A Million Miles Away

Dark was the night,

2009-03-01T09:56:00.001-06:00

cold was the ground

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It's time to end A Million Miles Away. It's been four years and I'm running out things that I want to write about. Here's something I probably should have posted a long time ago.

Seeya!

I looked around,

2009-02-28T23:12:00.000-06:00

the scene was changing

Do it again

2009-02-28T08:55:00.001-06:00

I don't trust this tape recorder.

The way you been acting

2009-02-27T12:05:00.000-06:00

is such a drag.

Between here and there

2009-02-26T21:02:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, my wife made borscht (pretty good too). And I played BORSCHT by Eleventh Dream Day.

Chicago's WXRT broadcast a whole Eleventh Dream Day show from Lounge Ax. Atlantic Records pulled 7 songs from the broadcast to release on a promotional record called BORSCHT. It was a companion release to the BEET album.

The best song on the record is the furious "Bagdad's Last Ride" This is the one to get if you are only going to download one song. "Go" and "Testify" are pretty good, too.

There are also a couple of songs from EDD's previous LP on Amoeba Records. "Go" was originally on an EP called WAYNE and re-recorded for BEET. There's a studio version of "Between Here & There" from BEET as well. It was a promo record, after all.

If you don't already have a copy of BEET, go find one. It's a terrific LP. Check the used bins. The thing to remember about Eleventh Dream Day is you need to listen to them very loudly and over speakers. They don't sound as good on headphones, these guitars need space.

Sad news

2009-02-25T19:21:00.002-06:00

R.I.P. Randy Bewley of Pylon. What a band they were, what a great guitar player.

More here.

Hell hell hell. This one really hurts.

He drives a black Cadillac,

2009-02-24T20:19:00.001-06:00

whips and furs in the back

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There has been a couple requests for reposts of the songs that the Feelies covered.

Here they are.

One of these mornings, it won't be very long

2009-02-22T08:34:00.000-06:00

gonna look for me, I'll be gone.

When it comes my time

2009-02-20T12:11:00.002-06:00

How many times have you heard someone say
If I had his money I would do things my way
But little they know
That it's so hard to find
One rich man in ten
With a satisfied mind.

Once I was wading in fortune and fame
Everything that I've dreamed for to get a start in life's game
But suddenly it happened
I lost every dime
But I'm richer by far
With a satisfied mind.

Money can't buy back your youth when you're old
Or a friend when you're lonely or a love that's grown cold
The wealthiest person
Is a pauper at times
Compared to the man
With a satisfied mind.

When life has ended and my time has run out
My friends and my loved ones, I'll leave there's no doubt
But there's one thing for certain
When it comes my time
I'll leave this old world
With a satisfied mind.

- Red Hayes and Jack Rhodes

If I could see into your heart

2009-02-19T19:06:00.000-06:00

then would I know just where to start?

Dubba dubba dub cha

2009-02-18T19:23:00.000-06:00

A few years after they stopped having hits, The Troggs were trying to record a a song called "Tranquility". It was not an accurate description of the session. The band isn't even sure how the song should start, Reg Presley hadn't even finished writing it yet.

Most of the discussion is between Reg Presley and drummer Ronnie Bond. Did they ever finish recording (or writing) the song. I've never heard it.

BTW: Reg Presley has been busy lately. He's become a recognized authority on crop circles.

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There was another request for some Method Actors. It's been acouple months so here it is again. Some record company really needs to make this available again.

Louie Bellson

2009-02-17T20:52:00.002-06:00

Go read the New York Times obituary for a surface look. I actually don't know a lot about this guy, but I love the record he did where the Louie Bellson Big Band backs up James Brown, Soul On Top.

Here's one track...a Hank Williams cover by a soul singer with a big band (led by a SMOKIN' drummer) backing him.

James Brown, "Your Cheating Heart"

He's a

2009-02-16T17:45:00.001-06:00

real gone guy

Gonna shout my troubles over

2009-02-15T08:47:00.001-06:00

I've done made it to the promised land

I've seen the beauty of the red, red rose

2009-02-14T06:41:00.001-06:00

seen the beauty when the sky is blue
seen the beauty of the evening sunset
but the beauty of you

It's a futuristic modern world

2009-02-13T08:40:00.000-06:00

but things aren't what they seem.

Doin' it again (part 3)

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A&M rereleased the Feelies 1980 debut album in 1990. They included a live version of "Paint It Black" recorded in 1990 as a bonus track.

The Feelies last LP came out in 1991. TIME FOR A WITNESS also had only one cover. This time it was The Stooges "Real Cool Time".

There are some cover songs floating around on various promo singles and comps.

A third Neil Young cover "Barstool Blues" was on the "Doin' It Again" promo 12" along with The Modern Lovers "Now I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms". Both of them were released on a 45 in France too. "White Light/White Heat" was the flip of the "Invitation" promo single. I've never heard The Feelies version of the song.

And that's all.

Doin' it again (part 2)

2009-02-11T18:59:00.001-06:00

In 1987, A&M Records started talking to The Feelies. While that was going on Coyote released an LP by Yung Wu, a Feelies alter-ego band (the difference is Dave Weckerman leads the band and sings). SHORE LEAVE had three cover songs - more than any other Feelies project. There was another Neil Young song - "Powderfinger" - and a great take on The Rolling Stones "Child Of The Moon". Best of all is the completely unexpected cover of Phil Manzanera "Big Day". That's Brain Eno singing lead.

