MINK DEVILLE - "Cabretta" (1977)

 

This 1977 album by the band Mink Deville is just solid from start to finish. It's produced by the legendary Jack Nitzsche and not only rocks but lead singer Willy Deville can also evoke the likes of The Drifters or Ben E. King.

Not really a punk band, but they played many, many nights at CBGB over a three year period for fifty bucks a night to appreciative audiences.

This was their first album titled "Cabretta" and it only got as far as 186 on the charts, and records after this didn't fare much better.

How is it possible, well to quote Willy Deville himself from a Wikipedia page,

"I had band problems, manager problems, record company problems. And yeah, I had drug problems." 

I think that pretty much explains it, but one thing I know for sure, they could rock as evidenced by this song!

MINK DEVILLE - "One Way Street"

"WHAT TO DO AFTER LOUIE LOUIE?'"

 

Hi again. Rich Arithmetic here at the invitation of yer blog-master “Eeagah!!” And I want to talk about how “Louie Louie” influenced the birth of another classic garage rock song. 

 

Stop me if you've already heard this: 

Back in the early Sixties, the Pacific Northwest was rife with a gritty type of garage rock that would evolve over time to be called "punk" and, later, "grunge." One of the earliest practitioners of this Pacific NW rock style was Robin Roberts and his band, The Wailers, whose teenage audiences were going crazy over The Wailers' rendition of a mid-'50s song they'd discovered by L.A. artist Richard Berry -- "Louie Louie," a Calypso-influenced song about a sailor longing for his baby. But in the hands of Roberts and The Wailers, the song became a barn-burning raver that was so avidly embraced by teenage dance crowds that any Northwest band worth its salt was also required to perform "Louie Louie."

 

So popular was "Louie Louie" that in the VERY SAME WEEK of 1963, two Pacific NW bands recorded the song at the same studio. Although Paul Revere & The Raiders was the more accomplished and more popular of the two regional bands, it was the version of "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen from Portland, Oregon, that became a national smash-hit. The genius of The Kingsmen lay in their variation of the rhythm of the song's chord changes -- the 1-2-3 (ba ba ba) ba-ba rhythm that we all know, whereas all the other bands were playing a more plodding 1-2-3-4 (ba ba ba ba) ba-ba rhythm. Are you following?

 

The rhythm of the chords was so catchy all by itself that "Louie Louie" shot up the charts, and ever since 1963 numerous records have hit the charts, using that same ba ba ba, ba-ba rhythm, including massive hits like "More Than A Feeling by Boston and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana.

 

And though their rhythmic version of "Louie Louie" wasn't the smash they'd hoped for, Paul Revere & The Raiders were not to be denied. Now that they realized the "secret sauce" of their rival's version of "Louie Louie," The Raiders created their own garage-rock classic using The Kingsmen's 1-2-3 rhythm to drive the compelling punk lust of "Just Like Me" and highlighting the snarling vocal growl of Mark Lindsay. 

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS - "Just Like Me"

 You hear it, right?

ROXY MUSIC - "Virginia Plain" (1972)

 

"Virginia Plain" was the first single by Roxy Music in 1972, but it wasn't on their first album. It was added to this album later when it was re-released.

Roxy Music always seemed like a pretty serious group of musicians, so it always cracked me up that they made this, one of the goofiest songs I've ever heard. I laugh every time I hear it!

It's just plain funny

ROXY MUSIC - Virginia Plain"

CREAM - "Disraeli Gears" (1967)

 

Cream was simply one of the best bands of all time in my humble opinion, and I really do like their first album "Fresh Cream" the best, but this, their second LP was the one that really got them noticed, most likely because of the song "Sunshine Of Your Love" which reached number five on The Billboard charts.

This is a great album without a doubt and there's a song on it that I like, and even though it's not one of my top faves, for some reason recently, I can't get this damn song out of my head, so I thought I'd foist it off on you!

What a powerful song!

Listen to it 500 times and see if it has the same effect on you! 

