Brazilian Wax
The Briamonte Orchestra, a kitschy and collectible Brazilian LP from 1970, is available for download
here (big thanks to Jonny at
Delicado!). I've been enjoying their song "Zip" from the
Cafe Apres Midi Prune collection for awhile now, and the rest of the LP is no different - a batch of mellow, "Now Sound" instrumentals that might sound good for a particularly chi-chi pool party. P.S. Happy Fourth of July to our American readers. Back to grilling the hot dogs, yo.
The Melody Haunts My Reverie
My first iTunes mix -
Impossibly Perfect Pop. While busy transferring old CDs out of their jewel boxes, I was thinking about songs that have a rare combination of gorgeous melody and impeccable production. Read on for more ...
IMPOSSIBLY PERFECT POP
1.
Prefab Sprout - Appetite (1985)
The track that inspired this playlist. Nothing less than pure pop bliss.
2.
'Til Tuesday - Will She Just Fall Down (1986)
Aimee Mann's growing prowess as a songwriter holds court in this crafty, Beatlesque number.
3.
The Style Council - My Ever Changing Moods (1984)
So hip and souful. This one makes me want to take off through cobblestone streets in a Vespa scooter.
4.
Astrud Gilberto - Beach Samba (1967)
A trifle, but you can't get better trifles than Astrud bopping along to a bossa beat.
5.
Petula Clark - The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener (1967)
Not as well-remembered as some of her other hits, undeservedly so. A booming production with this wonderful undercurrent of dread.
6.
Swing Out Sister - Heart for Hire (1989)
SOS perfected a swanky, swinging fake-Bacharach sound on this
Kaleidoscope World track. That trumpet is so "I Say a Little Prayer".
7.
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Mundo Hermoso (Pretty World) (1969)
I have three different versions of this song in my iTunes playlist. Very mod, very chi-chi, very Now Sound of Today.
8.
Everything But The Girl - Sugar Finney (1986)
Anything from their
Baby, the Stars Shine Bright album will do. I think I just like the funky wakka wakka guitar on this one.
9.
Pet Shop Boys - Miserablism (1990)
One of their best - and it only ended up as a b-side!
10.
The Supremes - Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music (1970)
Made just after the exit of Diana Ross, during their organic "peace, love and harmony" phase. Beautiful production.
11.
Air - You Make It Easy (1998)
Headphone magic. They should have done more with Beth Hirsch - gentle, ethereal with a hint of melancholy.
12.
The Beach Boys - Time to Get Alone (1968)
A breezy, overlooked gem in the Beach Boys catalog.
13.
Agnetha Faltzkog - If I Ever Thought You'd Change Your Mind (2004)
This song is just so -- amazing. Agnetha's voice sounds like it hasn't changed since 1982.
14.
The Pernice Brothers - The Ballad of Bjorn Borg (2001)
Tough choice between this and "Blinded by the Stars". Both are an extended, wistful sigh set to music.
15.
The Mavericks - I Should Have Been True (1994)
Another case where a fabulous melody overcomes its gimmicky retro trappings. Raul Malo's goosebump-inducing vocal makes this one of the best "fake Roy Orbison" songs ever recorded.
16.
Mandy Barnett - The Whispering Wind (Blows On By) (1999)
Mandy does Patsy, with producer Owen Bradley. A gorgeous, gorgeous song.
17.
Skeeter Davis - What Does It Take (To Keep a Man like You Satisfied) (1967)
Sixties girly pop goes country with state-of-the-art production that includes harps, harpsichord and an early synthesizer. Real groovy!
18.
The Four Tops - Is There Anything That I Can Do (1965)
A Smokey Robinson-penned gem from their second album, imaginatively titled
Four Tops Second Album.
19.
Split Enz - I Got You (1981)
Edgy and dark, holds up surprisingly well.
20.
Wilco - I'm Always in Love (1999)
Rough-hewn song to wind up the mix. That jarring synth line seems like it wouldn't fit in, but it works.
Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin On
Last night I went to
Dusty Groove and ordered
Lalo Schifrin Most Wanted 1968-1979. From the
liner notes, It looks like it delves into the rarities of Schifrin's funky soundtrack/jazz/funk period - like a disco version of the 'Amyityville Horror' theme. There's also the fabulous 'Medical Center' title credits tune, and a 1974
Planet of the Apes tie-in called "Ape Shuffle". Hey, with that name it's gotta be good!
Oddio Delights
We're havin' fun - the archives of the
365 Days project are back online at a new location. Great news for those of us who didn't have a chance to download everything then. Check out the banned Sesame Street ditty "I Want a Monster to Be My Friend" (originally posted Dec. 15th) for a tiny taste of muppetty subversiveness.
Also I want to advise fans of utterly fabulous '60s pop to download "Don't Drop Out" by Dolly Parton, posted at Bubblegum Machine. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Apparently that bizarre alternate universe I always dreamed of where Dolly recorded an echoey, dramatic Shangri-Las-esque teen heartbreak ballad is -- this very one!!
Dusty In ... Manhattan?
Neat little piece on the making of
Dusty In Memphis, part of the Guardian's argument-provoking
100 Greatest British Albums list. I found this via
Max, who rightfully bemoans the lack of anything by Saint Etienne on the list. No Depeche Mode, either. It's bollocks, I tell ya.
Jasmine of My Mind
A glance at the iTunes Music Store brought a surprise - a
new remix of Seals & Croft's moldy oldie, "Summer Breeze". Apparently it's being used in the new
Gap commercials. After several listens, I can say it definitely improves on the original. Philip Steir's remixing amounts to some unobtrusive record scratches and more pronounced percussion - subtle enough not to get in the way but crafty enough to refashion it into a newer, fresher song. Pass me a margarita, Pedro. (
iTunes link)
Scratch Out 'Mogul' on her Resume
On the occasion of Madonna selling her stake in Maverick records, the BBC looks at other
artists-turned-moguls and their spotty history. They forgot to mention David Byrne's
Luaka Bop label. Luaka Bop succeeded where Maverick failed because it had more modest ambitions -- even so, the label helped redefine how world music is marketed to an English-speaking audience and gave the genre considerable hipness. Not too shabby, Mr. Byrne. (via the
Sound Scavengers list)
Aural Sculpture
Slant serves up another batch of tantalizing goodies with
Vital Pop: 50 Essential Albums, a list still in progress. Nice to see that they're concentrating on overlooked gems from the '90s, such as Erasure's wonderful
I Say I Say I Say.
Groovy Gals
Cha Cha Charming - "A journalistic tribute to girl-powered
pot pop - past, present, and future, and from all over the globe." My kind of magazine! This comes via
Mister Pants, who deserves major props for hosting
the opening credits from Sherwood Shwartz's Saturday morning sitcom
Big John, Little John. I used to watch this, even though it was a piece of crap. That theme song and credits sequence was mesmerizing.
Jewel Box Redistribution
Toothache, the newest scrubbles.net mix disc, is ready to go. Everyone who gets one also gets a free, old skool chunky jewel box from my own personal collection (chunky jewel boxes have to be the most inelegantly designed things ever made, all hard angles that stick into your fingers, but I digress). Mellow songs from roughly 1967-71 call to mind couples walking though a field, picking petals off a daisy. Harpsichords aplenty. Some of the selections have odd, quasi-psychedelic elements, like Elvis Presley's
"Edge of Reality".
Friday Listening
Nick Drake Made To Love Magic - nicely done promotional site for a new rarities collection.
I'd Give It a 10, Dick
A Million Love Songs promises several gems of indisputably sing-in-the-shower POP a day in weblog format. Looks cool -- how could it go wrong when
Max "Hippest High School Teacher in America"
Jones is one of the contributors. Tip: download late at night and you won't have as many problems.
Obscuresville U.S.A.