ONLY LIFE was The Feelies first release on A&M. The album had Lou Reed's "What Goes On" and there were two more covers available as b-sides to the single. The "Higher Ground" single had a live versions of "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me & My Monkey" and Jonathon Richman & The Modern Lovers' "Egyptian Reggae" The "Away" 12" has a version of "Dancing Barefoot" that I like more Patti Smith's original.

Doin' it again

2009-02-10T16:26:00.000-06:00

The Feelies had great taste in music. The songs they covered make a solid mix CD. And here it is:

"Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me & My Monkey" was the Feelies second single. The song was a new wave song when the Beatles recorded it in 1968 so it was perfect for The Feelies.

After the first LP wasn't a hit, Stiff Records dropped the band and The Feelies went into a long layoff. Several Feelies started playing with a band called The Trypes who released a 4 song EP in 1984. George Harrison's "Love You To" is the second Beatles song to get covered.

The Feelies became a working band again, playing occasional shows and in 1986 they made an LP and an EP for Coyote Records. No cover songs on THE GOOD EARTH but the EP had Neil Young's "Sedan Delivery" and yet another Beatles cover, this time it was "She Said, She Said".

Also in 1986, The Feelies appeared in Something Wild, playing the band at the prom. The soundtrack did not include the band unfortunately. In addition to some originals, they played "I'm A Believer" & "Fame".

Stay tuned!

Blossom Dearie, 1926-2009

2009-02-09T00:39:00.004-06:00

Blossom Dearie, "Rhode Island Is Famous For You"

My favorite song by one of my favorite performers.
You may have known her best from the moody Schoolhouse Rock number "Figure Eight."
There's lots more out there. Look out for her collaboration with Bob Dorough, "I'm Hip", or her excellent, slow run through "Manhattan", or the marvelous "They Say It's Spring." That's just scratching the surface.

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Let me add one that I like a lot.

Too many people are leaving us...

- KS

One of these mornings

2009-02-08T07:51:00.001-06:00

it won't be very long

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Heads up! Check out some of Lux & Ivy's favorites over at WFMU.

My my my my my my my my heart is calling

2009-02-07T15:43:00.000-06:00

won't you stay with me?

Get out your magic decoder rings

2009-02-06T09:20:00.000-06:00

I know you have a wake planned for Lux Interior this weekend. You'll need some appropriate mood music so here's an hour long radio show that Lux did in July of '84. It's a shame that Lux wasn't a DJ on Little Steven's Underground Garage. How cool would it be to turn on a radio and hear Earl Hagan, Mad Mike & The Maniacs and Billy Strange all in a row?

Lux had to have been the coolest record collector ever. Find a copy of the Incredibly Strange Music Vol. One book to read a swell interview with Lux & Ivy.

You wanna talk about the real junk?

2009-02-04T19:22:00.001-06:00

Goodbye Lux Interior.

No room around here for a guitar man

2009-02-03T19:49:00.000-06:00

Here's another record that I knew nothing about when I got it. The major selling points were the cover and Felix Pappalardi producing the LP. Corky Laing and Dino Danelli played on the LP too.

Turns out that Rea had a long history before this record. He started out in the Canadian folk scene, playing on recordings by Judy Collins, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Gordon Lightfoot. Neil Young & Joni Mitchell talked Rea into giving songwriting a shot. Ian & Sylvia played Rea's songs (he played guitar for them too), Mountain who recorded three Rea songs including their biggest hit "Mississippi Queen".

So Pappalardi produced two Capitol LPs for David Rea - MAVERICK CHILD and BY THE GRACE OF GOD.

The one I've got is the second one. It's an excellent record. Several songs are from the same swamp as "Mississippi Queen". Rea had met Jerry Reed while working on Ian & Sylvia's NASHVILLE record. On this album he recorded a fine version of "Guitar Man" for GRACE OF GOD. Even better is the one song Rea did completely solo.

I really want to find a copy of the first LP, if only to hear a song called "Cannibal Christians.

Shortly after BY THE GRACE OF GOD was released, David Rea replaced Richard Thompson in Fairport Convention. That didn't work out and he left the band after a couple months. Rea is still playing and has been releasing new music on his own label.

Many years ago

2009-02-02T19:28:00.001-06:00

I was a simple man.

I saw the light come shining

2009-02-01T08:56:00.001-06:00

I saw the light come down

Oh baby look what you done for me

2009-01-31T17:31:00.001-06:00

Oh baby you set my heart free

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I had a request to repost the Rittenhouse Square EP.

So here it is.

Rittenhouse Square was a short lived band that featured Mitch Easter, Chris Stamey, Peter Holsapple and Bobby Locke. The band formed sometime in 1971, played a few shows, recorded some songs and then broke up in 1972.

Without the other members knowledge, Locke pressed up 100 copies of an EP containing 6 Rittenhouse Square songs on his R-Squared Records in 1972. The record was packaged in a paper sleeve. Peter Holsapple says the record is a “considered a collector’s item by people that have obviously never heard it”.

I think it’s pretty good. There are still rumors of a re-issue. I sure hope there is one, all I have are these mp3's I got a while back.

Can you point your finger?

2009-01-29T20:05:00.000-06:00

Can you prove your loyalty?

Birds sing out of tune

2009-01-28T18:53:00.003-06:00

Patty Duke's first record made it all the way to thetop ten in 1965. Could've been because of her TV show or because people thought it was Lesley Gore. The first time I heard it on the radio I thought it was a Lesley Gore record that I'd never heard. And I liked it enough to buy the LP when I found a used copy a short time later (as always it helped that the record was only a buck).

Then I played LP.

The second single sounded like Gore too but people must've been catching on because the record only made it to #22. Gore's records are much better.

A couple of other songs aren't too bad. Saved by the decent arrangements mostly, Duke's singing sure doesn't help the songs much. Worst of all are the cover songs when you can compare her voice to the original singers.

And I never did care much for her TV show either.

I know someone who knows someone

2009-01-26T19:34:00.001-06:00

who knows Alan McGee quite well

Now I see

2009-01-25T07:56:00.001-06:00

how dark my shadow's grown

And it's high time...

2009-01-24T20:42:00.001-06:00

About 2:30 this morning, I woke up from a strange dream. In the dream, I was trying to remember the name of a Pink Floyd song. I remembered all sorts of stuff related to the song - it was on the MORE soundtrack and also on the KQED Studios tape. Hawkwind recorded a version. So did The Royal Purple. The name ended in '-ine'. I kept thinking it was called Evangaline which fit but still wasn't right. Crystaline didn't work either.

I could not remember the name. This went on for a half hour. Everytime I started to fall asleep, I'd hear the chorus in my mind. So I'd start trying to get the whole name again.

Finally I gave up and got out of bed to find out what the name was so I could go back to sleep. "Cymbaline". Oddly enough, it's a song about a man having a nightmare.

By then, I was wide awake. It was 4:30 before I went back to bed and 5 before I fell asleep again.

And here's the Hawkind and Royal Purple versions too.

Sleep tight!

Everytime I call your name

2009-01-23T21:12:00.001-06:00

I get such a thrill I can't explain

"We can't sell that!"

2009-01-22T20:18:00.004-06:00

A long time ago, I worked at Cat's records in Chattanooga as the import record buyer. They gave me free rein - I could pretty much order whatever I thought would sell. Hillbilly compilations, Japanese pressings, Butthole Surfer videos, Throbbing Gristle & Rocky Horror box sets. As long as somebody would buy it, I could order it.

The boss even let me put Big Black's final LP and The Leaving Trains second album for SST out on the racks.

The whole time I was at Cat's there were only two things I was told not to put out for sale. GG Allin's YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME was the top of the banned list. The only other record on the list was Bad Trip's FLUSHES THE VAULTS 7".

How did a teenage garage band get on a list with GG Allin? By putting out a record with this (NSFW!) cover.

Since we couldn't display the record in the store, the copies were sold to employees only. We only got two or three in anyway. The record was Bad Trip's second and last record. It's a rocking little 7" with three Texas garage covers. It's not bad as long as you don't look at the cover.

I don't want nobody to give me nothing

2009-01-19T09:29:00.000-06:00

(open up the door I'll get it myself)

Joys

2009-01-18T08:45:00.001-06:00

The joy of man's desiring.

Or if you prefer - just Joy.

Lots of things, other things,

2009-01-17T15:57:00.001-06:00

too many things on my mind

You'll wish

2009-01-15T20:16:00.001-06:00

that you were dead

Heads up!

Thomas Function are playing a few shows this month:

Jan 16 - Huntsville, Alabama - The Tavern
Jan 17 - Mobile, Alabama - Alabama Music Box
Jan 18 - Montgomery, Alabama - Club 322
Jan 19 - Atlanta, Georgia - 529 Bar
Jan 20 - Asheville, North Carolina - The Admiral
Jan 21 - Charlottesville, Virginia - Old Star Music Hall
Jan 22 - Poughkeepsie, New York - Vassar College
Jan 23 - New York, New York - Other Music in-store
Jan 24 - New York, New York - The Cake Shop
Jan 25 - New York, New York - The Mercury Lounge
Jan 26 - Boston, Massachusetts - The Church
Jan 27 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - The Khyber
Jan 28 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Gooski's
Jan 29 - Bowling Green, Ohio - Grumpy Dave's
Jan 30 - Columbus, Ohio - Cafe Bourbon St.
Jan 31 - Athens, Ohio - The Union

No one ever heard the song again

2009-01-13T18:15:00.001-06:00

A while back I had a request to repost this:

Jennifer Warnes third LP is a lost classic. It didn't sell when it was first released and has not been available since 1973. JENNIFER was produced by John Cale who would start work on his own PARIS 1919 album right after finishing this one. Warnes is a great singer, Cale & Warnes chose some terrific songs, the playing is excellent. Cale wrote a song for the LP. He also used several of the musicians on both JENNIFER and PARIS 1919, listen to both LPs back to back sometime. If you've ever wished that Cale had made another record like PARIS 1919, you need to find a copy of JENNIFER.

Warnes cover choices are interesting. How many artists cover Procol Harum and Donovan, and Jackson Browne? Warnes is friends with (and worked as a backup singer for) Leonard Cohen in the early seventies but none of his songs are included on JENNIFER. Warnes made up for that when she recorded FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT.

JENNIFER has never been reissued. Several songs from JENNIFER are available on compilations. I have heard that Rhino is planning a deluxe reissue though. I hope that are a lot of outtakes.

No sleep

2009-01-12T09:09:00.001-06:00

night after night

How many different ways

2009-01-11T08:12:00.002-06:00

can you reach that city?

R.I.P. Claude Jeter.

She calls me up

2009-01-09T16:28:00.000-06:00

and I come over

Music is fun for everyone

2009-01-07T18:54:00.002-06:00

Hit Records was a Nashville based label that specialized in recording cover versions of hit records. The label would sell the singles (cheap – only 39 cents!) in drug and grocery stores through out the south.

