Blood Sweat & Tears - House in the Country (1968)

 

Rich here. Virtually all of you will remember Blood, Sweat & Tears and their big hit singles from the late '60s -- "You've Made Me So Very Happy," "Spinnin' Wheel," "And When I Die" -- along with their Grammy Award winning, self-titled album BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS (1969). Aside from their screaming brass section, you also remember their barrel-chested lead singer with the huge bluesy voice, David Clayton-Thomas.

 

What fewer of you may remember is that prior to that album, which was actually their second album, Blood, Sweat & Tears released their visionary debut album, CHILD IS FATHER TO THE MAN. That version of BS&T was co-created and led by Al Kooper. Yes, THAT Al Kooper -- the Al Kooper who played the distinctive organ on Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" and played with Dylan at Newport when Dylan "went electric;"  the Al Kooper who'd led the highly influential blues band, The Blues Project; the Al Kooper who was the arranger, producer, and organist on the jam-based SUPER SESSION album; the Al Kooper who went on to have a solo career and became a sought-after producer of several highly successful bands of the '70s and '80s.

 

It was that Al Kooper whose idea for adding a big band-styled brass section to a rock band resulted in Blood, Sweat & Tears and ignited the horn band explosion of the late Sixties. And it was Al Kooper who wrote, sang, and arranged many of the songs on the band's debut album CHILD IS FATHER TO THE MAN, an album full of Kooper's ambitious post-psychedelic blues, rock, jazz, and pop.

 

After, CHILD IS FATHER TO THE MAN sold poorly, and subsequently, the rest of the band began casting doubts on Al's leadership. For one thing, they didn't didn't think his thin and quirky voice was big enough to be the lead singer for their powerhouse arrangements. But also, there were other members of the band who were better individual musicians than Al, and they wanted their exciting arrangements featured equally.

 

Subsequently, Al quit BS&T, David Clayton-Thomas with his big bluesy voice became the lead singer, and Blood, Swear & Tears became one of the most commercially and artistically successful bands of the late Sixties. But they lost something in the meantime -- the self-effacing pretentiousness, humor, and eccentricity of Al Kooper, as evidenced by "House in the Country" from their debut album:

BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS - "House In The Country" 

SPACEHOG - "The Chinese Album" (1998)

Spacehog, what a band. I don't have enough time to figure it all out, but I do know one thing, they legitimately sound like they recorded this song in 1971, not 1998. 

Okay, I looked it up and this is what I found out!

Spacehog's "The Chinese Album

" was conceived as the soundtrack for a movie called "Mungo City" aka "The Chinese Movie."

The movie was never made, but at least they made the record!

SPACEHOG - "Mungo City" 

THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS - "Shaking Time" (1964)

 

In 1959 Chan Romero wrote and recorded the original "Hippy Hippy Shake."

 

The song was part of the set list by The Beatles on a regular basis, and they recorded a 'live' version for BBC in 1963.

In 1964, The Swinging Blue Jeans recorded their version that reached number 2 in the UK, and number 24 on the charts in the U.S.

It has been covered by everybody from Pat Harris and The Blackjacks to The Georgia Satellites, and probably made Chan Romero a fairly rich man, and rightfully so, before he passed away in 2024 at the age of 82.

THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS - "Hippy Hippy Shake" 

ONE MILLION FUZZTONE GUITARS - "Charlemagne" (1983)

  

One Million Fuzztone Guitars, what a fun name, and they have the chops to back it up.

ONE MILLION FUZZTONE GUITARS - "Charlemagne" 

SPLIT ENZ - "True Colours" (1980)

 

Don't know about you, but Split Enz was one of my favorite bands from 1980, so much that I have two copies of this record with two different colour schemes.

They'd been around since 1975, but I never knew about them until this 1980 LP came out called "True Colours" 

This is just good music, and I suggest just listening to it instead of watching their video. Some songs just don't need videos, and this is one of them! 

SPLIT ENZ - "I Got You" 

EDWYN COLLINS - "The Magic Piper Of Love" (1997)

 

It's 1997 when Donovan meets the Kingsmen somewhere at the corner of Haight and 42th Street, thirty years in the past, and ten years into the future.

I think that pretty much sums it up. 