Coolness. The iTunes music store now has a treasure trove of rare
early Motown singles from 1959-62. Sure, you know the Temptations and the Miracles -- but what about the Satintones? Or Mabel John? Or Henry Lumpkin?
Thinktank Musictank
MusicMobs is another site where you can upload an iTunes or WinAmp library to share and compare with other people. Similar to the
Internet iTunes Registry, but with better functionality and nicer graphics. As soon as
my playlist was logged in, a colorful mosaic of tiny album covers popped up:
Cool!
The Song Remains the Same
Find out your
pop star name,
rock star name,
rap/hip-hop star name, and
country star name (all thanks to
pvtv.org). It's easy. Two minutes later and I have a host of handy pseudonyms - C.T. Lawrence, Butch McBain, C-Mack, and Buddy Hill, y'all.
Sunburst and Snowblind
An illustrated history of 4AD Records - simple interface, nicely complements the graphic genius of Vaughn Oliver. (via
TMFTML and
TMN)
Musical Mama Cat
Sweet -
Cat Songs to Celebrate Mama Cat. Katyana of
Oddio Overplay created this special musical playlist in honor of our childrens book,
Mama Cat (currently ranked at a blazing 1,868,094 on
Amazon). "Kitty from Kansas City" is my favorite.
Big Mouth Strikes Again
Hip-O Select officially launches today. Basically it's
Rhino Handmade as served up by megahumungo entertainment conglomerate Universal. No surprise that everything they've done has been a ripoff of what Rhino does so well, right down to the cartoon mascot. Still, Hip-O has access to the wonderful back catalogs of Motown, Verve and A&M records - so I'm eagerly awaiting what they'll offer.
Young American Miss
New mix:
Smile, inspired by the 1975 cult comedy about a teen beauty pageant. Doing a mix around a movie was harder than I anticipated. Some of the songs were performed in the film (by different artists), some remind me of characters and situations, some of are just vaguely reminiscent of that time and place.
Another thing I listed at eBay - a trio of groovy
drug awareness pamphlets from 1969. Ooh, the colors. Somebody
please tell me what the fonts are on these!?!
Pop Rocks
Probably not legal, definitely a whole lotta fun:
Bubblegum Machine, weekly mp3s with a cheeky "if it's ever been on K-Tel or Ronco, it's in" philosophy. Via
Pearls That Are His Eyes. Among many great songs, it has
"I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy. No offense to "I Am Woman", but I would've picked
"Delta Dawn" with its campy lyrical drama and overenthusiastic backup singers. I even put it on my next mix disc.
Cool, with a Twist of Lemon
Recipe for a mood lifter - go to
this page and download the song "Summer Sun" by Koop. Swanky, jazzy, nifty and neat!
Listen Rock Compute
The
WFMU pledge drive is in full swing. Coolest radio station on earth.
Things I Had No Idea Existed, Part XLVII
"That's right: there were a handful of records released in the late 70's and early 80's that contained computer programs as part of the audio. This is totally insane, and totally great." - blogger Adam Kempa (on of my early faves) delves into
digital programs embedded in old records and casettes. I'm happy to discover that Adam is back in action.
Funky Music Sho' Nuff Turns Me On
50 Great TV Themes, originally posted here in August 2002, has been copied to
its own page. I just wanted to have a more permanent home for this and the
100 Favorite TV Moments page. If you're a more recent scrubbles reader, check it out!!
Mingering Mike Exposed
Today's New York Times has a
longish article on the uncovering of Mingering Mike, folk artist and Imaginary Soul Brotha #1 (my
earlier post on the same subject).
Music Geek Central
The Internet iTunes Registry (via
Robot Johnny) - upload your iTunes xml file to a central database which then catalogs your music library by year, genre, most played albums, etc. You can view the entire community's stats as well. If you're feeling voyeuristic, I have an account under the name mhinrichs. According to the registry, my most played artist is the early-'70s soul trio the Honey Cone ("Want Ads"). Maybe I should be embarrassed by that, but goddam it I love the Honey Cone.
