Bride of Covers Week (Part III): Special "These Guys Sing Like Birds" Edition

From 1966, please enjoy The Everly Brothers and their lovely take on The Hollies' "Signs That Will Never Change."



Okay, technically this may not be a cover, given that Don and Phil's version came out first. (The Hollies didn't release theirs till 1967, as the B-side of "Carrie Anne.")

Nevertheless, it's gorgeous and I love it and this is my blog so don't give me a hard time.

Bride of Covers Week (Part II): Special "Quick Henry, the Visine!" Edition

From 2008, please enjoy The Bangles absolutely killing it on a version of the Todd Rundgren/Nazz classic "Open My Eyes."



I gotta say that's about as transplendent as it gets, for Debbi Peterson's drumming alone. And don't even get me started on the harmonies.

Who Listens to the Radio?

Well, hopefully you guys. Because I'm going to be a guest on friend of PowerPop Capt. Al's Lost at Sea show this morning. On fabulous Area 24 radio.

You can access the station HERE; after you click on the link, just hit the Tune In button on the top right and crank the volume. The show starts at approximately 11am EST; I'll make my appearance around 11:15, at which point both you and Capt. Al will try to guess the theme uniting all the music I'll be introducing.

Enjoy!!!

Bride of Covers Week (Part I): Special "You Talk Too Much" Edition

From 2019 and their just released Running for Covers album...

...please enjoy the pride of New Jersey The Doughboys (featuring the great Richard X. Heyman on drums) and a hilarious Yardbirds-esque version of Mose Allison's classic insult song "Your Mind is On Vacation..."



As in "...And Your Mouth is Working Overtime."

Long time readers are aware of my affection for both this band and Richard X. Heyman on numerous preious occasions, to which I will only add -- order this new record over at Amazon immediately.

Howard Beale Should Have Lived to See This

From 2017 and the Aussie TV news satire show Mad as Hell, please enjoy Shaun Micallef and friends doing to solemn Sgt. Pepper nostalgia what should have been done to it years ago.



Seriously -- that is one of the funniest things I've seen in my frickin' life.

Have a great weekend, everybody!!!

[h/t Peter Scott]

Image of the Day

Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers discuss a forthcoming recording session in a room in the Hotel Wolcott in New York City on September 30, 1958.

The rock stars were preparing to take an aspiring crooner named Lou Giordano into the Beltone Studios inside the hotel (at 4 West 31st Street).

Holly and Phil Everly co-produced the session. The two songs recorded were "Stay Close To Me" and "Don't Cha Know."

And because I love you all more than food, here are they are.





In any case, as friend of PowerPop Peter Spencer observed yesterday, that picture -- the photographer is unknown -- is worth it for the period decor alone.

Closed for Monkey Business

Late, and very productive, night in the studio.

Regular posting, all tanned and rested, resume on the morrow.

Your Tuesday Moment of Words Utterly Fail Me

From 1963, please enjoy the incredible Bunker Hill and his total destruction to your mind single "The Girl Can't Dance."

There's not a lot of biographical info available on Hill, except that his real name was David Walker and that he was an on again/off again member of the great gospel group The Mighty Clouds of Joy when he wasn't singing the Devil's music under a pseudonym. He apparently died, way too young, in Houston in the early 80s, and hadn't been involved in the music business for quite some time.

In any case, the record features Link Wray on guitar (it was recorded at Link's home studio) and as somebody said in the YouTube comments, it makes Little Richard sound like Pat Boone. Had it been a hit, history might well have been changed in unfathomable ways.

[h/t Tommy Perkins]

Have Instruments, Will Demolish

From 2019, please enjoy The Tearaways...

...and their epic tribute to the legendary musicians known to history as The Wrecking Crew. You know, the guys who played on just about every hit record out of Los Angeles from the early 60s to the early 70s and beyond.



BTW, you may have noticed that heir-to-Keith Moon aka once and forever Blondie drummer Clem Burke is just one of the interesting veteran rockers in this band; for more information on them just go over HERE and tell 'em PowerPop sent you.

Return of the Son of Covers Week (Part V): Special "The Band That Wouldn't Die" Edition

Well, they said it would never happen, but The Floor Models -- featuring some bass player whose name rhymes with Sleeve Nimels -- have a new album out.

And from it, please enjoy their live take on The Byrds version of Goffin-King's classic "Wasn't Born to Follow."



That was recorded during the the soundcheck for a radio broadcast we did for WDST-FM in Woodstock, which is why you don't hear an audience (they hadn't arrived yet). The year, I'm pretty sure, was 1995, but we had been doing the song since our earliest days in the Village, i.e. the early '80s. In any case, it was always one of my favorite things to play live, so I'm especially glad the recording survived.

As for the album itself, it's got four newly recorded tracks (including a song by our late great 12-string ace Andy Pasternack that's so beautiful it hurts) plus six more previously unreleased tunes from the vault that aren't too shabby either. The whole thing is now available for streaming and purchase at CD Baby, Amazon and iTunes; other digital platforms -- Pandora, etc -- will be up in a day or two. Physical CDs will be available in a couple of weeks, but why deprive yourself until then?

Also, we just got added to Spotify, where the album sounds especially glorious. Apparently, they have some kind of technological fix over there that makes our music sound better than it is.

Have a great weekend, everybody!