Edwyn Collins - "The Magic Piper Of Love" 

HELLWORMS - "Crowd Repellent" (1998)

 

Hellworms had some things to say, and they weren't beating around the bush, but just came right out and said what was on their minds. This frickin' awesome song off of their 1998 album titled "Crowd Repellent" says a lot, and will make you get up and shake your ass at the same time.

Take it from somebody who knows, if you put worms in the title of your band, you've got about a 99% sure chance of never making it, even if you're this good! 

HELLWORMS - "Zillionaire" 

Let's Active - Writing the Book of Lost Pages (1986)

 

Rich here. Many of you may remember Mitch Easter, who gained cult-fame status in the '80s as the Producer of Choice for many of the off-kilter bands emerging from the Southern New Wave movement, the foremost of which was R.E.M., whose first several albums were co-produced by Mitch Easter.

 

Overwhelmingly, the bands that recorded in Mitch's Drive-In studio (so-called because it was housed in his parents' garage) were stylistically quirky, featuring somewhat twee vocals, angular melodic sensibilities noted for their unexpected detours, and jangly 12-string guitars -- none more so than Mitch's own band, Let's Active, whose artsy avant-pop was as catchy as it was experimental. 

 

And although Let's Active was theoretically a "band," it was really a Mitch Easter solo project, and by the time of their third release, he was not only writing and singing all the songs, he also was playing all the instruments, as well as producing and engineering the recording sessions himself, as on this new wave-meets-psychedelia piece:

LET'S ACTIVE - "Writing The Book Of Lost Pages"

THE CARDIGANS - "First Band On The Moon" (1996)

 

"First Band On The Moon" from 1996 was the third album by the Swedish group The Cardigans, and the one that thrust them into the spotlight for a while, and rightfully so, because this is cute, bubbly, and happy music.

I think we could all use a good dose of that right about now! 

THE CARDIGANS - "Lovefool" 

JIMMY RAY - "Are You Jimmy Ray?" (1997)

 

I really dig this song, it's catchier than Hell, and just a lot of fun to listen to, and isn't that what music's all about?

And seriously, who are you? 

From his 1997 release, I think this video does a pretty good job of letting you know exactly who he is!

This was the peak of Jimmy's career. 

I'd of thought that jump roping Viking girls would have been enough to keep him at the top for a long time, but that's just not how the music business works.

JIMMY RAY - "Are You Jimmy Ray?" 

THE FOUR SEASONS OF THE WITCH (1966 - 1968)

 

Even though Donovan wrote "Season Of The Witch," he wasn't the first one to record it, that was done by a much more obscure band called Pandamonium.

"Sunshine Superman" came out in the Fall of 1966. This was Donovan's third album, and it marked his swerve from folk music to rock music, and it was quite a successful change for him.

"Season Of The Witch" peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Charts.

DONOVAN - "Season Of The Witch" 

 

In 1967, Julie Driscoll & Brian Auger And The Trinity recorded a version of "Season Of The Witch" that was included on this awesome album called "Jools."

That was the year I fell in love with Julie Driscoll.

JULIE DRISCOLL & BRIAN AUGER - "Season Of The Witch"

In 1968, "Season Of The Witch" resurfaced on this classic "Super Session" LP by Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, and Steve Stills.

When people talk about supergroups, usually the first name that comes up is Cream, but I think this group had better creds than Cream did, at least in the U.S. 

I'm pretty sure that Buffalo Springfield, and Blood, Sweat & Tears were better known than The Graham Bond Organization which was virtually unknown in the states.

SUPER SESSION - "Season Of The Witch" 

 

Released at almost the same time in 1968 was this version by Vanilla Fudge

Wow, that's a crazy witch on the cover of this Japanese single.

"Season Of The Witch" has been recorded by many more artists over the years, but these four versions are where it all started. Vanilla Fudge's version made it to number 65 on the charts.

VANILLA FUDGE - "Season Of The Witch"

IGGY POP - "Avenue 8" (1999)

 

Even though this LP titled "Avenue 8" by Iggy Pop came out 27 years ago, the lyrics still ring true today.

That's all I really need to say! 

Or as Prince might have said if he were still around, two thousand twenty-six, oops, out of time, so let's party like it's 1999! 

IGGY POP - "Corruption" 

BILLY GIBBONS & THE BFG'S - "Sal Y Pimiento" (2015)

 

I was never the biggest ZZ Top fan in the world, but when I heard this solo album by Billy Gibbons and The BFG'S I was totally blown away, and I still am today every time I hear it.