Record collectors never pick up anything on the Hit Records label. The serious collector will sniff that "it's not the original artist" or "it's a bunch of Nashville session musicians". So what? BLONDE ON BLONDE was recorded with a bunch of Nashville session musicians and turned out well. OK, it probably wasn't these particular session musicians in the studio with Dylan.

Quality wasn't a high priority. The band didn't let a thing like not knowing the words to a song stop them from recording it. But the acts could be creative. I bet that the Count Five probably never even considered using a lonesome train whistle harmonica on "Psychotic Reaction". The Jalopy Five did.

That's why I'll usually get anything with the Hit name on it. Where else are you gonna hear a garage stomp through "Bernadette" sung by punkish singer with a voice that is almost the complete opposite of Levi Stubbs. Sometimes they turn out to be pretty good.

Sometimes the records really are good. The kind of records that serious collectors would drool over. If they hadn't been released on Hit Records.

Some of the performers that worked at Hit Records before going on to bigger things were Sandy Posey, Herbert Hunter, Latimore, Ray Stevens, Buzz Cason and Bobby Russell. As far as I know, Sammie Moore has never been confirmed to be Sam Moore from Sam & Dave.

Sad news.

2009-01-06T20:14:00.000-06:00

R.I.P. Ron Asheton.

Crap.

When the Lord gets ready

2009-01-04T08:08:00.001-06:00

You gotta move

It's where the dwarves lived

2009-01-03T09:51:00.004-06:00

Last night, we watched The Fellowship Of The Ring. And just like I do every time we watch that movie, I got out my copy of LEVEL 6 ½ by Khazad Doom.

If you couldn’t guess by the name of the Tolkien inspired names of the band and LP, Khazad Doom was a late psych/early prog band. Another clue is the 3 part suite spread across both sides of the LP. The band is compared to the Beatles and The Doors but I don’t hear either of those two bands. I do hear King Crimson on the lovely “Narcissus”, easily my favorite song on the LP. The also appear to have been Iron Butterfly fans.

Khazad Doom was from Morton Grove, Illinois. You can read more and see some pictures here. If you want to read even more, guitarist Jack Eadon wrote a book called Got To Make It about the band.

Bonus beats

2008-12-31T17:31:00.000-06:00

OK, here's one more thing from an early Eighties 12". This one holds up pretty well - still sounds damn good actually!

Happy new year!

Interrupting all programs

2008-12-30T19:11:00.001-06:00

This may have been the first 12" single that I bought. I don't remember buying any before this one anyway. I did have some promos that (Peter Gabriel, Dalek I) I got from a radio station but I'd never paid for one. I didn't see much sense in spending 3 bucks more for 5 extra inches of vinyl. Nobody had told me about alternate mixes so I figured that the 7" single was the same song as the 12".

I like the dub things on BLACK MARKET CLASH so when "Radio Clash" was released with three alternate mixes, I decided to pay the extra money. It helped that I never saw the 7" in any of the Chattanooga record stores that I went to in 1981.

Unfortunately, the remixes aren't that great. Not 20 minutes worth anyway. The length of both sides could have been cut in half. Which is what I would've gotten if I had bought the 7" version back then.

I just tell you

2008-12-28T08:52:00.001-06:00

that's all

Encores

2008-12-26T17:40:00.002-06:00

There's been a couple more rerun requests so here's the Method Actors yet again. Somebody really needs to release this stuff again.

Finally here's both songs from the Arms Akimbo 45.

Did you expect that I would believe

2008-12-23T19:12:00.001-06:00

the tale you told last Christmas Eve?

Only everything

2008-12-22T18:18:00.001-06:00

I can't give you more than what I've got
I can't expect to give what I have not
I can only give ya lovin' 'till the sun goes down
And until the leaves of summer turn to shades of brown
I try and I try
But baby you know that I
Can only give you everything

I can't argue with you to understand
Cause after all, I am just a man
You are on my mind
When stars appear and shadows fall
And when every little flower close
And no birds call
I try and I try
But baby you know that I
Can only give you everything

I can't argue with you to understand
'Cause after all, I am just a man
You are on my mind
When stars appear and shadows fall
And when every little flower close
And no birds call
I try and I try
But baby you know that I
Can only give you everything

Everything, baby
A little bit of this, a little bit of that
And everything.

- Coulter/Scott

Down here

2008-12-21T08:44:00.001-06:00

I've done my best

Sad news

2008-12-19T09:42:00.001-06:00

R.I.P. Sean Byrne of the Count Five.

Almost Christmas Time

2008-12-18T20:08:00.001-06:00

Here's this year's CD. I think this one is pretty good. I hope you agree - happy holidays!

Other news:
The Public Good sent notice that on December 26, they will be making their first Charlotte NC appearance since 1994. It should be a good show, they're opening for Mitch Easter. Wish I could be there.

In case you don't remember, The Public Good is 3 of the guys that were in long time faves the Popes.

Finally, something I probably should have mentioned a while back. There's yet another Thomas Function 7" out on Alive Records. Only 1000 pressed so you better hurry!