CREAM - "Tales Of Brave Ulysses"

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART AND THE MAGIC BAND - "Clear Spot" (1972)

 

Because of his album "Trout Mask Replica," if a person didn't know better you might just think that Don Val Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart was just a crazy guy making crazy music all the time, but the Captain also had a very soulful side to him, and there's a song on this 1972 LP titled "Clear Spot" that sounds like it might have off of an Otis Redding or Wilson Pickett album, but no, it was written by The Captain himself,  and seriously, this should have been a hit record.

This really is magic and with the added sugary sweet background vocals by The Blackberries, it's just too good!

 CAPTAIN BEEFHEART AND THE MAGIC BAND -"Too Much Time"

RANDY CALIFORNIA - "Kapt. Kopter And The (Fabulous) Twirly Birds" (1972)

 

Rock and Roll has more than it's fair share of sad stories, but I think one of the saddest of them all is the tale of Randy California.

Randy was 15 years old when he met and played with Jimi Hendrix in a band called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames in New York.

He was invited along with Jimi to go to England, but his parents wanted him to finish high school, and would not allow him to go. It was Jimi who tagged Randy Craig Wolfe with the name Randy California which he decided to stick with.

Later, Randy did have success with the awesome band Spirit that also featured his stepfather Ed Cassidy on the drums. 

Spirit is another band that are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and that is about as ludicrous as anything can possibly be.  

In 1972, Randy formed his own band called Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds, and recorded this album.

In 1997 Randy drowned at the age of 45 while attempting to rescue his twelve year old son from a rip current in Hawaii. He did manage to get his son pushed to shore, but was not able to save himself.

I love this song, and it says a lot about the life of Randy California!

For the full effect, turn it up to eleven!

RANDY CALIFORNIA - "Downer"

GEORGE "HARMONICA" SMITH - "Boogie'n With George" (1982)

 

George "Harmonica" Smith was 58 when he recorded this album back in 1982, and he was still rockin' hard. Unfortunately George died about a year and a half after this LP was recorded.

I just heard this song for the first time today, and I was really impressed with the way it moved.

This song was written by Howlin' Wolf, but George makes it his own!

GEORGE "HARMONICA" SMITH - "44"

SAVOY BROWN - "Raw Sienna" (1970)

It seems to me that most people write off Savoy Brown as just another British blues and boogie band, but man, were they ever a lot more than that. They released two albums in 1970 "Looking In," and "Raw Sienna" that for me are two of the best records ever made.

Driven by the powerful guitars of Kim Simmonds, it's disgusting that I don't think they've even ever been considered for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I spent a long time trying to come up with a song from one of those two albums because they are all amazingly awesome!

Here's one from "Raw Sienna" that proves my point!

Nobody packed more into three minutes and thirty-four seconds than this!

Turn it up all the way!! 

SAVOY BROWN - "That Same Feelin'"

WILLIAM SHATNER - "Has Been" (2004)

 

Possibly one of the greatest statements of all time, The Shat doing a Joe Jackson song and making it real. I bought this 2004 CD specifically for this song, and it was worth every penny.

There is nothing more that needs to be said.

WILLIAM SHATNER - "Common People" 

 

 And just in case that's not enough for you, then maybe you'll be able to get behind another song off this incredible CD, a dueling duet between The Shat and the formidable Henry Rollins!

WILLIAM SHATNER - "I Can't Get Behind That"

DOMINIC TROIANO - "Try" (1972)

 

I've got four albums by Dominic Troiano, and they're all good, so I don't know why this guy never was more popular. The other guitarists that played with The James Gang, Tommy Bolin, and Joe Walsh both went on to have amazing careers, but Dominic, not so much, and he was just as good.

Of course Tommy Bolin died way too son, so maybe Dominic did all right!

This was his first album in the year 1972, and here's just a taste of what Dominic could do. 

It's a song we should all try to appreciate!

DOMINIC TROIANO - "Try"

JOE JACKSON - "Beat Crazy" (1980)

 

I have to admit something, I'm "Beat Crazy," and it doesn't matter the origin of the music. If it's from Africa, Brazil, Jamaica, Britain, Germany, The U.S, India, or anywhere else, as long as it has a beat and moves like the music on this 1980 album by Joe Jackson, then I'm in!

