "The Sheik" Kochak Ya Salaam: the New Amer-Abic Sound of
-------the Middle East LP (Mace, 196?)
07.27 Brother Nigel's Proxy Party Look at the Floor 45 (Fantasy, 196?)
-------The U-DWI Peoples Paraphernalia Terrible Train 45 (Brunswick, 196/7?)
07.29 The Drifter & The Shadow practice cassette tape (1994)
07.30 Spooner's Crowd Two in the Morning 45 (Cadet, 1966)
07.31 Various Music from Turkey LP (Argo, 1961)
08.02 Karate Party Black Helicopter LP (S-S, 2005)
08.04 Sun City Girls Interview, August 14, 1984, Sacramento, CA cassette (1984)
08.06 Dean & His Celebrities You Only Live Twice 45 (Randy's, 196??)
08.08 The All Cop Band Hot Chase 45 (ACBP, 1983)
08.10 Los Huevos Manlove b/w Maserati 7" (Goodbye Boozy, 1998)
08.14 The Glass Family Electric Band LP (Warner Bros., 1968)
08.15 Hurt 'Em Bad & the S.C. Band The Boxing Game 45 (Profile, 1983)
08.16 Dennis Weaver Genesis Through Exodus 45 (Warner Brothers, 19??)
08.18 The Sufi Choir s/t LP (Akashic, 1973)
08.19 Ashcroft/Scofield/Walton Facade LP (Argo, 1972)
08.21 Clarence Ashe Troubles I've Had 45 (J&S, 1964)
08.22 Various Red Spot LP (Subteranean, 1981)
08.25 Standard of Living Six Songs 12" (Vinyl Records, 1982)
-------Manbot s/t 7" (NuVu, 1981)
08.27 Dick Jensen Giant of Hawaii LP (Record Club of Honolulu, 196?)
08.29 France Gall Chanson Indienne 7" (Philips, 1966)
08.31 King Louie One Man Band Walkin' and A-Steppin' in the Fire 45
--------(Theraputic, 2000)
09.03 Nobody's Children Don'tcha Feel Like Cryin' 45 (Bullet, 1967)
09.05 Barbara Sellers Brazil 45 (Crystal Records, 196??)
09.07 Rosie & the Originals Give Me Love 45 (Highland, 1961)
09.09 Dr. Hajime Murooka's Lullaby from the Womb LP (Capitol, 1974)
09.11 Sandy Nelson Boogaloo Beat LP (Imperial, 1967)
09.14 1.4.5. Pink Invasion 12" (Archive, 1981)
09.19 Spit Baby Two Songs (Crud Crud, 2003)
09.22 George Coleman Bongo Joe LP (Arhoolie, 1969)
09.25 Vernard Johnson Live LP (Glori Records, 1978)
09.26 Gary "U.S." Bonds Time Ole Story 45 (Legrand, 1961)
09.29 Vorgruppe Mensch im Eis 7" (H'Art, 198?)
10.03 Antoine Ma Fete Foraine (Discques Vogue, 1966)
-------Hughes Aufrey Le Serpent (Barclay, 1966)
10.05 Peace & Love Avandaro Sentimeinto Latino LP (Denver, 1971)
10.09 Mary "B" Something for Baby 45 (Fling, 1962)
-------Maxine Brown You Upset My Soul 45 (Wand, 1964)
10.11 The Emperor I'm Normal 45 (Current, 1966)
-------Los Crazy Bird's Soy Normal (Orfeon, 196??)
10.13 Jamie Power She Don't Know 45 (Jamie, 1965)
10.15 Los Angeles Police Pipe Band s/t LP (Glenfinnan, 1984)
10.17 David Werner Whizz Kid LP (RCA, 1974)
10.19 John Zacherle Dinner with Drac, Parts 1 & 2 45 (Cameo, 1958)
10.21 The Monsters Four Russian Roulette 45 (Vee Jay, 1964)
10.24 Leonard Johnson The Bug 45 (Arvee, 1959)
10.29 Buchanan & Goodman / Martian Symphony Orch.
-------Flying Saucer the 2nd b/w Martian Melody (Luniverse, 1956)
10.31 The Fools Psycho Chicken (Clucked Version) (EMI Germany, 1980)
11.02 Black Humor Love God, Love One Another LP (Fowl, 1982)
11.04 Silicon Teens Music for Parties LP (Sire, 1980)
11.06 The Three Suns Favorites 10” (Royale, 1954)
11.08 Milissa Sierra / Los Espias Baby A Go-Go LP (Columbia Mexico, 1967)
11.10 The Bounders They Call the Wind MARIA b/w Mia 45 (Highland, 196?)
11.12 Jim Ellis Unification LP (Thunderhead, 1978)
11.15 Ozzie Android Love b/w Organic Gardening 45 (Make Me, 1977)
11.17 Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band
-------Starting Salary: $22,275.00 LP (Embo, 1980)
11.19 Various In Praise of Oxala and Other Gods: Black Music of South America LP
-------(Nonesuch, 1970)
11.21 St. John Green Canyon Woman (Flick Disc, 196???)
-------The Wild Brothers Warm Body (Love, 196???)
11.24 Link Wray 1929 – 2005 Hidden Charms
11.27 Phil Kraus The Percussive Phil Kraus 7" (Golden Crest, 195?)
11.29 Ethno Chip Nachts im Busch 7" (Ateliers Fabrikneu, 1983)
12.01 Jim MacLean d. 2005
12.03 The Irritators Whack the Dolphin 7" (Robey, 1981)
12.05 Jan Davis Funky Mud (Triad, 196?)
--------B.B. Cunningham, Jr. Electrode (Cover, 1959)
12.07 The Rattles The Witch b/w Geraldine 45 (Decca Yugoslavia, 1970)
12.09 The Leather Nun Slow Death 12" (Criminal Damage, 1984)
12.10 Richard Pryor 1940 – 2005 Bicentenial Nigger
12.12 Four Thai 45s
12.14 The Better Beatles I’m Down b/w Penny Lane 45 (Woodgrain. 1982)
12.16 V/Vm & Friends Turkey 7" (V/Vm Test, 1998)
12.18 Harry Kari & His Six Saki Sippers The Night Before Christmas
-------b/w Oh! Oh! Don't Ever Go 45 (Capitol, 1953)
12.20 Pervert Productions XXX-Mas LP (Pervert Productions, 1976)
12.22 Lowell Fulson The Original Lonesome Christmas Pt 1 45 (Hollywood, 1950)
12.24 Don El Douglas Christmas Night 45 (Vio-Len, ???)
12.26 Shigeru Izumiya Live Izumiya 2LP (For Life, 1975)
12.29 Neon Boys s/t EP (bootleg, 2001)
12.31 The Human Beinz It's Fun to Be Clean 45 (Capitol, 1968)