Hard and heavy

2008-12-17T20:02:00.003-06:00

As promised, here's Jim C's latest contribution. "Goin' Upstairs" is such a great song, thanks for letting me hear it again::

I was in school at East Texas State University in the fall of ‘81, and over Thanksgiving I was sitting around spinning records with my friend Dimitrius. He played upright bass and, like me, was learning his way through jazz, so he seemed a little baffled by the Elvis vinyl that I kept putting on the stereo. He asked me why I got so much sustenance from old rock ‘n’ roll when I was also into jazz, and I could only shrug and say stuff like “it’s all the same thing”, which I’m sure answered nothing, but I wasn’t sophisticated enough to come up with anything better. As the conversation rolled on, he said “Well, then you might know who my dad is”, and I said, “Why, who is he?”

His dad was Domingo Samudio, aka Sam “The Sham”, of Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs. Dimitrius had been raised by his mom, but stayed in contact with his dad, who had seen his share of adventure even leaving out the fact that he was a drop-dead cool rock ‘n’ roll star from the mid ‘60s. I was unaware of his post-Pharaohs output, and Dimitrius went to his place and brought back an album his dad had cut in 1970 for Atlantic records, called Hard And Heavy. It was produced by Atlantic’s great engineer/producer Tom Dowd, and the Dixie Flyers are the rhythm section, with Duane Allman, the Memphis Horns and the Sweet Inspirations all helping out as well. I was impressed. Cut at Criteria Sound in Miami, this was around the same time Dowd and Allman would have been working on Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs, and while this album shares some superficial characteristics with that album-rock classic, it also seems to come from another planet entirely, one where you wouldn’t be required to check your sense of humor at the door. There are several terrific blues covers here, and the obligatory-at-the-time Randy Newman cover (also first-rate), but the best songs are Sam’s four originals, which show off his Tex-Mex roots (and his wit) at least as well as his Pharaohs hits did. His liner notes on the back cover thank almost everyone he’d ever met and have a manic edge, like he must have known this was his last shot at the commercial big-time and he wanted to make it count. It worked, sort of; he won his only Grammy in 1972 -- for best liner notes!

When I asked Dimitrius what his dad was up to currently, he said he had been working on the soundtrack for a new Jack Nicholson movie that was coming out soon. That movie turned out to be The Border, a great film with one of Ry Cooder’s earlier soundtrack efforts, on which Samudio plays organ. Dixie Flyer Jim Dickinson resurfaces here too, playing piano throughout and even singing lead on one track, but the best tunes are the two Sam sings and the one Freddy Fender sings. This to me is Cooder’s best soundtrack ever.

I always hoped I’d get to meet Dimitrius’ dad, but every time he came to Commerce, Texas, it was when I happened to be out of town. I haven’t seen Demetrius in about a quarter of a century, so if you’re out there Dimitrius, hey man!

Song of the Cove Creek Dam

2008-12-15T18:49:00.002-06:00

Another request for a rerun:

“"He never did have worldly goods, because if they'd of had it, and seen someone else needed it, that's where it would have gone. He'd give a person the shirt on his back if they needed it worse that he did," said his daughter-in-law Anna Burnett, of Sharp's Chapel. Ruble Cleatus Burnett was 37 years old in 1935 when he wrote the "Song of the Cove Creek Dam." He had just purchased 50 acres of land, after having apparently rented it for some years, when the TVA land appraisers looked it over. He supported his wife and three children, his older brother, and mother in a three room house by the sale of chickens, eggs and a tobacco crop. His income in 1933 was $180, and his expenses on the farm just $30.75. He fed the family with two milk cows, two hogs, 50 chickens and 17 ducks, by TVA's count. The TVA interviewer also noted: "House is a small boxed one, and is equipped with very little furniture," indicating no car, radio, piano, phonograph, sewing machine, floor covering, or dining or living room furniture in the home. The interviewer considered Burnett "suspicious," and noted, "He said the T.V.A. was a bad thing for the people of this section," and, optimistically, "his conversation leeds altogether along the line that he believes the government will jip him But began to gather a different idea before I left him [sic]."

“"I believe what hurt him most was moving the graves," says Aundra Ditmore of Maryville, Burnett's daughter. He was hurt by the removal of his infant daughter, who died from meningitis, and his father's remains to a new cemetery, and he grieved for the families whom he felt would not be able to recover their loved ones in poorly marked or unmarked graves.

TVA may have left the graves underwater at the family's request.

“As it turned out, Burnett did not have to move his family's home. TVA leased a right of way from him, but did not force him to a new location. For a couple of years he owned a guitar, and, rarely, sang for friends and neighbors. His son, Milus, remembers hearing him sing the Cove Creek Dam song only three or four times, but learned a number of the verses himself.

“Norris Dam continued to affect his life. His daughter, Bonnie Sanford, remembered, "Someone asked Dad, 'what good are the C.C. boys?' He said, 'For son-in-laws.'" Both daughters married C.C.C. members from the nearby camp. He finally got electricity, around 1950, 14 years after the promise of it. He fished in Norris Lake occasionally, but more often scouted the banks for fishing tackle abandoned in the brush, which could be reused or resold.” -- http://www.state.tn.us/environment/tn_consv/archive/songs.htm

Since Dr. Kirkland was unable to locate Cleatus Burnett, the song was by a Knoxville high school student named Eugene Wallace.

------

Check back in a couple days. Up next is a great post from old pal Jim C. And there's more Christmas music after that.

He heard

2008-12-14T08:22:00.001-06:00

my cry

Sad news

2008-12-12T05:59:00.001-06:00

R.I.P. Bettie Page

Silent night rumble

2008-12-11T20:20:00.001-06:00

Christmas is almost here but I'm not in a holiday mood yet. Maybe some Christmas music will help. Here's a CD I made a few years ago. Happy Holidays! Hope you enjoy it and maybe I'll get festive soon.

