Monday, February 07, 2011

Compare and Contrast: You Can't Get Good Help Anymore

From 1959, please enjoy -- in stereo! -- the original, jaunty Jimmy Jones version of the often (and deservedly) covered "Handy Man."





And from the same year, although recorded (in mono) in 1956, please enjoy -- if you can -- the (to my ears) downright creepy original version by The Sparks of Rhythm.





Seriously -- the Sparks record sounds like the lead singer is a stalker or something; he's got the kind of voice I always imagined Rondo Hatton would have had. It's just deeply disturbing and weird, although I'll grant you perhaps I'm missing the joke.

[h/t Steve Dworkin]

8 comments:

J. Loslo said...

That is strange. Maybe they were trying for a "Sixty Minute Man" kind of thing, and, well, missed it.

DeepKarma said...

Downright creepy nails it exactly. I think I'm gonna go take another shower.

edward said...

You say deeply disturbing and weird like it's a bad thing;>

This is a great arrangement. I can imagine Tom Waits doing it completely unaltered.

MJConroy said...

Jimmy Jones was in the Sparks of Rhythm. He left before they recorded "Handy Man" - lead on that was Andrew Barksdale.

steve simels said...

You are correct, sir. Jones also co-wrote the song with Otis Blackwell, if memory serves...

MJConroy said...

Otis, my man!
Yep - I've got a version of him doing it live backed by the Smithereens.

TMink said...

It's the singer not the song, that makes the music move along. - Pete

Trey

Anonymous said...

This sounds like Jimmy Ricks of the Ravens (after ingesting a quart of STP fuel treatment)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlMhnzuuJLM