HEPCAT - "Right On Time" (1997)

 

One of the most infectious kinds of music on earth is with a doubt ska music, and Hepcat is just one of the many bands that prove it. This album titled "Right On Time" came out in 1997, and is chock full of fun music!

Here's what I'm talking about, a bouncy song with a cool laid back trumpet solo, that I could just listen to all day long.

HEPCAT - "I Can't Wait" 

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS - "Anything That's Rock N' Roll" (1976)

 

After Raul Malo passed away recently, it got me thinking about who else I really missed, and for some reason, the one guy who's death bugged me the most was Tom Petty.

I think more than anything it came from listening to his radio show, and realizing that he was not only a great musician, but that he was also a big fan of all kinds of music.

This first album by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers from 1976 has got SO many good songs on it, it's hard to just pick one. This is a record that everyone should own! 

Even though the songs "Hometown Blues," and "Rockin' Around (With You), totally kick ass, there's at least one more that says it all!!

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS - "Anything That's Rock N' Roll" 

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS - "The Spirit Of '67" (1966)

 

Because there's just so much great music in the world, I kind of have an unwritten policy of not showcasing the same bands, but sometimes, rules are just made to be broken, and even though we've presented the music of Paul Revere & The Raiders twice already, I just have to do it again.

Besides, if the damn Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame won't recognize them as one of the best bands in the history of rock & roll, I sure will. 

I was listening to this song the other night and had completely forgotten about it. It comes from their album "The Spirit Of  '67," which was actually released in 1966, and instead of Mark Lindsay singing, this song was written and sung by Mike Smith, the drummer in the band.

I love this tune, and it sounds like something from the late 70's or early 80's, not 1966.

Recorded sixty years ago, and sounding as fresh as ever, this is a good way to start a new year! 

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS - "Our Candidate" 

Happy New Year - Words of Love (The Beatles, 1964)

 

Happy New Year to you all. Rich here, not wanting to take up too much of your time recovering from last night's festivities and today's football binging, to bring you a widely overlooked gem of a cover song from The Beatles crazy early days of international superstardom in which they'd released four albums and numerous singles in 21 months. That's a whole career's output for even a successful band.

 

No doubt most of you are aware that not only was The Beatles name intended as a pun but that it was also intended as an homage to Buddy Holly and his band  The Crickets. Their affection for Buddy Holly was reflected in much of their pre-stardom repertoire, which was filled with Buddy Holly songs, one of which was "Words of Love," a song they recorded and included on their fourth album of 1964, "Beatles for Sale" (an album that was never officially released in the U.S. and Canada at the time).

 

"Words of Love" featured a masterful vocal duet with George Harrison singing lead and John Lennon on a lower harmony. And atop the duo's singing was Harrison's  bright & trebly guitar arpeggios -- it was a sound that provided a template for the guitar sounds the band would resurrect when they recorded "Nowhere Man" many months later.

THE BEATLES - "Words Of Love" 

JOHN CAGE - "Organ²/ASLSP" (2003-2640)

I've showcased a lot of odd music on this site, but one of the strangest, if not the strangest song that has ever been written in the history of the world is this one titled "Organ²/ASLSP," or "As Slow As Possible."

The song was written by avant-garde composer John Cage and began in 2001.

There was no sound until 2003, as it started with 18 months of silence, and it is not scheduled to end until the year 2640.

It is being played on a specially built organ in Burchardi Church in the German town of Halberstadt, and it changes chords every few years.

So Far it has had 16 chord changes.

 

This is what the organ looks like, and you can hear all the chord changes that have occurred since 2001 right HERE at The Projekt's website.

John Cage passed away in 1992, and never heard any of this.

His most famous piece was titled "4'33" and was designed to be played on any combination of instruments, but any musicians involved are instructed not to play.

For good reason, it's doubtful either of these tunes will ever get any airplay! 

FANTASTIC PLASTIC MACHINE - "Luxury" (1999)

 

I don't know about you, but I think 2025 was just way too serious of a year, so let's end it with some silly, happy music from Japan, and an album that was released by Fantastic Plastic Machine titled "Luxury" in 1999. 

This is the kind of music that will either put you in a real good mood, or drive you batshit crazy. There's really no in between! 

FANTASTIC PLASTIC MACHINE - "Electric Ladyland" 

FANATICS - "Mobilisation Générale" (1981)

 

The Fanatics were from France, and they sang in French so of course they never got played on the radio in the United States. Only a handful of people have ever had a hit in the U.S. if their songs were not sung in English. A couple of  rare examples would be Sœur Sourire aka The Singing Nun and her #1 hit "Dominique" sung in French, and/or Kyu Sakamoto who had the #1 hit "Sukiyaki" sung in Japanese, both in 1963.

There are a couple more, but generally they have been few and far between, especially in the 60's.

So here's what you missed out on in 1981.

FANATICS - "Mobilisation Générale"