JOE JACKSON - "Beat Crazy"

 

STAN GETZ & CHARLIE BYRD - "Jazz Samba" (1962)

 

This 1962 LP by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd titled "Jazz Samba" is just a beautiful and timeless piece of music!

Do I really need to say much more than that? 

And believe it or not, the song I'm going to present to you translates into either 'out of tune,' or 'off-key.'

If that isn't a misnomer then I don't know what is!

Decide for yourself!

STAN GETZ & CHARLIE BYRD - "Desafinado"

LONG JOHN BALDRY - "It Ain't Easy" (1971)

 

 In 1971, Long John Baldry came out with this LP called "It Ain't Easy," but he sure seems to know how to make it sound easy. I've loved this song ever since the first time I heard it, but I don't think I ever knew until today that it was Sir Elton John playing that boogie-woogie piano.

The intro is funny, but my favorite part is after the intro when that first drum hit comes in and this thing takes off like a rocket!

LONG JOHN BALDRY - "Don't Try To Lay No Boogie-Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll"

WHOOPIN' OOPIN' DOOPIN' DOOPIN'

 

I sell music on Discogs, and I've been adding a lot of Blues albums for the last couple of weeks, and I just noticed that the last two were very similar phonetically, so here you go.

This Sonny Terry album from 1984 is called Whoopin' and has a song on it I think you'll like!

SONNY TERRY - "Sonny's Whoopin' The Doop" 

 

The second record is from Little George Smith in 1982, and it's called

Oopin' Doopin' Doopin' 

Both of these songs are great, no poopin'!

LITTLE GEORGE SMITH - Oopin' Doopin' Doopin'

FUZZY FOLLOW UP!

 Hi! Rich Arithmetic here, following up with a P.S. to my previous post about Fuzz Guitars.  

In the first aftermath of a few instances of fuzz guitar in mid-to-late 1965, by 1966 we were seeing the chart appearances of "Talk Talk" (Music Machine) and "Don't Bring Me Down (The Animals) that made fuzz guitar a central element of their records. 

And the striking thing was that aside from The Beatles' fuzz-bass in the pop-perfect "Think for Yourself" from Rubber Soul, the fuzz-tone was increasingly associated with the rebellious side of rock 'n' roll, as my friend Dennis Steinseifer reminded me with these Opening Credits of the American International Productions film about quasi-outlaw motorcyclists in "The Wild Angels" starring Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra.

 

 

DAVIE ALLAN & THE ARROWS - "Blues Theme"

  By 1967, however, after "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" made it all right to present drugs in a pop context, fuzz-tones would take another turn, no less rebellious but now associated with the drug culture and acid rock, and this quirky hallucinogenic tune would hit the charts, combining its psychedelic dreams with tremolo-laden fuzz guitars and overlaid with generous helpings of reverberation. As Jimi Hendrix infamously said about acid-inspired rock: "Surf music is dead." Thank goodness, surf music wasn't really dead, but, certainly, at least for a time, we were all enthralled by the visions of the fuzzy new music.

 

THE ELECTRIC PRUNES - "I Had Too Much Too Dream Last Night"

"FUZZY WUZZY WUZ A BEAR"

 

Tonight I've got something special for you, the history of "Fuzz Guitar" written up by my good pal, musician, scholar, and all around good guy Rich Horton, aka Rich Arithmetic.

Take it away Rich! 

Do you remember when you first noticed the sound of fuzz guitars? We tend to think of fuzz-and-distortion-effected guitars as characterizing the emerging sounds of psychedelia that arose in the mid-to-late Sixties. Although most recording studios had access to primitive distortion-creating equipment as far back as the '50s, they had hardly been used by artists in the creation of their records. Sure, Dave Davies had slit the speakers on his amp in 1964 to make his guitar sound more gritty on "You Really Got Me" and other early Kinks hits; and in his effort to make his guitar sound like a saxophone from an Otis Redding record, Keith Richards had played his guitar through a primitive version of a fuzz-box when playing the classic riff for The Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in mid-1965. But the song that initially made me take notice of Fuzz was from Christmas time of 1965 when George Harrison song's "Think for Yourself" from Rubber Soul credited Paul McCartney's "Fuzz Bass" which was the song's big hook, and made everyone sit up and notice: What a cool sound!

