In which Dave Faulkner is talked into wearing blue eye shadow and primping his hair like Robert Smith of The Cure. ("Nobody will even notice Dave. They'll all be looking at the singing dinosaurs.") Best power pop song of the 80's1
The Gurus are big faves of the kids, mine included. And not just because of this video --which does look like something out of an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba! The Gurus even had a video ( for "Another World" from Magnum Cum Louder) play in heavy rotation at Toys R Us stores in 1989.
With Deep Cuts I highlight a lesser known song from a classic album you may think you know.
Bob Seger's 1976 platinum album Night Moves is best known for its brilliant title track, a Top 5 hit inspired by both Springsteen's "Jungleland" and a dark haired Italian girl he dated when he was 19. The album has two more singles, "Mainstreet" (US #24/ Canada #1) and "Rock and Roll Never Forgets" ( US #41). But there's a great Track 7 called "Come to Poppa", co-written by Al Green producer Willie Mitchell and Hi Records staff songwriter Eric Randle. "Come to Poppa" finds a mean groove and stays right there. Just one of the great tracks on an album I figured I'd never have to hear...until I did.
In '76, Rolling Stone Magazine's Kit Rachlis said "If there's any grace in heaven, Night Moves will give Bob Seger the national following which has long eluded him. It is simply one of the best albums of the year." Robert Christgau gave Night Moves an A- citing "lyrics as hard-hitting as the melodies".
1. In 1973 James Brown records "Down and Out in New York City" among other funky tracks for the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Black Caesar. His backing vocalist, "funky soul siren" Lyn Collins, sings lead on another track, "Mama Soul".
2. A year earlier, Lyn Collins --nicknamed "The Female Preacher"--had a Top 10 hit composed by James Brown called "Think ( About It)". The part where JB shrieks "Yeah!Woo! " (heard over and over again in the 1988 Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock hip hop hit "It Takes Two" ) is probably the most sampled section.
4. Another track sampled on "Jenifa" is the "hoo hoo hoos" from "Take the Money and Run", a Top 20 Single by the Steve Miller Band in 1976. (You know, the one you can sing "Sweet Home Alabama" to.) Steve Miller wrote all of his biggest hits except for one.
5. Steve Miller took this 1973 unreleased five minute jam from blind guitarist Paul Pena and condensed it into a Top Ten hit in 1977. One of music entrepreneur Albert Grossman's gross misdemeanors was preventing the release of Pena's brilliant second album New Train, which featured musical contributions from Steve Miller Band keyboardist Ben Sidran ( who turned Miller onto "Jet Airliner"), The Persuasions and Jerry Garcia.
6. That same year, 1973, Garcia's band The Grateful Dead release the first Dead album on their own label. Wake of the Flood features 1001Songs's favorite Dead song "Eyes of the World".
With the weekly "Odds and Sods" posts, we look at some of rock and pop's oddest songs.
In the same way fathers are biologically wired to have their testosterone levels drop by as much as 50% after babies arrive, mothers must be wired to believe their children are waaaay more talented than they really are.
From an album selected in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Astrud enlists her six year old son Marcello to help her sing the Lovin' Spoonful's "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice". Even Toots Thielemans on harmonica can not save this from being one of the most uncomfortably saccharine recordings in music history. Let's just say I'm not expecting the servers to be overwhelmed by this post.
However the rest of the album makes fine dinner music and Marcello did eventually become the bass player in her band. God, I hope she didn't call him up to the mic to sing this duet when he was fully gown.
From a charming album in which Bongos leader Richard Barone wrote and sang lead on all songs on Side 1 and Bongos guitarist James Mastro took the lead on side 2. Side 1 sounds like a great lost Bongos album and this cut, especially, is an all time favorite of mine. But beware: it's one of those catchy ear worms you'll have playing inside your head for days to come. For the uninitiated The Bongos--along with The Feelies, Yo La Tengo and The Cucumbers --was one of the great Hoboken bands of the 80's and a big part of a power pop revival that made college radio so exciting that decade.
Performing as Brian Eno's backing band are American artist and early punk rocker Judy "Back in Judy's Jungle" Nylon and former model/ singer Polly Eltes who sings on another Taking Tiger Mountain ( By Strategy) cut "Mother Whale Eyeless".
... in which Ray Davies makes his declaration of independence from the rest of the music industry:
Hush little baby don't you cry
Soon the sun is going to shine
We're going to be free like the birds and the bees
Running wild in the big country
Got to be free to do what I want
Walk if I want, talk if I want
Got to be free to say what I want
Make what I want and play what I want
As free as the birds up in the sky
As free as the bugs and the spiders and flies
I don't know how but I'm gonna try
I've just got to be free
And it won't be long 'cos we're right
And they are wrong
We've got to get out of this world somehow
We've got to be free, we've got to be free now
Got to be free to laugh when I want
Think what I want and cry if I like
Got to be free to do what I want
Say what I want and swear if I like
As free as the sun and the moon in the sky
As free as a flea or a proud butterfly
I don't know how but I'm gonna try
I've just got to be free
Yeah, we've got to get out of this world somehow
We've got to be free, we've got to be free now
Got to be free to do what I want
Walk if I want and talk if I want
Got to be free to say what I want
Make what I want and play what I want
I've got to be proud and stand up straight
And let people see I ain't nobody's slave
I've got to be free before it's too late
I've just got to be free
Got to be free to do what I want
Walk if I want, talk if I want