2006

01.02 Sara Goes Pop s/t 2x7" (It's War Boys, 1982)
01.05 The New Bag You'll Lose 45 (Date, 1966)
01.10 Mercy Fire Ball 45 (Sundi, 1970)
01.13 Charles McCullough & the Silks My Girl 45 (Dooto, 1961)
01.18 Karel Failka Armband 45 (Red Shift, 1979)
01.21 King Hannibal The Truth Shall Make You Free b/w It's What You Do 45
--------(Aware, 1972)
01.23 Sabah s/t LP (Phillips Lebanon, 196??)
01.25 J Bastos Loop di Love 45 (Bellaphon, 1969)
01.27 Ki Di Me Mother Is b/w Islamatic 45 (Read, 1981)
01.29 Les Sultans Va T'en b/w Pour Qui Pourquoi 45
--------(Les Discques Millionnaires, 1965)
01.31 Akim Voodoo Drums 45 (Pan World, 196?)
02.03 Albert Ayler The Last Album LP (Impulse, 1969)
02.06 Bucky Miserlou 45 (Decca, 1968)
02.10 Adore O'Hare La Luna Fettuccine 45 (Hit and Run, 1983)
02.14 G. L. Crockett Every Hour, Every Day 45 (4 Brothers, 1964)
-------Alan Knight Chills 45 (Tide, 196?)
-------Jay & the Techniques Stronger than Dirt 45 (Smash, 1967)
02.17 Flavor Shop Around b/w Sally Had a Party 45 (Columbia, 1968)
02.21 Ray Barretto Cocinando 45 (Fania, 1972)
02.23 Denny Rockwell (Get off that) Booze & Garlic Bread 45 (Tower, 196?)
02.26 Wild Kingdom Roma-Destiny flexi disc (No Mag, 1981)
03.02 Cult Hero I'm a Cult Hero b/w I Dig You 45 (Friction, 1979)
03.04 Los 3 Sudamericanos Chica Ye Ye EP (Belter, 1965)
03.07 Archie Moore's "Times Tables" with Soul and a Beat LP
--------(ERU Productions, 1964)
03.10 Цветы Честно говоря EP (Melodiya, 1974)
03.14 Fireblood Angel Band (Featuring The Hosts of Heaven)
-------A Day of the Trumpet 45 (Siloam, 1982)
03.17 Avant Gardener s/t EP (Virgin, 1977)
03.22 Emile Volel Volume 1 LP (private pressing, no date)
03.29 The Cartoon Cowboys with Jimmy Carroll Orchestra
--------(aka Quick Draw McGraw)
--------El Kabong! b/w Ooch, Ooch, Ooch! 45 (Golden Record, 196?)
04.02 The Voices of East Harlem Can You Feel It 45 (Just Sunshine, 1974)
-------Que Sunryse A Storm Brewing 45 (Just Sunshine, 1973)
04.05 Research 1 6 12 In Research LP (Flick City, 1968)
04.09 Masio Suzuki Hietsuki Fushi b/w Karichikuri Uta 45 (Victor Japan)
04.13 Reverberi Stairway to Heaven 45 (United Artists, 1977)
-------The Gold Orchestra Sousa's Salsa 45 (Gold, 197?)
04.17 The Ordells Sippin' a Cup of Coffee b/w Big Dom 45 (Dionn, 1967)
04.28 Joie Chan Sweet Baby 45 (Chattahoochee, 196?)
-------The Bermudas Chu Sen Ling 45 (Era, 1964)
05.02 Sierra Altoids Krosskut Sawwwwww 45
--------(Nevada County Dept. of Social Sciences, 1983)
05.08 Dogtroep s/t LP (Dogtroep, 1984)
05.13 Bob Azzam Mustapha EP (Barclay, 1960)
05.19 Les Baxter Les Baxter's Teen Drums EP (Capitol France, 1960)
05.24 The Dynamic Dial Tones "Boss" 45 (Horizon, 196?)
-------The Super Dupers The Jungle Jingle 45 (Cricket, 196?)
05.29 Marti Barris Ahbe Casabe 45 (Keen, 1958)
06.03 Cindy & Sue Temple Love 45 (Era, 1961)
06.06 Bull & the Matadors The Funky Judge 45 (Toddlin' Town, 1968)
-------Finky Fuzz Here Come the Judge 45 (Epic, 1968)
-------Peter Tosh Here Comes the Judge 45 (Gibbs, 1972)
06.09 Realists Wonderland 45 (Eccentric, 1981)
06.15 Tin Tin s/t LP (Atco, 1970)
06.18 Sounds of Modification Darkness Fills My Lonely Heart 45 (Jubilee, 1968)
06.21 Nathaniel Mayer & The Fabulous Twilights Village of Love
--------b/w I Want a Woman 45 (Fortune, 1962)
06.24 Hugues Aufray Aufray Chante Dylan EP (Barclay, 1965)
06.27 Don Carson & the Casuals Yes Master! 45 (Bertram International, 196?)
06.30 Art Barduhn Our Dinosaur Friends - for the Early Years LP (ARA, 1978)
07.04 Abner Jay The Backbone of America is a Mule and Cotton LP
-------(Brandie, 1976)
07.08 The Klemares Devils Angel 45 (GG's, 1971)
07.12 True West Lucifer Sam 45 (True West, 1982)
07.14 Kevin Dunn Nadine b/w Oktyabrina 45 (dB, 1979)