"Think For Yourself" - The Beatles

 Of course, once The Beatles popularized the fuzzy sound effect, guitarists started buying distortion pedals and fuzz boxes, and music stores couldn't keep them in stock, and by early 1966, lots of bands were featuring fuzzy guitars as part of their musical ID, not least the fuzz bass that was essentially the lead instrument on the classic garage-rock anthem "Talk Talk" by The Music Machine.

The Music Machine - Talk Talk [2024 Mix]

The Music Machine - Talk Talk [2024 Mix]

And then in late Spring of '66, The Animals presaged what acid rock and heavy blues were going to sound like when a fuzzy lead guitar was featured throughout their Top 10 hit "Don't Bring Me Down." And from that time to the present, distorted guitars are a mainstay of rock records. Long live Fuzz!

Don't Bring Me Down

Don't Bring Me Down

 Thanks Rich!!

MERCY, MERCY, MERCY - (1966/1967)

 

It was the year 1966 that Cannonball Adderley and his Quintet released an album called "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - Live at "The Club."

It wasn't really recorded at a club, but was recorded before a 'live' audience in the studio. Everything Cannonball ever did was great, but there was one song that stands out on this album that was written by keyboardist Joe Zawinul, and that was the title tune, "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy."

Years later Joe Zawinul was the driving force behind one incredible band call Weather Report. 

THE CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET - "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"

 The following year a band from Chicago called The Buckinghams, recorded a very cool version of the same song, but with vocals, and took it to number five on The Billboard Charts.

 

THE BUCKINGHAMS - "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" 

Have Mercy!!!

CAN'T GET USED TO LOSING YOU - (1963/1980)

 

In 1963 Andy Williams brought out this album called "Days of Wine and Roses." Andy wasn't always that cool, and he seemed more like an Uncle than anything else, but there was a big hit on this record called "Can't Get Used To Losing You" that was Number Two on The Billboard Charts for four weeks back in the day because it was semi-cool.

ANDY WILLIAMS - "Can't Get Used To Losing You"

This is how that song affected the ladies back then.

 

Who would have ever thought a band as cool as The Beat would cover a song like this, and make it their own, and not a parody, but in 1980, that's exactly what they did.

The Beat were later sued for their name by another band called The Beat, so most people know them as The English Beat.

THE BEAT - "Can't Get Used To Losing You" 

Thank Rich for the idea.

CLIFTON CHENIER - "Louisiana Blues And Zydeco" (1965)

 

I don't have a favorite Clifton Chenier song because they are all good, so I just picked one from this 1965 LP called "Louisiana Blues And Zydeco." Sometimes called "The King Of Zydeco," Clifton does indeed deserve to wear the crown!

I saw him and his band in a small club in the Santa Cruz Mountains back in the 70's, and they tore the place up!

CLIFTON CHENIER - "Hot Rod"

THE MEMBERS - "At The Chelsea Nightclub" (1979)

 

It's Friday night, and it must be party time, so I'm presenting you with two of my favorite songs tonight by the UK band The Members, because they are both cool fun, funny as Hell at the same time, and yet still somehow manage to deliver a message!

THE MEMBERS - "Rat Up A Drainpipe" 

THE MEMBERS - "Stand Up And Spit"

C'mon, does it get any better than this?

Just stand up and Spit at all the ads on YouTube! You can clean your monitor tomorrow!

ROY HEAD - "Treat Her Right" (1965)

 

As far as good music goes, it just doesn't get much better than this 1965 single by Roy Head titled "Treat Her Right." It moves and grooves and clocks in just over two minutes. Get in, knock 'em out, and get out, That's the way I like it! The picture you see is from a French 45 seven inch EP. 

Interestingly enough, Roy's first album was titled "Treat Me Right," but it did not feature this song!

