THE DONNAS - "Get Skintight" 1999)

 

The Donnas started off in 1993, and called themselves Ragady Anne. 

"Get Skintight" was their third album and came out in 1999.

 

Hailing from Palo Alto, Ca, they also had an alter-ego band called Electrocutes.

None of their first names were really Donna, they were actually Torry, Allison, Brett, and Maya.

Their last studio record came out in 2007 and they disbanded in 2012.

The world has been a sad place ever since!

THE DONNAS - "Hyperactive"

BALLIN'JACK - "Ballin' The Jack" (1970)

 

Ballin'jack were an awesome funk rock band originally from Seattle. Their first record was self-titled and came out in 1970.

 

Ballin'jack derived their name from the classic 1913 Ragtime tune penned by Jim Burris and Chris Smith. Jim wrote the words, and Chris wrote the music.

Since 1913, the song "Ballin' The Jack" has been recorded by 100's of people. 

Even though Ballin'jack was a fantastic funk rock band they still felt a need to record the song from whence they took their name, and they do it up in style!

BALLIN'JACK - "Ballin' The Jack" 

 

 

Ballin'jack did make the charts in l970 when their song "Super Highway" made it to #93. Despite their obvious talents they just couldn't keep it going.

Maybe the problem was they were just too good!

So, here you go! Where's my flying jet car? Haven't we waited long enough? 

BALLIN'JACK - "Super Highway" 

LEE MORGAN - "The Rumproller" (1965)

 

 So maybe you're not really into jazz and you don't understand why other people are, well, I've got an answer to your question and it's called "The Rumproller." 

If you don't like this song, then you're probably not going to like any jazz, because this song by the fantastic Lee Morgan and the guys from 1965, is just freakin' awesome from start to finish! 

When it gets to about the six minute mark and they back it off a little bit, you just might think you died and went to heaven for a few minutes. 

LEE MORGAN - Trumpet

JOE HENDERSON - Tenor Sax

RONNIE MATHEWS - Piano 

VICTOR SPROLES - Bass

&

BILLY HIGGINS - Drums 

Music so sweet you'll wish it never ends! 

LEE MORGAN - " The Rumproller"

Lee Morgan led an amazing but tragic life, and if you've got nine minutes to spare, I suggest you watch this video, it's sad, it's complex, and somehow sometimes, this is what it takes to create freakin' great music.

It's Lee Morgan! 

THE BADGE - "Dancing (うかれ気分で)" (1982)

 

Today's featured song is by everybody's favorite 80's power pop band, The Badge.

What? You say you never heard of this killer power pop trio?

Well, after today, you can become a fan too, because these guys are as good as almost anyone.

This single was released in 1982, and they had a few more up to 1985, but then took about 30 years off before resurfacing in 2021. 

 

 

Here's what they looked like in 2024!

The members of this cool band are Shoji Nakamura, Nobuaki Tanaka, and Tetstu Kawasaki.

They rock! 

THE BADGE - "Dancing (うかれ気分で)"

BOBBY TAYLOR AND THE VANCOUVERS - "Does Your Mama Know About Me" (1968)

 

Here's a Saturday Night Special for you if there ever was one!

Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers were a band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, hence the name The Vancouvers, but they weren't always called The Vancouvers, and here's where the story gets fun.

 

 

Probably the most interesting thing about this band is that one of the two guitarists was none other than the very suave Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong fame.

In the beginning, one of their names was Little Daddy and the Bachelors, and then, according to Wikipedia, they were doing pretty good until Tommy Chong suggested that they change their name to something akin to Four Black Guys and One Chinese Fellow, which I'm sure he thought was hilarious, but nobody else did, so they changed it again to an abbreviated form, this time to Four N's and a C.

That still wasn't working so they went with Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers, Bobby Taylor being the lead singer, who went on to produce The Jackson 5's first record.

Their song "Does Your Mama Know About Me" made it to 29 on the charts in 1968 on the Gordy label, and was co-written by Tommy Chong.

Considering all the great music that there was on the Motown and subsidiary labels in 1968, it's no wonder this group got left behind, as most of the music sounds like Philly soul or early disco.

 

I much prefer this piece of insanity from 1974.

"Earache My Eye" was written by Tommy Chong and world class guitarist Gaye Delorme, who also played that killer riff.

The drums were played by the world's best percussionist, Airto Moreira.

CHEECH AND CHONG - "Earache My Eye" 

BIS - "Tell It To The Kids" (1997)

 

Bis (rhymes with this) are from Scotland, and they came out with "The New Transistor Heroes" in 1997.

I don't know where they got all their energy from but Sci-Fi Steven, Manda Rin, and John Disco really put the power in the term power pop.

 

 

Bis broke up in 2003, and reformed in 2009, and have been playing off and on ever since, and have gigs coming up this year. In October they'll be playing at "The Royal Hotel, Whitby."

 

In November you can catch them at the "Shiiine On Weekender" festival.

BIS - "Tell It To The Kids" 

STEWART COPELAND & STAN RIDGWAY - "Don't Box Me In" (1983)

 

Rich here. Those of a certain age may remember the classic Young Adult novel from 1975, "Rumblefish," by S.E. Hinton, the author that seemed to authentically express the feelings of post-Sixties alientated youth. You may also remember the noirish film adaptation by Francis Ford Coppola in 1983.

 

Coppola's film featured up-and-coming young stars like Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, and Diane Lane, and was filmed in a sleek-looking black and white that recalled the classic film noir movies of the 1940's. 

 

And in a genius move for the soundtrack, Coppola enlisted the talents of Stewart Copeland, the drummer from the Police, and Stan Ridgway, the lead singer & songwriter for the quirky new wave band Wall of Voodoo. The film and the soundtrack were edgy, with the duo of Copeland & Ridgway capturing a catchy early '80s post-punk theme song for the movie, "Don't Box Me In." The song featured an angular guitar hook and Ridgway's spooky harmonica and quirky voice -- a combination that helped emphasize the film's theme of youthful alienation.

STEWART COPELAND & STAN RIDGWAY - "Don't Box Me In"