Kisses and hugs

2008-12-09T20:23:00.000-06:00

If you like Half Japanese, you’ll like XXOO. And if you can't stand 1/2 Jap, you're not gonna like this either.

All four members of XXOO played in Half Japanese. For years, I though it was a Half Japanese record called XXOO. It didn't help that in 1990, Half Japanese DID release a 7" called XXOO. I've never seen that one.

XXOO appears to have been a project to highlight the romantic side of Half Japanese. There are no monster songs anyway. All three songs are love songs (sort of) and the band’s name is kisses and hugs.

The first song is a Jad Fair original. "That's What They Say" is a Buddy Holly cover. The third song was not listed on the record cover. I don’t know if it was a hidden bonus track or a last minute addition.

As far as I know, none of these songs have never been re-issued or available anywhere else.

I will meet you in the morning

2008-12-07T07:53:00.001-06:00

just inside the Eastern Gate

Something to celebrate

2008-12-05T06:39:00.001-06:00

Prohibition was repealed 75 years ago today. So belly up to your favorite bar and celebrate freedom! Cheers!

We sell soul

2008-12-03T18:38:00.002-06:00

Now listen baby

If you're ever feeling down
If you're ever feeling low
You know who to call on
you know where to go

You know baby
you can come to us
That's right baby
you can come to us

cause we sell soul
yeah we sell soul

Now listen baby

gonna make you scream
gonna make you scream

are you ready?

Do you feel it?
Does it make you feel alright?

You make me feel so good

Do you feel it?

- Roky Erickson

The way you do the shingaling

2008-12-01T19:02:00.001-06:00

and you shake that thing

Put it in first gear

2008-11-30T08:48:00.001-06:00

and go on up the hill

Return of The Masqueraders

2008-11-29T18:21:00.004-06:00

There was another request to repost Jim C's Masqueraders story. This is the third time which ties the Masqueraders with Art In The Dark and The Method Actors as our most requested posts.

Here it is again:
My friend Jim Cavender made me a CD of a band called the Masqueraders. I think it's great and was going to write something up about the band. I asked Jim about the band and realized that he should write something instead. So here's something from our first guest blogger. Here's Jim, who is welcome to post anytime he wants to:

I first discovered the Masqueraders in 1979. I was 17, and my mom had remarried, so we'd moved in with the stepfamily. Their attic was full of the usual stuff, including a shelf of 45s, many of which had already melted from the annual oppressive summer heat. Among the survivors was one with a red and black AGP label, "I'm Just An Average Guy"/"I Ain't Gonna Stop" by the Masqueraders, whom I'd never heard of, but since the fine print said it was produced by Tommy Cogbill, who I knew to be the bassist on Elvis's '69 Memphis sessions, I figured it'd be worth a listen (I have no idea who'd bought that 45 in the first place, or why; my stepsisters were far too young and musically uninclined to be interested in an obscure soul group, and my stepfather had no interest in music at all). One listen and I knew I'd hit the jackpot. Their harmony was tight, assertive and richly textured, as if everyone in the group could be an outstanding lead singer. The actual lead vocalist had an explosive presence, like the Four Tops' Levi Stubbs, but with southern flavor. The A-side was a deep soul ballad that gave the lead singer plenty of room to testify, and the flip was a hip dance number with a streamlined groove that showed off those tight harmonies. I loved it, and it soon found a place on a compilation cassette that I played in my car so often my friends probably still have it memorized.

Flash forward to 1990, and my wife and I were making a weekend ritual of hitting an open-air flea market in a huge parking lot near our apartment. I came across a bunch of 45s melting in the hot sun, and bought the whole box just to rescue all that precious vinyl, much of which perished anyway. One of the more resilient pieces had a blue and silver Bell label, "I Ain't Got To Love Nobody Else"/"I Got It" by The Masqueraders. I'd loved my earlier discovery, but figured it was a one-shot by a group that missed the brass ring and never got a second chance, yet here they were again. The A-side is probably my favorite southern soul side ever. Their harmony sounds like commitment -- to the song, and to each other, like they'll be singing together as long as they live. The B-side is another dance number, this time distinguished by an odd arrangement that really shows off the American Sound rhythm section. So now I'm hooked: who are these guys (and what an appropriate name for such men of mystery)?

Once we got a decent Mac and the internet became all-pervasive, I started occasionally looking for clues. Several years ago, both of my previous finds surfaced on a comp CD called Lifestyles Of The Slow & Low, aimed at fans of low rider soul. A soul fan in Israel posted RealAudio renderings of some of their other sides, and provided some impressive biographical detail. And then, while searching amazon.co.uk (the British version has lots of stuff amazon.com won't list), I found a Masqueraders comp called Unmasked. The good news was that it had a lot of great stuff on it; the bad news was that some of it was mastered horribly, and my scratchy 45s and those midrangy RealAudio renderings actually sound better than some of those CD tracks.