ROY HEAD - "Treat Her Right"

MOJO NIXON - "Gadzooks!!!" (1997)

 

I know I could use a good laugh, so just in case you need one too, here's a great song from jokester Mojo Nixon off of his 1997 album called "Gadzooks!!!"

Drinks are on the house!

MOJO NIXON - Beer Ain't Drinkin'

THE SELECTOR - "Too Much Pressure" (1980)

 

I love Ska music, and why not? It moves and it grooves no matter who the artists are, and this 1980 album by The Selector titled "Too Much Pressure" is a freakin' perfect example!

There's really nothing more to say!!

THE SELECTOR - "On My Radio"

SLIM HARPO - "The Music's Hot" (1970)

 

So, why are you here reading this right now? It's because you are one of the few who know that "The Music's Hot." 

Slim Harpo is the man who is willing to tell you all about it. Sure, "Slim's "Scratch My Back" is a classic, but why the Hell were we never exposed on the radio to a song as cool as this?

One of The Rolling Stones early hits was Slim's "I'm A King Bee," and yet he's hardly recognized today and is not even close to being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Shame). 

Something ain't right!

"Son, where you going?"

Damn!

SLIM HARPO - "The Music's Hot"

LITTLE WALTER - "Hate To See You Go" (1969)

 

Little Walter played the harmonica so well, nobody else should have even tried after 1968 because he'd already done every possible thing that instrument is capable of, and he did it over and over again. I could have picked 100 songs by Little Walter, but I settled on this one from his 1969 LP titled "Hate To See You Go," just for the name, which explains the music quite well.

By the time this album was released, Little Walter had already been dead for about a year from injuries sustained in a bar fight.

The songs on this record were recorded between 1954 and 1960.

LITTLE WALTER - "Roller Coaster" 

FLAMIN GROOVIES - "Supersnazz" (1969)

 

Here's a very cool high energy two song medley from the Flamin Groovies 1969 LP titled "Supersnazz." I personally feel that the Flamin Groovies were one of the first power pop bands and at least ten years ahead of their time, and here's a real good reason why I feel that way!

Plus, they had one of the greatest cartoon album covers of all time!

FLAMIN GROOVIES - "Somethin' Else/Pistol Packin' Mama"

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE - "After Bathing At Baxter's" (1967)

 

By far my favorite Jefferson Airplane album is "After Bathing At Baxter's" from 1967. This whole album is pretty insane. Stoned people having a good time, or at least that's what it sounds like to me. There's not really a better way to try and explain it. Talk about psychedelic!

Here's a really great song that goes through a lot of changes in a mere 3 minutes and 11 seconds.

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE - "Watch Her Ride"

 

IRON BUTTERFLY - "Ball" (1969)

 

Mr. Arithmetic and I were having a discussion just this week about what constitutes being a psychedelic album, and we came up with a lot of stuff, but here's one that didn't come up in the conversation, this 1969 LP by Iron Butterfly simply called "Ball."

Seems like most people only know Iron Butterfly for their gigantic hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" but they really did a lot of cool stuff besides that one song.

Here's what I'm talkin' about. Psychedelic? You bet!

IRON BUTTERFLY - "Soul Experience"

"Don't be afraid to live a little."

Turn it up!

GLEAMING SPIRES - "Songs Of The Spires" (1981)

 

This Gleaming Spires LP titled "Songs Of The Spires" from 1981 is pretty much pop perfect, or at least some of it like this song is.

I saw these guys 'live' in L.A. one night in the late 80's. I wish I could remember it, but all I remember is too many beers, and that's why we have records!

GLEAMING SPIRES - "Going Hey Hey"

THE MASKED MARAUDERS - "Cow Pie" (1969)

 

Probably one of the greatest albums released in 1969, this classic record by The Masked Marauders somehow only managed to make it to #114 on The Billboard Charts despite having an all-star cast of musicians. The only one not appearing on this record is Orson Welles.

 This was a real Pooper Scooper of a Super Group!

You can read the whole sordid story right HERE!

THE MASKED MARAUDERS - "Cow Pie"