fange's tune of the day

[never/ever]

Dat Witch Doctor is fine!

[T. Willy Rye]

Dat Witch Doctor is fine!

Yeah, I needed that. Thanks man- starting to feel like myself again.

[fange]

Cabaret Voltaire - Thank You America



I still love and come back to this LP quite a bit, even though i think it has a bit too much filler and there are several moments where the sound hasn't dated that well. It still pleases and puzzles me (in a generally good way) almost 25+ years after i bought it, which means i'm still unravelling and discovering it in new ways. The mix of sounds is where the gold lies - the edginess and menace of the group's earlier records are still there in Mallinder's vocals and the samples used, and the Kirk's electronic instruments still give the group a lot of melodic power and sheen, but Adrian Sherwood's addition as producer is probably the key addition. There seems a very strong and ambitious desire to blend all the players' loves - from deep funky/house beats and dub moodiness to shiny pop pleasures - to form one unified record. A track like 'TYA' is the perfect encapsulation - while it doesn't always work perfectly, i love what they tried to do, and it makes me want to dance A LOT more than a lot of the regulation pop funk or R&B that was being released in 1987.

[fange]

The Ceyleib People - Changes (aka Tygstl)



I gotta say up front - I have a problem with the sitar, except in short bursts. It's an instrument which can get on my tits very quickly if not used sparingly or in just the right way. Thankfully, in 'Changes', The Ceyleib People - the working name of a group of experimentally minded L.A. session guys including guitarist Mike Deasy, keys player Larry Knetchel and even Ry Cooder - find what for me is the perfect sitar sound, trippy but tough and edgy, a perfect accompaniment to the heady, psychy groove the band find.

[fange]

Señor Soul - Don't Lay Your Funky Trip On Me



You know those moments when you hear a tune for the first time but you still know exactly who the artist is, often without hearing any lyrics either? Well, of course you do, you're BCBers. Music-lifers do this kinda thing, sometimes to the surprise and awe of others at parties or quiz nights, because music pushes our buttons in very deep and special ways.

It happened to me when i was walking through the Tower Records in Shibuya sometime in late 2003 - a funky latin rhythm comes slinking through the air, pushed along by a hot blast of harmonica, and i said to myself "That's gotta be fucking WAR." Turns out i was both wrong and right. Señor Soul was the band that most of the members of WAR were in before a certain Mr. Burdon strode into the scene and decided he needed these guys to help him spill some funky wine. But a quick listen to SS shows that they had everything they ever needed to be stars and write their own musical history.

[trans-chigley express]

^^
If I didn't know the title I would have been convinced they were singing "Don't Lay Your Funky Shit On Me" which would have been a great title.

Good track too. Nice to hear a bit of funky harmonica.

I've been in Tower Records in Shibuya a few times myself. Great place. I wish Hong Kong had a music store like that, mind you I'd be skint.

[pcqgod]

Hola, Senor Soul.

[The Modernist]

Lovely stuff. Loved the instrumental break in particular.

[fange]

La Düsseldorf - White Overalls



What an amazing journey in music Klaus Dinger had. From 60s free jazz to Kraftwerk to Neu! and onwards, I love the way he seemed to just follow his own freaked-out, hippyish ideals about music and life wherever they seemed to take him.

By the Viva LP of '78, Dinger was now playing a guitar while his brother Thomas was behind a drum kit (along with Hans Lampe). He certainly seems to have been inspired and (re)invigorated by the rise of punk and new wave in many ways, because a lot of the album is simply BURSTING with frenetic energy. 'White Overalls' steams along like a bulldozer as the guitars riff, the synths scream, the drums pound, and Klaus shouts his often filtered and cryptically layered lyrics about the said items of clothing (which he and the band members in Neu! were often known for wearing), white angels, sons of the future and scheisse, before winding down to a beautiful, almost peaceful ending.

What does it mean? Fucked if i really know. But it sounds wonderful.

[never/ever]

I've mentioned on PC that I preferred Viva over the first La Düsseldorf-album, just because of its chaos and tenseness. Dinger was a nutter at times and he could shift from shit hot to über-cool in 12 bars. Great pick!