Besides those earlier discoveries, I particularly like "I Don't Want Nobody To Lead Me On", "Poor Boy's Dream", the Bacharach-ish waltz (!) "Tell Me You Love Me" and especially "This Heart Is Haunted" (originally credited to Lee Jones & The Sounds Of Soul, and issued on Bell's Amy subsidiary), but really, these guys could do no wrong. They don't sound as rustic as, say, Otis Redding, but they're every bit as soulful. In the same way that Elvis sounded southern but never sounded like a country singer, these guys sound southern, yet urban, with a delivery as polished as their Detroit and Philly counterparts and a passion as pronounced as Otis, Wilson Pickett and all the rest. They were also fantastic songwriters who steered clear of stock musical underpinnings, which means their stuff still sounds amazingly fresh today. Until recently, they actually had a website, and it showed photos of recent gigs they'd played in Memphis (even though some of them live in Memphis and others in Dallas, which means they go to a lot of trouble to keep performing together -- again, commitment). How they never hit with crossover success is still a mystery, but at least now we get to listen to these sides without any of those annoying associations with Big Chill soundtracks and saturation airplay on goodtime oldies stations. Enjoy.

You know I know

2008-11-26T18:23:00.001-06:00

you know I was a fool for you

This is a song about Alice

2008-11-24T17:45:00.001-06:00

Just in time for Thanksgiving, here’s Arlo Guthrie with a couple variations on “Alice’s Restaurant”.

The first is a version recorded live on a WBAI radio show in February 1967. This take rambles on a bit more than the version recorded for his debut LP in July 1967. The tightening up that happened in those few months helped a lot. The playing is good though and it’s nice to hear a different take on a classic. Sorry about the sudden cut off at the end, I guess the tape ran out.

The second variation is a quite a different story. The music is pretty much the same but the story is more of a sequel – this song is not about Alice or the restaurant even though the story does start out there and then the chorus comes around again at the end. This one was also recorded for the Bob Fass show on WBAI, this time in May 1967. I do like the piano.

Before this time another year

2008-11-23T08:24:00.001-06:00

I may be gone

Free dirt

2008-11-22T16:41:00.001-06:00

Woo-hoo!

Died Dretty's FREE DIRT - one of the best albums of the eighties - is about to get the deluxe re-issue treatment. Six bonus tracks! I listened to FREE DIRT as much as I listened to anything else in 1987. I still listen to it regularly.

As extra incentive, there's going to be a second disc of the band's early singles - previously collected on the PRE-DEITY compilation are going to be included on a second disc with six live songs.

Now if only some label could talk Husker Du into putting their business disputes behind them and re-releasing their catalog. C'mon guys - put that stuff behind you. At least put together a disc of singles and rarities.

Ready or not here we come

2008-11-21T06:53:00.001-06:00

Gettin' down on the one which we believe in

I am the magnificent!

2008-11-19T19:03:00.001-06:00

The first time I played "Double Barrel", I thought it was the dub side of the record. Nope. It's not. It's not even a dub version - that's the actual vocal recorded for the record. Here's a video:

I had never heard this record before I found it in a stack of singles at a flea market. It was a surprise when I played it because I really wasn't expecting to find a ska 45 at a flea market in Athens, Alabama. Later on I found out that "Double Barrel" was a top twenty hit in 1971. When I found a copy of the LP, I was pleasantly surprised to find that other songs on the LP sound like an island version of the Hi Rhythm Section or Booker T. & The MGs. Maybe it's not so surprising to find a ska record in North Alabama.

Dave and Ansell Collins weren't brothers. Dave's real surname is Barker, he had previously sung for the Techniques and worked with Lee "Scratch" Perry, recording a solo LP and performing on some Wailers tracks. He's a pretty good singer. Ansell Collins played keyboards in many bands including backing Sugar Minott & Jimmy Cliff.

This record was also the recording debut of Sly Dunbar, the drum playing half of Sly & Robbie.

To be alone is to be free

2008-11-18T20:01:00.001-06:00

for a time

There is no evil

2008-11-16T08:21:00.002-06:00

ever been done

Ride with me on my last trip

2008-11-14T09:10:00.000-06:00

sail with me on my death ship

Stereo from outer space

2008-11-12T19:30:00.000-06:00

More science! This time it's a recording of the first stereo transmission to be beamed from a satellite. We have to take them at their word about the transmission part, there's no audible evidence that these sounds were sent 12,000 miles through space, it's all mid-sixties lounge music. The narration explains the whole process if you are interested.

Dulce et Decorum Est

2008-11-11T07:30:00.001-06:00

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! -- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . .
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under I green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, --
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

- Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)

She says it's essential to be existential

2008-11-10T18:27:00.000-06:00

when she's out with a boy like me

He turned the water

2008-11-09T08:38:00.001-06:00

into wine

Belly of the beast

2008-11-08T17:44:00.000-06:00

There's a snazzy new yellow vinyl Thomas Function single out now on Fat Possum Records. The band is recording a new LP some time in the next few months.

I know you're mine, all right

2008-11-07T20:20:00.000-06:00

so come to me

(The Royal Purple have a new CD out. Get one from here)

Earthquakes for home use

2008-11-05T18:52:00.005-06:00

Back in 1952, somebody at Cook Laboratories decided to release an LP of recordings of earthquakes. Not the sounds of collapsing buildings and screaming people but the sound of tectonic plates sliding along fault lines. Since the earth doesn't move very often, the recordings are sped up to 750 times the normal speed so that a day's worth of earthquakes and aftershocks can fit on one side of an LP.

I like the notes from the back of the record:

It is understood as a condition of sale that Cook Laboratories, Inc. will in no way be responsible for damage this phonograph record may cause to equipment directly or indirectly. For users with wide-range woofers, this disclaimer shall be construed to include neighbors as well as dishware and pottery

Cook Laboratories, Inc will not permit the return of any record for the reason of skipping grooves , or of any record on which there is evidence of needles having skipped grooves whatever the reason given for return

The record will play on most good equipment without becoming damaged in any way, and failure to track is the fault of the playback equipment. Skipping is intentional and indigenous to the nature of this subject matter.