07.19 Ron Eliran s/t LP (Polydor, 1968)
07.22 Jerry Butler The Soul Goes On LP (Mercury, 1968)
07.26 Jimmy J. & the Mark-Lee Sound I'm a Lover Man 45 (Mar-Jo, 196?)
07.30 The Magic City Band Disco Rhapsody LP (Magic City Band, 197?)
08.04 Laurindo Almeida & George Fields Naked Sea EP (Capitol, 1955)
08.08 The Waikikis Remember Boa Boa 45 (Kapp, 1965)
08.11 Lamari Said Yak Bezaf Felas 45 (Bel Air, 1960)
08.14 Rocco Scotti My Wonderland b/w Strange 45 (Rendezvous, 195?)
08.17 The Tritons (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 45 (Barclay, 1973)
08.20 Roger Flax Clyde & Phyllis LP (Golden, 197?)
08.24 Pink Filth Presents Seventeen Bubblegum Smashes! LP (Lost, 1998)
08.27 Michael Psycho s/t LP (Black Hole, 1990)
08.30 Easter Monkeys Splendor of Sorrow LP (Hit & Run, 1990)
09.02 Wha Ha Ha s/t LP (Recommended, 1983)
09.06 Cal Hayes (Now It's) Back to School 45 (D'Oro, 196?)
09.09 Tim James Strange Things b/w Motions 45 (Delco, 1976)
09.12 Manuel & the Renegades Rev-Up 45 (Piper, 1963)
-------Cheerful Earfuls The Drag - Number One 45 (Stepheny, 1960?)
09.15 Yama Yama Man Fabulous Harmonica played by... LP (Riviera, 195?)
09.18 Manfred Mann Chapter Three Volume 1 LP (Polydor, 1969)
09.21 Laxmikant-Pyarelel Pyar Ka Mandir LP (Super, 1987)
09.24 Catastrophe III Freestyle 12" (Hurricane, 1988)
09.27 Frank Lucas Good Thing Man 45 (ICA, 1977)
09.29 Sundae Times Baby Don't Cry b/w Aba-Aba 45 (Seville, 1968)
10.02 Dion (I was) Born to Cry 45 (Laurie, 1962)
-------Fabian Break Down and Cry 45 (Dot, 1963)
10.05 The Barnstormers Bug Stompin' (Stomp that Roach) 45 (Captiol, 196?)
-------Gene & Wendell (with the Sweethearts) The Roach 45 (Ray Star, 1961)
10.08 Wynemah Indian Love Call b/w 'Till 45 (Princess, 197?)
--------Kathleen Emery Someone Else May Be There 45 (Love, 196?)
10.11 Albert Jones Vida Blue 45 (Tri-City, 1971)
-------Denny McLain At the Organ LP (Capitol, 1969)
10.15 Hassan Atia & His Orchestra Sudanese Songs 45 (Supraphone, 196?)
10.18 Various Africa in Revolutionary Music LP (LSM, 1975)
10.22 The Moon Without Earth LP (Imperial, 1968)
10.25 The Whizz Kidds Sweet Honey b/w Big Teaser 45 (Highland, 1977)
10.28 Satanic Rites Hit and Run 45 (Heavy Metal, 1981)
10.31 Halloween Ghetto 45 (HLW, 1982)
11.02 Linda Laurie Jose He Say b/w Chico 45 (Keetch, 1964)
11.05 Jurassics The Ballad of James T. Kirk 45 (Surf or Die!, 1986)
11.09 The Dancing Did The Green Man & the March of the Bungalows 45
--------(Kamera, 1982)
11.12 Troy Shondell This Time LP (Sunset, 1967)
11.18 New Horizon One Bad Thing 45 (Bell, 1970)
-------Dept. of Sanitation Just a Good Show 45 (Nite Life, 196?)
-------The Los Vegas As Time Goes By 45 (Columbia, 1966)
11.21 The Avant-Garde Naturally Stoned 45 (Columbia, 1968)
--------Ron Dante I'll Give You Things 45 (Columbia, 1966)
11.26 Ronnie Dio & the Prophets 10 days with Brenda 45 (Parkway, 1967)
11.29 Vigrass & Osbourne Queues LP (UNI, 1972)
12.02 Rene Halkett + David Jay Nothing 45 (4 AD, 1981)
12.06 Stoned Age Tower of Babel b/w God is Dead? 45 (Pax, 1972)
12.11 The Rotations The Cruncher b/w Heavies 45 (Original Sound, 1964)
12.14 John Ylvisaker Cool Livin' LP (Avant Garde, 1967)
12.18 Porno Sponges Going Places, Eating Things 12" (Mutha, 1986)
12.21 Harlow Wilcox & the Oakies Groovy Grubworm 45 (Plantation, 1969)
-------Custer & the Survivors Flapjacks 45 (Golden State, 1964)
12.24 Rinkydinks Hot Potato (Part 1) 45 (Enjoy, 1963)
-------Roosevelt Fountain & the Pens of Rhythm Red Pepper I 45
-------(Prince-Adams, 1962)
12.26 James Brown The Drunk 45 (Smash, 196?)
12.28 Reg Owens & His Orchestra Ritual Blues 45 (Pallette, 1959)
-------Tommy "Deanie Boy" Dean Skid Row 45 (Vee-Jay, 1955)
12.31 Googie Rene Combo Soul Zone '65 b/w Wild Bird 45 (Class, 1965)

2007

01.03 Fore Thoughts Four Folk Tunes of Pakistan EP
-------(The Gramophone Company of Pakistan Limited, 196?)
01.07 Liang Tsai-Ping & Louis Chen The Cheng: Two Masters Play the
-------Chinese Zither LP (Summit Musical Industries, 1980)
01.10 Uele Kalabubu et sa Tribu Sassa Boumbitumba 45 (AZ, 197?)
01.13 Graham Bond with Magick We Put Our Magick on You LP (Mercury, 1971)
01.16 Jack Ashford & the Sound of New Detroit Do the Choo-Choo Pt 1 45
--------(Blaze, 1975)
--------Black Ivory What Goes Around (Comes Around) 45 (Kwanza, 1974)
01.20 Sons of Nature Survival b/w Disillusion City - Town 45 (Juldane, 1974)
01.24 Moe Koffman Goes Electric LP (Jubilee, 1967)
01.30 Esteban Jordan y Pura Jalea Canto Al Pueblo LP (El Grito, 1978)
02.06 Space An Interesting Breakfast Conversation LP (Arch, 1984)
02.09 Teo Macero Explorations 10" (Debut,1953)
02.11 The Three D's Songs for L.D.S. Children LP (Continental, 196?)
02.13 Floyd Robinson Charlie the Hamster plays Gospel Music LP (Singcord, 1975)
02.16 The Topics Living Evidence LP (Topic, 1970)
02.19 Uge Mad Charles b/w Mad Charles Love Theme 45 (WGW, 1974)
02.22 Jerry Lee Lewis Southern Roots LP (Mercury, 1973)
02.26 Walter Steding Get Ready 7" (Red Star, 1979)
02.28 Splotch Have Another Tantrum LP (Menlo Park, 1996)
03.02 The Weight Music is the Message LP (Bertram International, 1970)
03.06 Lewis Furey The Humors of... LP (Aquarius, 1976)
03.09 Susan King Drum Rhythm b/w You Got Me in a Fix 45 (Turntable, 1966)
03.12 Willie Tomlin Stroke My Yoke b/w Check Me Baby 45 (Peacock, 1968)
03.15 The Mighty Knights Run and Tell That LP (Mainstream, 1974)
03.18 Jim Caldie, Jr. Shepherd LP (Artists in Christian Testimony, 1978)
03.23 Cosmic Brotherhood Sunshine World 45 (A&M, 1969)
03.26 Jo Ment & His Party Singers Tops for Dancing LP (Ariola, 1974)
03.29 Supernaut s/t LP (Polydor, 1976)
04.01 Charles Lloyd Warm Waters LP (Kapp, 1971)
04.05 Sarah Hershberg Women of the Old Testament LP (F.E.L. 1968)
04.08 Tulio Enrique Leon Justo...para su gusto LP (ISTMO, 196?)
04.11 The Five Blobs The Blob b/w Saturday Night in Tijuana 45 (Columbia, 1958)
04.12 Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Reads Cat's Cradle LP (Caedmon, 1973)
04.15 The Davis Sisters The Famous Davis Sisters LP (Savoy, 1962)
04.19 The Lady-Bugs How Do You Do It 45 (Chattahoochee, 1964)
04.21 Crawford Brothers Midnight Mover Groover b/w Midnight Happens 45
-------(Aladdin, 1957)
04.24 Bo Rhambo Combo Blue Mist b/w Diane 45 (Imperial, 1958)
04.27 Rene Bloch and His Big Latin Band Harlem Nocturne Cha Cha Cha 45
-------(Hi-Fi, 1959)
04.30 Ya'ssoo Doo Boo Doo Boo Za b/w Tsamico Horos 45 (Gorgona, 19???)
05.03 The Ben Ali Oriental Band Dance Band Group Dancing with... LP
-------(Ben Ali Oriental Dance Band, 196?)
05.06 The Pheifer Ashman Kickbush I Can't Turn It Off b/w Games 45
--------(Nico, 196??)
05.09 Jan Mink Oh, No! No! No! b/w Come On In 45 (Verve, 1966)
05.12 The Prodigal Sons Such a Beautiful Thing b/w Little Girl from
--------Puerto Rico 45 (Zeus, 196?)
05.15 "Taedo Record Co. STLK-7111" LP (Taedo, 1970)
05.21 Sam Saltar Still Trusting Jesus LP (Glory, 197? )
05.25 Jon Thomas Hard Head Pt 1 & 2 45 (Mercury, 1957)
05.28 Silent Partner Radio Activity EP (Silent Partner, 1981)
05.31 Brian Protheroe Pinball 45 (Chrysalis, 1974)
06.04 Robert Charlebois avec Louise Forestier s/t LP (Gamma, 1969)
06.08 Azuquita y Su Melao En Hollywood LP (E & G, 1973)
06.11 Anan s/t LP (Discos Fuentes, 1973)
06.14 Unknown Artist Where are You, Edna Kantor (Audiodisc, no date)
06.18 The Bethlehem Gospel Singers My Bible is Right LP (HSE, 1973)
06.21 Lumumba s/t LP (A&M, 1974)
06.23 Marashi Kathy Deanandpa Pt 1 & 2 acetate (Duodisc)
06.26 Leo Kottke Mudlark LP (Capitol, 1971)
06.30 David Lampson If We Only Have Love b/w Who 45 (Tower, 1970?)
07.02 Violeta Parra Santiago Penando Estas LP (Albatros, 1973)
07.05 Tamaki Sawa Casbah No Onna b/w Akai Yoru 7" (Nivico, 196?)
07.08 William Castle William Castle's Ghost Story LP (Peter Pan, 1972)
07.08 The Bach's Lunch You Go On (Tomorrow, 1967)
07.11 House of Love s/t LP (Creation, 1988)
07.14 Rema Rema Wheel in the Roses 12" (4 AD, 1980)
07.17 Mekanik Destruktiw Komandoh Berlin 12" (Sixth International, 1983)
07.21 Ornette Coleman Body Meta LP (Artist House, 1978)
07.24 High Speed & the Afflicted Man Get Stoned Ezy LP (Rock Toilet, 199?)
07.27 Ravi Shankar Transmigration Macabre LP (Spark, 1973)
07.31 Gautam Dasgupta Jaal LP (Super, 1987)
08.08 The San Lucas Band Music of Guatemala LP (ABC Command, 1975)
08.16 Jean Kassapian The Snake 45 (Kassap, 197?)
08.21 Hiroshi Watanabe's Star Dust Orchestra Mood in Japan 10" (Nivico, 1964)
09.01 Roland Bocquet La Marche des Canards 45 (Cobra, 1977)
09.05 Various Music from Hungary LP (Argo, 1971)
09.09 Thurston Knudson - Augie Goupil & Their Jungle Rhythmists
--------Tahitian Rhythms and Jungle Drums LP (Decca, 1956)
09.13 Ray Gunn & His Blasters Come On Let's Do the Twist LP (Parade, 195?)
09.18 Jerry & Mel Cannibal Stew 45 (Boss-Sound, 1961)
09.27 Horace Heller Hello World b/w Ed's Place 45 (Dollie, 1959)
09.30 Tommy Wills Night Train b/w Honky Tonk II 45 (Air Town, 1966)
10.02 The Shoestring Candy Andy b/w Shoop-De-Hoop-Twine 45
--------(20th Century Fox, 1968)
10.05 The Cajun Kings Share My Love b/w She Cried 45 (Valon, 196?)
10.09 The Impacts Now that You're Down 45 (Associated Artists, 1966?)
10.12 The Paris Sisters I Love How You Love Me 45 (Gregmark, 1961)
10.15 Four Coachmen Swamp Legend 45 (Stellar, 1962)
10.19 Raful Neal You Don't Love Me No More 45 (Whit, 1965)
10.26 Wini Brown Johnny with the Gentle Hands 45 (Jaro International, 1959)
11.01 Prince Patridge How Come My Dog Don't Bark 45 (Crest, 1955)
11.11 The Knight Beats Going To Town b/w Naughty Rooster 45
--------(Crystalette,1959)
11.15 Jeanette Williams Stuff b/w You Gotta Come Through 45 (Backbeat, 1969)
11.19 The Impossibles s/t LP (Metro, 1970?)
11.25 Los Chavoz s/t LP (Flama, 197?)
12.01 Felix Saucedo y Guitarras de Kike Subia El Diablico 45 (Artelec, 19??)
12.07 Buddy Knox I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself 45 (Roulette, 1958)
12.12 Merlin Bee & Lonnie Carr Am I Asking to Much b/w The Rockin Guys 45
-------(Razorback, 1963)
12.17 Chris Warfield You Won't Forget Me 45 (Liberty, 1957)
12.22 Dave Brubeck featuring Ragu Raga Theme for Ragu
--------b/w Do Not Fold Staple, Spindle or Mutilate 45 (Columbia, 1967)
12.25 Little West & the Group-ettes of Sacramento Glory Glory
--------b/w He'll Understand 45 (Gospel Corner, 1969)
12.29 The Triplets Bagdad Beat 45 (Dore, 1963)