[fange]

The Olympics - Good Lovin'



Yeah, I know you might like The Y. Rascals' version better, but I still prefer this one. It's a bit sparer and a bit brassier, as opposed to the tougher guitar and frenetic arrangement of the remake, but i'll not argue the toss with you - they're both great.
What an absolute gem of a tune, lifted further by a stellar Jerry Ragovoy production, and vocally i'll take The Olympics most times over Cavaliere and co. (though I love me some Rascals too.)

This live Shindig performance is wonderful too, with Billy Preston at the organ, sporting one of the most heroic bowlcuts ever seen!

[fange]

Reigning Sound - Excedrine Headache #265



Woman/Man/Other left you? A dead-end job getting you down? A founding bandmate has left, leaving you to finish the album you've been working on as a gloriously angry sounding guitar trio?
We've all been there, right?

Ahh, the recuperative powers of good ol' fashioned rock 'n roll - great for whatever's ailing you.
Don't reach for those over-priced N*vartis and B*yer p*lls, people: grab a Reigning Sound record, pump up the volume, and let the sound of squealing guitars and pounding drums bring the smile back to your face.

[fange]

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Jimmy Mack



There are so many fucking kinds of perfect in this song.

I can pinpoint a WHOLE lot of what i love about it - the way it simply jumps straight into that insanely catchy chorus after just a couple of drum beats; the handclaps that are like 3 minutes worth of adrenaline shots; the vocals - man, those vocals - are not only some of Martha's most expressive, but the group's harmonies are so brilliantly arranged you barely notice how intricate the parts are (but I can't recommend enough listening to them carefully, over and over); that heavenly falling feeling when they hit that ohh in 'Ohh, Jimmy Mack, when are you comin' back'...

I could keep going about the horns, the lyrics, etc... but i can't really - really - capture what is so special about this song by reciting the constituent parts of what is an indefinable, magical whole and sum - that this tune THRILLS me, right down deep inside.

It makes me feel like a teenager in the first throes of love and heartbreak, a father who sees his kid for the first time, a man who remembers hugging his mum or dad for the last time... it fucking moves me. It reminds me of the best and worst in life, and all in roughly three minutes.

Amazing.

[Charlie O.]

But this loneliness I have within
Is reaching out to be his friend...

Great stuff.

[fange]

John Sebastian - Welcome Back (Kotter)



I've always been a sucker for JS's voice. The Lovin' Spoonful made a couple of my very favourite '60s songs, and while I wouldn't put 'WB(K)' in quite the same league as 'Do You Believe In Magic' or 'Coconut Grove', it's given me a hell of a lot of pleasure over the years - first as a young kid watching Kotter deal with the Sweathogs, and over the last 20 years or so as a teacher, dealing with all sorts of things that a career with kids dishes up.

Kids, God bless 'em, they're all so different and unique and wonderful in their own way. But the world being the world, well...some of them don't always get the chance to understand that as early on as they should.
I was listening to one my Year 7 students Amy doing a talk at my desk during the lesson, and in the course of her talk she mentioned how her dad wasn't living with her mum and her anymore, and that her mum was often away for several nights at a time up in mainland China. Not having any close relatives in HK, that meant Amy - 13 years old - was pretty much fending for herself meal-wise for several days in a row each week, doing homework, cleaning, etc.

Sadly, this kind of thing isn't as uncommon as you'd hope in a place like HK which is a relatively safe city, a fact which some parents take shocking advantage of. There are 5 or 6 girls (I know of) who are in the same boat at my school, and who are regularly talking to the school's social councilor about some of the issues they are facing.
Today, Amy said it was ok anyway most of the time, because when her mum was there she often brought her boyfriend too, and Amy said the place was too small, really. I said, yeah sure. She'd told me that she loved dancing and animals, and one day she wanted a bigger place so she could have a dog, so I said that was great, you keep that dream because your dreams are a way to change your future and make it better. But in my mind, when I hit the word dreams my music mind took over, and up in my head i said your dreams are your ticket out, girl.

I've been playing the song a lot this afternoon again.