It's true - the needle will not stay in the groove on several bands of this record.

Side two of the record is recordings of electrical discharges in the upper atmosphere.

Why was the record made? Emory Cook - the guy that released the record - specialized in high-end audiophile recordings of just about anything he liked. Cook recorded steam trains, jet planes, steel drum bands and bawdy jazz for his Cook Recordings label in the fifties and early sixties. A lot of the recordings are still available from the Smithsonian. Unfortunately, OUT OF THIS WORLD is not in the catalog. "Sounds of the Ionosphere" is though. You can buy a non-scratchy mp3 here.

UPDATE: It took two days but somebody finally downloaded the these two mp3s. In the 3 years I've been doing this, that's the longest time that something has been posted but not downloaded.

We just changed

2008-11-05T04:44:00.001-06:00

got a brand new funky president

More sad news

2008-11-03T21:07:00.000-06:00

R.I.P. Frank Navetta

More.

R.I.P.

2008-11-02T17:29:00.001-06:00

Yma Sumac

More here.

It's been a long time coming

2008-11-02T07:56:00.001-06:00

but I know a change is gonna come

Terror in the haunted house

2008-10-31T08:48:00.002-05:00

Here's a pile of seasonal songs to annoy your friends and co-workers:

Dragula

Haunt

I Walked With A Zombie

Frankenstein

Thing With A Hook

The Hearse

She's My Witch

Release The Bats

Where The Wolf Bane Blooms

Creature From The Haunted Sea

I Was A Teenage Werewolf

Terror In The Haunted House

Happy Halloween!

"That's not for sale"

2008-10-29T20:08:00.002-05:00

Mohammed Al-Bakkar must have been popular, there's at least 7 middle-eastern themed albums of his music out there. Vol. 3 is probably the most popular, mostly due to the cover. I admit that that cover is one reason why I bought it. The woman selling it said she was going to trash it because she thought it wasn't suitable for sale in a family junk store. Those weren't her exact words - hers were a bit more colorful - but I figured I'd save the LP from the trash bin.

Lucky for me, the music is pretty good. It's worth a couple bucks if you ever see a copy. Some of these songs remind me of soundtrack music from King Of The Zombies, one of my favorite movies.

Going where

2008-10-26T09:38:00.000-05:00

there's no depression

Rotten to the core,

2008-10-24T09:03:00.001-05:00

baby, you can't say no more

Turner Classic Movies is showing The World's Greatest Sinner tonight. Don't miss it!

Please don't tell me now

2008-10-22T19:49:00.001-05:00

One reason why I keep digging through stacks of used 45s is findings records like this. I know it's nothing special but I'll play the record a few times. Then I'll put it in a box with a few other records that spent less than a dollar on. In a couple years, I'll be looking for a completely different record and find this one instead. I'll put it on the record player, spin it once or twice and put it back in the box.

I didn't know a thing about Dean & Jean when I found the record. Ernie Maresca wrote the song though and "Shout Shout (Knock Yourself Out)" is pretty good so I put this one in the keep pile. It was fifty cents well spent. Dean & Jean have a few other records, I'll pick those up if I ever see them.

Side note: I also found 45s of "Like A Rolling Stone" and "Positively 4th Street" in the same junk store. I like the mono mixes of these records and I don't think they've ever been compiled. If either of you loyal readers work at CBS records, why don't you suggest a compilation of Dylan's singles? But only if you are gonna use the single mixes, I don't need another version of "Rolling Stone" in stereo. You could even re-issue the singles, I'd buy a box of Dylan 45s. Thanks!

R.I.P.

2008-10-20T19:26:00.001-05:00

Dee Dee Warwick

Can you hear

2008-10-19T10:19:00.000-05:00

the church bells tolling?

Sad news

2008-10-17T11:36:00.001-05:00

R.I.P. Levi Stubbs

Stubbs may have been best singer at Motown. Anyway, the Four Tops are still my favorite Motown group.

Talk about Goose Creek

2008-10-17T08:19:00.001-05:00

and other important places

Heads up!

There are several live T-Func songs available here.

And there's more!

Here's some live video from the same set live outside Sailor Jerry.

Stupid kids

2008-10-15T19:40:00.001-05:00

Somebody asked me to send them a copy of "Stupid Kids". Since I had the mp3 ready I decided to post it here too. I'm posting a few other songs from ULTRAPROPHETS OF THE PSYKICK REVOLUTION too, as well as the b-side to the "Stupid Kids" single. You're welcome.

"Stupid Kids" is the best song Christmas ever did. I imagine the first few lines are what kept it from getting enough airplay to be a popular record. "Kids" was followed on the record by a strangely peppy end-of-the-world song. Things are hit or miss after that but most of the songs still sound good twenty years later.

Christmas played a few shows with the Butthole Surfers - there is some some similarity between the bands. Mostly subject matter and atmosphere, Christmas is more jangly and much less intense.

ULTRAPROPHETS OF THE PSYKICK REVOLUTION is the only Christmas album I really liked. The first one didn't connect with me at all but I did like it well enough to keep a copy. VORTEX was the band's last LP and some think it was the band's best moment. I think it's boring and I didn't keep it.

French horns?

2008-10-13T06:42:00.000-05:00

No, no, I mean before that.

Ain't nobody cryin'

2008-10-12T08:07:00.001-05:00

Ain't nobody worried