2008

01.01 "Japanese Kids Record" 7" (Columbia, 1958)
01.04 The Sneed Family Big, Big Love b/w Is It Any Wonder 45 (Cascade, 1962)
01.08 Michigan State University Jazz Band Back on Track LP (MSU, 1981)
01.13 Allan I Need You So Bad 45 (Thimble, 1972)
01.30 Nebulous Stucco Thing Losin' It Big at Carnegie Hall cassette (NST, 1985)
02.09 Various L.A. Mantra cassette (Trance Port, 1983)
02.14 Jiang Moob Nkauj Luaq Ncaa cassette (self released, 200?)
02.21 St. John's Ringers s/t LP (United Sound, 197?)
02.25 Roger Craig Song of India 45 (Argo, 1961)
03.06 Deon Jackson You Said You Loved Me b/w
--------Love Makes the World Go Round 45 (Carla, 1965)
03.11 The Exports Car Hop 45 (King, 1964)
03.15 Barbara No. 2 LP (Phillips, 1965)
03.22 The World Column Lantern Gospel b/w Midnite Thoughts 45 (Atco, 1968)
03.26 Keith Everett The Chant b/w Light Bulb 45 (Mercury, 1966)
03.30 Zeki Muren (Rumba) b/w Gecti Muhabbet Demi 45 (Grafson, 195?)

*Please do not ask me to send you the MP3 of the above. I don't have them. If I get an urge to repost one of them, I will. I don't have the time to record any of this stuff for you and none of it is for sale. There is no secret source for these records, you just gotta dig.

(Rhumba)

2008-03-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

Zeki Muren (Rhumba) b/w Gecti Muhabbet Demi 45 (Grafson, 195?)

Now for something really special. Today you get two cuts off of a rare single by Turkish musical legend Zeki Muren. Zeki's first record was released in 1950 and from then on he was known as the "Sun" or Turkish music, recording over 100 albums and winning artist of the year for decades. He was a published and noted poet and acted in over 18 movies. When he died in 1996, all of Turkey went into mourning. In 2000, his house was turned into a museum. From it's opening until 2006, it has been visited by 200 million people. Listen to these two songs and you will hear why people flipped over him. He has a great pop sense and a wonderful voice. Listen a but more carefully and you will note that the enunciation is so clear, so deliberate that it takes on a dramatic and even flamboyant tone.

And flamboyant is the right word, for though he never came out it is widely thought that Zeki Muren was gay. Now, this is just a bit of gossip if not for the fact that Zeki's flamboyance was extremely socially significant in Turkey. From pretty boy to pretty man, Zeki played a role in Turkey similar to that of Liberace in America, that of the unacknowledged but nudge-nudge-wink-wink Gay man who though his public flamboyance created an umbrella of sorts for others to be themselves, while softening public attitudes toward homosexuality. If men such as Zeki Muren weren't civil rights crusaders they certainly were uber-individualist with even more uber balls. Realize that and such music becomes a little less of a curiosity and a bit more of social artifact. Better that it is musically so damn good.

The Chant

2008-03-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Keith Everett The Chant b/w Light Bulb 45 (Mercury, 1966)

Ahhhh what can you say about a pop song in which the subject matter is a runaway slave and the vocal hook is a "chant" sung by the slaves and the people hunting them down! What a way to say we are all in this together! "The Chant" is not Keith Everett's (real name: Keith Gravenhorst) first foray into political pop. Before this single he did a pleasant Seekers style pop song condemning Conscientious Objectors (which you can find on the great Garage Hangover). Like Everett's pro-war song, The Chant is backed by a great pop number, in the case, the peppy Light Bulb. This single comes out of the Dunwich stable.

Lantern Gospel

2008-03-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

The World Column Lantern Gospel b/w Midnite Thoughts 45 (Atco, 1968)

Crud Crud fans, do not worry, I am not winding down the blog, nor am I running out of energy or, gasp!, records! No, there are plenty of records around here. In fact, if a month goes by and you don't see a post up here, you might as well call the Sacramento City Fire Department and have them make sure I haven't been crushed under a stack of records! I've just been super super busy writing other stuff, putting out records, living life. It's been difficult to squeak out some time to do this. Anyway, tonight you get a new one.

Here is a great little psych tune and a pretty good but totally average quasi-R&B groover. And the reason the psych tune is great and the groover is just average is the same. Chances are that The World Column had no interest in either music and were just fishing for a hit. Of course, as far as exploitation/cash in records go, psych is one of the most fruitful genres. From total studio rip offs like The Animated Egg to pop bands trying to find some kind of angle, psychsploitation turns out the nuttiest and often most psychedelic psych songs. Aside from the lyrics, "Lantern Gospel" isn't nutty and it isn't out there. Instead it finds a basic groove and piles on psych cliche after cliche: Eastern guitar, dreamy group vocals, Doors-esque organ, and, the topper, a snakey horn solo.