[trans-chigley express]

I was listening to one my Year 7 students Amy doing a talk at my desk during the lesson, and in the course of her talk she mentioned how her dad wasn't living with her mum and her anymore, and that her mum was often away for several nights at a time up in mainland China. Not having any close relatives in HK, that meant Amy - 13 years old - was pretty much fending for herself meal-wise for several days in a row each week, doing homework, cleaning, etc.

Sadly, this kind of thing isn't as uncommon as you'd hope in a place like HK

Yeah, I think it's pretty common even with kids younger than 13. Those that can afford it have Filipina or Indonesian helpers that pretty much bring up the kid themselves to the extent that I know some Chinese kids that speak with a Philippines accent which sounds pretty funny. For those that can't afford a helper the kids fend for themselves.

Nice song which I was surprised I remember from the TV show as I don't recall watching it much. I shall now be humming it for the rest of the day.

[Charlie O.]

I remember watching the debut episode of Kotter (I was almost 10) and as soon as I heard that voice under the opening credits my first thought was : "It's the Lovin' Spoonful!" I immediately realized that that wasn't likely, but it was obviously Sebastian anyway, and I was really happy to see his name there in the credits. I'd been a Spoonful fan since I was 3.

I still think it's a terrific song.

[fange]

It is such a fantastic earworm, huh. And JS's harp break is such a perfect touch too.

[fange]

Prince La La - Need You



The sound of my most fevered voodoo dreams.
The mix of America and Africa and the sensual and spiritual in 'Need You' is SO New Orleans. From '62 i think, it's also a wonderful early blueprint of the Dr. John the Night Tripper sound that these same guys would work on in years to come.

Here are some liner notes from the early-'90s compilation More Gumbo Stew: Original AFO New Orleans R&B, by Jeff Hannusch - i've loved reading them, especially about Prince La La, and i bet some of you guys may too.

One of the most mysterious artists to come out of the Now Orleans R&B tradition, Prince La La (Lawrence Nelson) proved to be AFO's most commercially successful male artist. The brother of legendary guitarist Walter 'Papoose' Nelson, had he not died in strange circumstances in 1963, he might well have become the voodoo rock icon that Mac Rebennack aka Dr. John became.

"Prince La La was part of Jessie Hill's entourage. He came with Barbara George to help her audition. I guess at the time Jessie wasn't happy with Joe Banashak, or he would have brought them to Minit. 'You Put the Hurt On Me' was originally Barbara's song, but she couldn't get it right at the audition. When she couldn't get it right, La La sang it to help her. I don't know who it was, but one of the musicians said, "Hell, he sounds so good, let's record him." We were all fascinated by his voice."

The first AFO session (the standard 4 songs) was split between Prince La La and Barbara George, with backing from the AFO combo. Although George's 'I Know' is best known because of its lofty chart success (No.1 R&B, No.3 Pop), Prince La La's 'You Put The Hurt On Me' was actually the label's first release and chart record, making it to No.28 on Billboard's R&B chart and staying there for four weeks.

A previously unreleased track, 'Need You', thought lost until recently, is believed to be a predecessor of the so-called Dr. John voodoo rock sound.

"Yeah definitely," says Battiste, who produced the first Dr. John album "Gris-Gris" for Atlantic/Atco. 'Need You' was credited to Dorothy Hill, but was probably written by Jessie Hill. He couldn't put his name on it because he had a contract with Joe Banashak, and so he credited it to his aunt.
"The arrangement was the African/New Orleans/Congo Square type of spiritual thing that you can only find here. It was something we at AFO all felt. Mac eventually made that sound commercial, but we never cut anything with something being commercial as a forethought - only as an afterthought!"

[fange]

Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper



That "more cowbell!" skit on SNL aside, I have some very bittersweet memories attached to '...Reaper', which means I can generally only listen to it once in a while. In the early '90s, I once took a bus ride from Memphis to Charlotte and must have listened to it on my Walkman upwards of 100 times. It felt like medicine, somehow. I don't search it out much these days, but when I do, man, it still hits the spot so very well, ridiculous middle section 'n all.