This album titled "Perfectomundo" came out in 2015, and is pretty much just that. 

Each song is damn near perfect. 

Billy is from Texas, so if you've never heard it, sometimes you'll think you're listening to an album by Carlos Santana, not Billy Gibbons with lots of Hispanic influences. 

BILLY GIBBONS & THE BFG'S - "Sal Y Pimiento" 

A TRIBUTE TO LES PAUL - "Mr. Day/Tell Me What's The Reason" (2012)

 

Lou Pallo was an original member of the Les Paul Trio, and in 2012, a bunch of very talented musicians got together and did a tribute to the man, Les Paul.

I can't start writing about Les Paul, or I'd be doing this one post the rest of my life.

Every day I read about some musical icon who had passed away only to find out it was somebody I never even heard of.

Les Paul was a true musical icon!

Lou Pallo passed away in 2020 at the age of 86, but at least he left us this, and we should all be thankful!

With Steve Miller sounding as good as he ever has, this is just one excellent tune! 

LOU PALLO -  "Mr. Day/Tell Me What's The Reason"

S-S-Stuttering S-S-Songs - My Generation (The Who, 1965)

 

Rich here confessing that I've always had a yen for songs that featured stuttering. I mean, stuttering seems to have been a thing in rock music for a few years. Admit it: as soon as I write the words "You ain't seen nothin' yet, b-b-b-baby" and "Ch-ch-ch-changes!," you immediately hear the big hits by David Bowie and Bachman-Turner Overdrive in your head, respectively, due to the stuttering as much as the catchiness of the songs.

 

What's your favorite stuttering song? Mine is the one that arguably started the trend-- The Who's stuttering lyrics in "My Generation" (1965) that perfectly captured teenage self-consciousness and awkward boasting

 

 And the song was catchy as hell.

THE WHO - "My Generation" 

EVEN MORE FIREBALLS (1979 - 2008)

 

In between Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs and The Atomic Fireballs, there have been other assorted hot groups over the years, like this Zambian group called Fire Balls and their 1975 album called "On The Mountain."

This is a pretty rare single from Fire balls. It was the flip side of a song called "She Devil."

FIRE BALLS - "Umwana Wakusanga Mung'anda" 

 

Then there's this Australian psychobilly band called simply Fireballs.

They released this album titled "Terminal Haircut" in 1992.

 

These guys definitely had balls of fire with these terminal haircuts!

 FIREBALLS - "Fireball Baby"

 

 

And to think it all started with The Fireballs coming up with the name when they got a standing ovation after their performance of Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great Balls Of Fire" at a PTA talent show in 1957.

Here's one more, a pretty wild cover tune of a classic 1979 song done up right by a German band called Swingin' Fireballs that came out in 2008.

SWINGIN' FIREBALLS - "Highway To Hell" 

THE ATOMIC FIREBALLS - "Birth Of The Swerve" (1998)

 

While I'm on the subject of  Fireballs, 35 years after "Sugar Shack," out came The Atomic Fireballs, and this very cool release titled "Birth Of The Swerve."

Even though they were atomic, and the lyrics for this song were derived from the classic 1947 film, "The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer,"and then re-interpretated in the movie "Labyrinth," and then used in other movies and TV shows, this group of swingin' Fireballs from Detroit, never achieved the success they deserved in my humble opinion, and broke up in 1999.

THE ATOMIC FIREBALLS - "Man With The Hex" 

JIMMY GILMER & THE FIREBALLS - "Sugar Shack" (1963)

 

The Fireballs were formed in 1957 in Raton, New Mexico and performed mostly instrumental songs. The original line-up consisted of George Tomsco, Chuck Tharp, Stan Lark, Eric Budd, and Dan Trammell.

In 1960 Tharp, Budd, and Trammell left the band, and drummer Doug Roberts and vocalist Jimmy Gilmer joined. 

Three years later they changed the name to Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs and were at the top of the charts with this catchy little number one single for five weeks, then the British Invasion happened, and everything changed forever.

Chances are that if you're under the age of 40, you might not have ever heard this song even though it was a huge success. 

JIMMY GILMER & THE FIREBALLS - "Sugar Shack" 

HEPCAT - "Right On Time" (1997)

 

One of the most infectious kinds of music on earth is without 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"