Unfortunately, R&B doesn't work well for exploitation's sake. Sure there are a handful of cool funksploitation singles, but, for the most part, when non-R&B groups/hacks try to get some soul, it comes off as lackluster. And that is because there is no soul there. It is just guys going through the motions. "Midnite Thoughts" is one such song. It bounces and the singer yells "Woah" and "Alright!" but there is no real energy. Believe it or not, it was also the intended A side.

This is one of two singles that Chicago's The World Column recorded, the other on the Tower label, a good hint that these guys were studio heads. A Dunwich production, which is always a reason to take a chance....

No. 2

2008-03-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

Barbara No. 2 LP (Phillips, 1965)

Born Monique Serf, Barbara is one of France's legendary singers. Only ten years old when the Nazis invaded Paris, her family (of Jewish ethnicity) was forced to go into hiding. As if dodging Germans wasn't bad enough, she also spent her childhood being molested by her father. As a teen she ran away to Belgium and fell in with artists and musicians, where she was to hone her craft. A tall woman, she dressed in black robes and sung songs of loss. At first she was panned by critics as being stiff and not a whole hell a lot of fun, she kept on. Her persistence resulted in some remarkable recordings, a lifelong friendship with Jacques Brel, and, ultimately, being held up as a French music icon.

I found this record in a thrift store in the US for one dollar bill. Brought it home and was floored by the first song, "Le Mal de Vivre," considered a classic. You don't even have to know that the song's title translates to "Life is Pain" in order to pick up that she's not having a good time. No matter the song is so great it makes me want to break up with someone so I can have an excuse to listen to it all day. I don't think Barbara did a better song, but I am gonna leave you a few, just because they are good, too.

Car Hop

2008-03-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Exports Car Hop 45 (King, 1964)

Year nineteen hundred and sixty-four was a good one for the garage instrumental, pretty much the primo rock & roll sound between rockabilly and the garage explosion. Of course, if you believe the standard rock & roll histories than you probably think that there was nothing worth noting between Elvis and the Beatles. Bah! The notion that rock & roll was pretty much dead prior to the British Invasion is a load of crap, the same kinda of Limey bullshit that screeds punk rock was invented by the Brits. Double bah! Believe you me, they are still smarting over the ass kicking they received in 1812. Yo Island Monkeys! The yanks handed you yer testies nearly 200 years ago, get the fuck over it! It is way past time to correct the history of rock & roll and that true history goes something like: White hicks + Black city slickers + White hipsters + Black hicks = rock & roll ----> raw ass rockabilly and sizzling early R&B which were both pretty much rock & roll but with idiotic racial tags + grunt inducing guitar instro hogs like Link Wray, Duane Eddy, Chet Atkins, Frankie Virtue, and others ----> teen instro AKA surf/hot rod/water ski/motorbike/snow ski/slot car rockery (meanwhile in the UK Cliff Richard and thousands of skifflers = crap) ----> teen garage punk augmented (not started) by the British Explosion ----> psychedelia ----> Velvet Underground ----> The Psychedelic Stooges AKA The Stooges = punk rock (though it could have started with Link Wray, couldn't of it?). Does this matter? You bet your sweet ass it matters! Eight fucking years of Bush damage and we 'mericans want - nay NEED to assert something other than that we gots a moron world destroyer for Leader, so rock & roll it is.

And here you have a 1964 single by The Exports, a band I know nothing about. You get the A side, a cool compact D. Eddy inspired romp. No B, because it is merely mere.

You Said You Loved Me

2008-03-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

Deon Jackson You Said You Loved Me b/w Love Makes the World Go Round 45 (Carla, 1965)

Sorry for the lag in posts, though I don't know why I should be sorry, I mean you are paying me to do this and I was down with that goddamn flu bug, or one of those goddamn flu bugs. I'm not sure which one it was, maybe Siamese Pig Virus No. 9. Who the hell knows nowadays?

So this post is brief: Here you get two soul classics by Michigan singer Deon Jackson. "You Said You Loved Me" was Jackson first hit, a minor one, but pretty sweet stuff. He had a minor hit in 1966, followed by the 1967 classic "Ooh Baby." And then like many a soul singer he faded into obscurity.

Song of India

2008-02-25T21:54:00.000-08:00

Roger Craig Song of India 45 (Argo, 1961)

Two virtues of exotica are its geographical and musicological ignorance. Free of the knowledge of world and its music, exotica artists can pretty much make things as they go along. If Martin Denny wants to evoke the sounds of Hawaii and the South Pacific by interjecting monkey sounds, fine. If Korla Pandit choses to pass his hypnotizing organ music as something out of the Punjab, great. If Yma Sumac feels a need to sell her not-so-easy listening music as ancient Inca music, fantastic. Roger Craig and the Riley Hampton Orchestra also get a pass for trying to sell their odd mix of faux-Oriental music with "Hawaiian" percussion as a "Song of India."

While I know that this Roger Craig is not the legendary San Francisco 49er, his story is a mystery. His backing band, the Riley Hampton's Orchestra, was the Argo Records house band. They backed artists like Etta James, Jerry Butler, and Von Freeman. Did they ever turn out a record by their lonesome? Don't know. But Riley Hampton did do a version of Barbara Lewis's "Hello Stranger."

St. John's Ringers

2008-02-21T18:41:00.000-08:00

St. John's Ringers s/t LP (United Sound, 197?)

Welcome to the world of handbell ringing! Until I found this record, I had no idea such a thing existed...or at least if I did, that knowledge was buried under a bunch of useless bullshit. In researching this record, I found that the handbell scene is very large. My first hit was that there is not just one group called St. John's Ringers, but at least ten! That means that there are just as many St. John's Ringers in the handbell ringing world as there are The Fugitives who made garage 45s in the Sixties. Think about that for a second.

The reason why there are so many St. John's Ringers has everything to do with the history of the music. While there is no record when the first bell was invented, it is known that the Ancient Hebrews used them in worship. While Celts also used them in worship, the first official Christian use was in the 600s, when Paulinus, the Archbishop of York, hung them in his church and used them to mark the time of worship. In the Dark Ages, people kept bells at home to ring away bad spirits and, from time to time, they would get together and ring bells to scare away really big bad boogiemen. It was also during the Dark Ages, that bells started to be used inside the church during mass. Until the organ took over, bells, along with vocals, were the main instrument used in Christian ceremony.

