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]
Friday, July 12, 2019
Thursday, July 11, 2019
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Closed for Monkey Business
Late, and very productive, night in the studio.
Regular posting, all tanned and rested, resume on the morrow.
Tuesday, July 09, 2019
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]
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]
Monday, July 08, 2019
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.
...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.
Friday, July 05, 2019
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!
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!
Thursday, July 04, 2019
Return of the Son of Covers Week (Part IV): Special "The Tanks Are Rolling Down the Boardwalk" Edition
From 1997, and a tribute album (One Step Up/Two Steps Back)I somehow managed to miss, please enjoy the legendary Ben. E. King and a quite lovely cover of Bruce Springsteen's holiday classic "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)."
The arrangement takes a little while to get going, but King sings it quite idiomatically, I think.
Anyway, Happy 4th, everybody.
The arrangement takes a little while to get going, but King sings it quite idiomatically, I think.
Anyway, Happy 4th, everybody.
Wednesday, July 03, 2019
Return of the Son of Covers Week (Part III): Special "The Gospel Truth" Edition
From 1994, and the stunning Richard Thompson tribute album Beat the Retreat, please enjoy The Five Blind Boys of Alabama and their spine-tingling cover of Thompson's "Dimming of the Day."
This song has been covered a lot, and I'm convinced it's all but impossible to do a bad version of it; this, however, is probably the most stylistically left field one I've ever heard. In any case, its composer did a gorgeous solo rendition of it when I saw him Tuesday night, and its been on my mind a lot since.
This song has been covered a lot, and I'm convinced it's all but impossible to do a bad version of it; this, however, is probably the most stylistically left field one I've ever heard. In any case, its composer did a gorgeous solo rendition of it when I saw him Tuesday night, and its been on my mind a lot since.
Tuesday, July 02, 2019
Return of the Son of Covers Week (Part Deux): Special "Battle of the Bands" Edition
Britney Spears versus Richard Thompson in a cage match to the death.
Incidentally, I saw Thompson last night (at the, alas, soon to be defunct City Winery in Manhatan) and he was brilliant as ever; he did an apparently as yet unrecorded song called "Crocodile Tears" that reduced me to helpless giggles. I'll try to find a vid of it for posting when I've worked all this covers shit out of my system.
Incidentally, I saw Thompson last night (at the, alas, soon to be defunct City Winery in Manhatan) and he was brilliant as ever; he did an apparently as yet unrecorded song called "Crocodile Tears" that reduced me to helpless giggles. I'll try to find a vid of it for posting when I've worked all this covers shit out of my system.
Monday, July 01, 2019
Return of the Son of Covers Week (Part I): Special "Badass Beatles!" Week Edition
From New York City in 2008, please enjoy -- well, I don't know exactly who these guys are, but they're doing an absolutely astonishing cover of The Beatles' "Old Brown Shoe"...
...which is perhaps the best obscure Fabs tune of all time.
In any case, if that performance doesn't stop you in your tracks, seek immediate medical assistance.
...which is perhaps the best obscure Fabs tune of all time.
In any case, if that performance doesn't stop you in your tracks, seek immediate medical assistance.
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