La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special "I Thought Career Day Was Usually in November" Edition

From 1970, please enjoy the extremely rich Norman Greenbaum and "Canned Ham" -- the song that DIDN'T add to the fabulous sums of money he's made over the years off of "Spirit in the Sky."

"Canned Ham," of course, was the follow-up; I thought it was brilliant myself (owned a copy of the single), but apparently it lacked that certain je ne sais quoi for the rest of the record-buying public.

That said, let us attend to the weekend's business. To wit:

...and your favorite (or least favorite) post-Elvis pop/rock/folk/soul/country One-Hit Wonder solo artist or group is...???

No arbitrary rules whatsoever. In fact, if somebody (like Greenbaum) had more than one record on the radio but is still generally considered a OHW, and that's who you want to nominate -- that's cool.

I should add that no, to my surprise, I've never done this category before (something similar, yes, but not OHW's specifically). I should also add that, upon hearing "Canned Ham" again for the first time in ages, I am struck by the possibility that Erik Jacobsen (who also helmed most of the Lovin' Spoonful's stuff, and all of Chris Isaaks') may very well have been the greatest producer in the history of both rock and roll. And why isn't there a bio-pic about him yet?

Alrighty, then -- what would your choices be?

Discuss.

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

Nancy's Record Collection (and Mine): Special "Great Lost Singles of the I'm Not Sure When" Edition

From the classic 1999 Yellow Pills (Vol. 1), please enjoy the incomparable Adam Schmitt and his shoulda-been-a-smasheroo "Speed Kills."

I can't recall if that was newly recorded for the aforementioned compilation, but in any event it sounds timeless.

Which is to say -- has there been a better power pop song by anybody ever?

I suspect not. 😎

Ready, Steady, Go Already!!!

From just this week, please enjoy The Jette Planes, and their sublimely Brit-pop-1965-ish new single "5:55."

Seriously, and pardon the cliche, but I didn't know they made 'em like that anymore. What a cool record/song.

In case you're wondering who those guys are (I must confess to being previously unaware of them), let's let them clue us in. Take it away, fellas.

Formed in 2018 The Jette Planes are a Philadelphia based rock band with elements of power pop, garage rock, alternative, and much more intertwined into one sound. With their 2021 debut album “In The Movies'' in their back pocket, they continue to create music and perform as a staple of the Philadelphia underground music scene.

Makes sense to me.

Meanwhile, you can (and should) sample their sizeable discography (six previous releases!) over at their Bandcamp page HERE.

Have I mentioned those guitars just kill me? 😎

Great Lost Singles of the Sixties: Special "Folk Rock!!!" Edition

From 1967, please enjoy L.A. stalwarts The Grass Roots and their brilliant (and a song I've always wanted to cover) "Things I Should Have Said."

In case you haven't guessed, I'm a huge fan of the early version of that "band," despite the fact that they were basically a manufactured construct rather than an organic musical entity. The song in question, of course, was written by the genius Sloan (as in P.F.) and Barri team, who were responsible for more great singles than you've had hot meals, but the aforementioned Grass Roots incarnation were wonderful second-tier pioneers of the immediate post-Byrdsian esthetic that made our AM radios sound so good back in the just pre-psychedelic/San Francisco band days.

Later, of course, with slightly different personnel, they had a run of hits -- like "Midnight Confessions" -- which made them a lot of money but didn't do much for their critical reputation. In any case, the above is just fucking fabulous.

Tomorrow: one of the coolest new songs to have crossed my desk in ages. And from Philadelphia, of all places. 😎

Today's Cartoon Chuckle

I think at this point we can agree that pretty much most contemporary commercial pop hits originate in this way.

Sad, really. 😎

La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special "Hello Young Lovers You're Under Arrest" Edition

Hey, it's Valentines Day!

And in its honor, from 2025 and their fab/gear just released new album Aces Eights & Heartreaks, please enjoy The Shang Hi Los and the sublimely 80s/Blondie-ish confection that is their "Monsieur Valentine."

Seriously -- that gets my vote for Best Song of the Year so far.

In any case, you can find out more about those kids -- including where to buy/hear more of the album -- over at their official website HERE.

And of course, all that leads us to the weekend's business. To wit:

...and your favorite (or least favorite) post-Elvis pop/rock/folk/soul/country love-themed song is...???

No arbitrary rules whatsoever -- your song can be happy, sad, directed at a specific object of affection, or just a general kind of lovey-dovey sentiment. However you're feeling today.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, my candidate (and I won't specify whether it's my fave or least) is...

...and ain't that something?

Okay -- what would YOUR nominees be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

Okay, This Might Be Interesting...

A Led Zeppelin documentary?

In the immortal words of Andrea Martin (as SCTV's programmer Edith Prickley) -- "Could be a hot one!"

BTW, the above is apparently playing in theaters as we speak; my plan is to see it when it shows up on the somewhat smaller (home) screen via Sony, which should be fairly soon. But your mileage may vary.

I should add that I have never been a Zep fan even remotely. But theirs is obviously a hell of a story and-- if memory serves -- I've never seen interviews with either John Bonham or John Paul Jones, so I suspect I'm gonna really enjoy it anyway.

I should also add that I have never owned a Zep album and/or listened to one at home for pleasure...EXCEPT for the last real one (i.e., not a comp of old stuff) they did.

You know -- the one (from 1979) with this absolutely fricking gorgeous song.

Your thoughts?

Closed for Monkey Business

Real life in the age of the Pee-wee Hitler© administration has slowed me down. Sorry.

Actual very cool new music up tomorrow, and get ready for Friday's Valentine's Day observance. Trust me, you'll kvell.

The Last Great Rock Record?

From 1989, please behold in breathless wonder the much-missed (i.e., where's he been lately?) Tone Lōc and his immortal party classic "Funky Cold Medina."

Oh god, that's just perfect; hilarious lyrics, the cowbell digitally lifted from "Honky-Tonk Women," and those sampled guitars (from Foreigner and Kiss, primarily) which work together like a charm.

Serioiusly, first time I heard that I thought I'd gone to rock-and-roll heaven, and I'm only half-kidding about it being the last great etc.

The irony, of course, is that technically it's a rap record, but that's a subject for a whole 'nother time. 😎

Nancy's Record Collection (and Mine): Special "I'd Forgotten How Much I Loved This Song" Edition

From 1973, please enjoy the smash-hit-in-England-but not-so-much-in-this-country "Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine" by Stealer's Wheel.

My god, what a great record (those harmonies! that psychedelic break in the middle!). And to anybody who thinks Stealer's Wheel were nothing more than "Stuck in the Middle..." or a warm-up to Gerry Rafferty's solo career, please to be biting me. 😎

I should add that the 45 version above (which was one of my treasured possessions for years) features a vastly superior arrangement to the version that later wound up on the band's Ferguslie Park LP. Why they re-recorded it I have no idea, as the original is as close to perfection as any record ever gets; as you've heard by now, and as I've said in these precincts before, if "Stuck in the Middle" was the band channeling Dylan, this one is them channeling Revolver and late 60s pop psych in general. Simply gorgeous.

Both versions, however, were produced by the immortal team of Leiber and Stoller, and when is there gonna be a bio-pic on THOSE guys?