Bell ringing was revived in the 1700s, but this time its practitioners were mostly outside the church. Bell ringers found that they could adapt chamber music, Christmas carols, and popular tunes to their handbells. In England, bell ringing groups popped up everywhere and by the mid 1800s bell ringing competitions were popular. The genre thrived until the 1920s, when it, once again waned in popularity. But bell ringing didn't die. Many Anglican and Presbyterian churches kept the tradition alive, mostly by shepherding adolescent bell ringing groups.

St. John's Ringers is one of those groups. Formed by Richard Coulter at St. John's Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, California, the St. John's Ringers did three European tours, a trip to Hawaii and one record. Their self-titled debut was made in the 1970s and contains Christmas carols and compositions made for or adapted to handbells. The Christmas carols are what you would expect: Christmas carols. However, some of the compositions are pretty damn great. Here are two.

Donal Allured's "Introduction and Allegro" was composed in the 1970s for handbells. "Danse Rituel de Fue" was composed by Manuel de Falla in the early 1900s and adapted to bells.

Moob Nkauj Luaq Ncaa

2008-02-14T21:58:00.000-08:00

Jiang Moob Nkauj Luaq Ncaa cassette (self released, 200?)

Here is some music that has a story but what that story is we'll have to wonder for now. My friend the Flower Vato Larry Rodriguez dug this tape up at a local flea market. At a table was an old Hmong man selling tapes of his music. Curious, Larry bought a couple, took them home and was blown away. Out of his speakers poured some strange Asian blues, music worthy of a Sublime Frequencies release. I don't know anything about the artist, other than Larry tracked him down and got a few more tapes, and that he doesn't speak much English. I think it is a good guess that the artist came to the US with the wave of refugees from the US War on Southeast Asia. That he settled in Sacramento isn't chance as there is a very large Hmong population here. From the address on the tape, I also know that he lives in one of Sacramento's worst neighborhoods. Does being a refugee living in a violent suburb inform the music's emotion? Don't know, but I do know that this is probably the first time you've heard this one.

L. A. Mantra

2008-02-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

Various L.A. Mantra cassette (Trance Port, 1983)

Though described in several online entries as the first of Trance Port's trance cassettes, this pup is less a trance release and more of an overview of Los Angeles' non-punk music underground. The only artist on L.A. Mantra that is even close to being a household name (but only if you live in a very hep house) is Savage Republic. Music freaks might recognize the name of Savage Republic side project The Tunneltones, the John & Dix Denney (of the Weirdos) experimental venture If-Then-Else, or A Produce, the founder of Trance Port, member of Afterimage, and a pioneer in the L.A. trance music scene. And then there are true obscurities such as Rich Evac (of Afterimage and Psi Com), Fat & Fucked Up, and Debt of Nature.

You've read enough of my babbling on the cassette underground. I am sure you know that something exciting was happening in the Los Angeles underground from 1975 to about the time this cassette was released. And I am too fucked for time and energy to search out more information on the artists represented on this cassette. I will, however, leave you with a handful of songs.

Losin' It Big at Carnegie Hall

2008-01-30T20:01:00.000-08:00

Nebulous Stucco Thing Losin' It Big at Carnegie Hall cassette (NST, 1985)

If you dig way back into the Crud Crud archives you will find my ramblings on the cassette underground. The cassette underground (CU), in case you do not know, was a grassroots music movement which was centered not around one genre but a format, the cassette tape. Because anyone with a cassette recorder could record anything onto a cassette and because all it took to duplicate a cassette was two cassette decks, the medium was the first in which both the making and manufacturing of music was democratic. The distribution of these cassettes was done through a network of zines and catalogs. Anyone with access to two cassette decks and a post office could do a tape label and many did. There are thousands of cassette releases from the 1970s and 1980s, many of them full of great music. Unfortunately, there has been little attempt to document this important movement, and by document I mean to take choice cuts or releases and put them to vinyl. A Nuggets or Killed By Death style series of the best songs from the CU or a single artist series of it's best releases needs to be done. Right now the only folks doing a good job documenting the CU are minimal synth enthusiasts such as the labels Enfant Terrible and Minimal Wave.

Today, you get a bit of Sacramento music and literary history and a small participant in the cassette underground. The Nebulous Stucco Thing were a group of poets, artists, and musicians who performed at art galleries, coffee houses, and a few bars. They were inspired by the Beat poets, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Charles Bukowski, and the Dial a Poem records and played to a mix of hippies, punks, artists, literary types, and freaks. They called an abandoned stucco factory their home (also the headquarters of legendary Sacto punk band Tales of Terror).

I saw the Stucco thing a couple times. The first was at croissant shop at which I was the baker. The place was one of three Sacramento establishments with an espresso machine, thus qualifying it to host poetry-jazz ensembles. The second time I saw them was at a party at the stucco factory, the only place in Sacramento full of bags of stucco and drunken punk rockers, thus perfect for a bunch of loud mouthed poets and music freaks. Both times I saw them I was blown away. Granted, it was the first time I saw anything like the Stucco Thing so I was taken aback by what I sensed as unique; but there were aspects of it that were good beyond the performance. The Stucco Thing contained some good musicians, good poetry voices, and one good singer.

The singer was also a poet and his name is Arthur Butler. As a poet on the page, Arthur was okay, but nothing special. However, in performance the guy was riveting. A tall, skinny, quiet Black guy with goatee and dark shades, he was hipster cool. His delivery was nonchalant, until he started singing and then the room melted, all eyes and ears were toward him. His song "Book of Fear" was a highlight of both the Stucco Thing set and his readings. Part hick, part urban tough guy, Gene Avery was another guy who had the hipster cool going, though Gene was a bit more cocky, a small town Gregory Corso. Here he does "I Wanna Car." He "published" one book of poems called "Hum 4 Cathy," which came in a box and included a cassette with more song/poems. He also played sax.

It is impossible to get a group of musicians to back a bunch of artists and poets with out letting them stretch out a bit, so the Stucco Thing had a few instrumentals. I chose to post "March 2," one of several Ayler inspired marches. And we end with stucco factory resident and longtime artist Steve Vanoni. A fixture in Sacramento's art scene and probably the soul or at least the grandfather of this town's underground art scene, Vanoni penned simple Bukowski-like poems. While his voice is more of a mumble and bark, the music that backed his pieces tended to be the best. Like Avery, Vanoni doubled on sax. There were a few other members of the Stucco Thing, poet BL Kennedy and musicians Harrison Thomas, Herb Krizer, and Charlie Aitkin.

These cuts were recorded on April 9, 1985 and releases as a cassette shortly after.

I Need You So Bad

2008-01-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

Allan I Need You So Bad 45 (Thimble, 1972)

This I know: Allan is French. The producer, Max Gazzola, is best known for his movie soundtracks and did some library music. This record was originally released in France in 1970. It did not chart in the US.

What I am guessing: Some smart ass and/or tin ear heard it while he/she was in France and thought, "The Kids will dig this" or "I hate my job, I hate my boss, I am about to be fired, fuck them, I'll put out this Allan single."

The sound: Another vocalist straight out of the "English as a second language/I really really dig Van Morrison" school of singology. Pay attention to the instrumental break because it sounds like the band is lost. I could have played the guitar solo. The drama is riveting. The flipside is an instrumental version!

I got this at my favorite record store. The owner got to know me as "The guy who buys bad records" after I blurted, "Wha-wha-what is THAT" as he ripped the needle off a Yaphet Kotto single with a "Wow! This is bad!" Well, one man's shit is another's shinola. When I asked him to put aside "bad" records for me, I was greeted with a box upon my return. One day I walked in the store and he got really excited. "I have the perfect record for you!" He put on Allan.

(Originally posted 6/15/05)

PS After listening to this classic a thousand or so times, I've discovered one more great thing about this record: The rhythm guitar. It is one of the mostly sickly guitars I've ever heard. It sounds like a box strung with rubber bands.

The Weekly Scrivener

2008-01-12T17:48:00.001-08:00

I used to write quite frequently on politics, but haven't for quite a while - well, other than cluttering up these posts with my half-baked ideas. I have decided to get back into scribbling about man's most deadly sport. The new blog is called The Weekly Scrivener. Check it out.

Back on Track

2008-01-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Michigan State University Jazz Band Back on Track LP (MSU, 1981)

In the world of record hunting nothing is as frustrating as trying to find good school band records. Doesn't matter if the bands are marching, orchestras, or jazz bands, chances are the record you plop down a dollar for is gonna suck. The hits are so few that you find yourself getting excited over mediocre versions of "Sunshine Superman" and that just isn't right. When you do find a good one, it is a record you hold onto, even though you have a hundred (or a thousand) records that are infinitely better. This Michigan State University Jazz Band album is one of the better school band records I've come across.

As with many a school band, the MSU Jazz Band of 1981 has won several awards at various college jazz festivals. Probably because of the success they (or their band director) decided to lay down some of their best songs. They go into a studio, or, as often is the case, have someone in the school's audio engineering department record them. If the record cover artwork isn't picked out of some stock book a pressing plant hands the music department secretary, than the task gets handed to a graphic arts instructor, who then pawns it off on the star student, who comes up with something deep. A car racing down the grooves of a record isn't exactly profound, so my money is that the jacket came out of a stock book.

After the best tracks are chosen and sleeve designed finalized, off the music and art goes to the pressing plant and after the miracle of science is inflicted upon sound and plastic, a stack of records is delivered to the music department. The students get a cut, hand them out to friends, relatives, and lovers. The friends say they listened to it, when they didn't. The lovers listen to it once, usually in the presence of their musician squeeze...then they file it away. Mom and dad listen to it often and every time kid musician visits home. Eventually all copies wind up in thrift stores and in charity rummage sales, where some rabid vinyl freak picks it up with a not quite so Obama sized flicker of hope that this one is good.

I got my copy of "Back on Track" at a public radio record sale a couple years ago, threw it in a box and there it sat until last weekend when I had enough of the piles of records crowding me and decided to do a purge. Like all, vinyl obsessives, I must make sure I am not getting rid of a gem, so those unlistened to get a quick needle drop before they are sent of to where records go to die (or sold to some sucker on ebay). I hit the grooves of MSU 1981's pride & joy and found well played but pedestrian music director penned bebop and jazz band standards. Among the blah were two standouts - both of them raw and funky - "Tholian Web" and "No Jive".

"Tholian Web" starts off funky enough, a though somewhat stiff drum beat and a blistering trombone section heads the song. There is a striped down drums & horn bit, which then cruises into more group play, guitar comes in and all is cool. But where this thing really takes off is when tenor sax man Don Fabian (now of The Meadow School of Arts at Southern Methodist University). Fabian blazes in like some junior Maceo Parker. It is a very nice solo. The song winds down and then blasts to an end. "No Jive" starts with the odd drummer and Fabian nearly rephrasing his Tholian solo and one it goes.

As stated above, those who are hooked on the hunt for good school band records have warped perspectives regarding what is good and what is really, for reals good. Hopefully this is the later.

Big, Big Love

2008-01-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

The Sneed Family Big, Big Love b/w Is It Any Wonder 45 (Cascade, 1962)

A rather obscure footnote in the history of Country music belongs to the Sneed Family. In 1952, up there in Spanaway, Washington, Don Sneed corralled his three sons (ages 9 to 11), shoved them into show biz cowboy outfits and started a band with them. After a few years doing local TV shows and playing in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia, they headed south to California and Nevada, gigging at various West Coast venues and casinos. When he was 13, future Buckaroo (as in Buck Owens and the....) Ronnie Allen joined the band. I believe he left before this record was cut. One of three Sneed Family releases, this fine specimen came out in 1962, well into the Sneed boys teenage years. By that time, the "family" had grown to include one more guitarist and a female vocalist. The two songs here are covers - "Big, Big Love" written by the great Wynn Steward and "Is It Any Wonder" penned by Lonnie Coleman, the man responsible or the classic "Rock Island Blues". While this record isn't strange or even rare, I chose to feature it because I just found it in a box of crap, in a closet I was cleaning out, and was taken by the tight playing and sweet guitar. That and it is good music for a blustery day like today.

Japanese Kids Record

2008-01-01T23:53:00.000-08:00

"Japanese Kids Record" 7" (Columbia, 1958)

Let us ring in 2008 with a little bit of a record which pretty much typifies this block. And what makes this a Crud Crud standard? Well, I picked this up because it was a kid's record, in Japanese, a language I do not know, which means I had no idea what was on it other than what the cover suggested. Other factors which make this one belong here: It has been aged well, it is a bit strange to ears not seasoned for these sounds, and it cost me all of one dollar. Those, my friends, are things that make the typical Crud Crud record. Please enjoy and have a happy new year!