Leave No iPod Behind
I Pod, You Pod, commentary from the
Phoenix New Times: "MP3 players are deadly in the way they appeal to the narcissistic record-collector geek in all of us, rendering us drooling, bag-eyed, obsessive-compulsive fools who painstakingly type in album after album and track name after track name just so
everything's absolutely perfect."
3D Glasses Not Included
In his blog, Gary Panter
recounts how the
cover artwork for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' first album came about.
What I Bought at Dusty Groove
For Christmas, I received a $50 gift certificate at
Dusty Groove America. Thank you, Santa! This is what I ended up getting:
Nino Nardini and Roger Roger
Jungle Obsession
Pulp Flavor [France] reissue of 1971 LP
Nino Nardini and Roger Roger were twin titans of library music, supplying mood pieces for countless movies and television productions. 'Jungle Obsession' is a rarity of the genre - a complete, cohesive album centered around the idea of a magical jungle. Their approach here was late-period Exotica with a little funkiness, similar to Les Baxter's Que Mango! The end result is atmosperic, crystalline a-go-go music that wouldn't sound out of place at Disney World's Tahitian resort.
Various Artists
Cafe Apres Midi: Olive
Universal [Japan] compilation, 2000
The best mix discs ever? On the Cafe Apres Midi series, compiler Toru Hashimoto delves into the most obscure and eclectic tracks to achieve one overriding mood - summery, sweet, jazzy and impossibly hip. The Olive edition is basically the sexy Brazilian ladies (Gal Costa; Astrud Gilberto; Elis Regina) competing with the swinging French chickies (Catherine Deneuve; Claudine Longet; Brigitte Bardot), ending in a draw.
Barbara Randolph
The Collection
Spectrum [UK] compilation, 2003
Barbara Randolph released only two singles on Motown subsidiary Soul records, neither a hit. Thirty plus years later, she finally gets her own compilation with 15 (!!) previously unreleased songs joining the singles. The newly unearthed material is not especially outstanding, but Ms. Randolph keeps it funky and exciting with several interesting covers (such as a smokin' rendition of "The Look of Love"). Nice; not essential.
The Free Design
Heaven/Earth
Light in the Attic [US] reissue of 1969 LP
The Free Design must be the most underrated group ever. This album is a good example of their gorgeous harmony folk-pop - mellow and groovy but with sharp songwriting that has a playful, witty edge. The Light In The Attic label is reissuing the F.D. catalog with beautiful remastering, neat packaging, and unexpectedly good bonus songs. I'm eagerly awaiting others later this year.
The Mingering Mike Show
From the
Sound Scavengers list: a DC record collector unearthed some incredible homemade albums created by an amateur artist back in the '70s - complete with fake liner notes, labels and bar codes. Takes a while to load, but you gotta see it!
Note: link was since removed by the original poster in deference to the individual's privacy.
Muzak of Our Minds
Someone from the
Sound Scavengers mailing list pointed to this interesting
Straight Dope column about the origins of Muzak. Insteresting because the column was done 22 years ago, and our concept of "background music" has changed a lot since then. The kind of lulling instrumentals that were once the bane of elevators, supermarkets, and dentist offices is rarely heard nowadays.
I should know. During my teen years in the '80s, I worked at a restaurant. I was often put on "dining room" duty, which was cleaning tables and floors and making sure the garbage receptacles didn't get too full. It was during these long shifts that I became very acquainted with the restaurant's piped-in music. The owner, a crusty little Greek, insisted on using a Muzak-type service that played the most inoffensive, marshmallowy pop instrumentals. At first I hated it. Then weirdly enough I started noticing the odd arrangements, some left over from the groovy '70s, and the occasional awkward song ("With or Without You"??) that you'd never picture getting this treatment. Some of it was even pretty good! I started to appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into creating something designed to be noticed only subliminally.
That must have been the end of an era. Since then, I've rarely encounted that old-style stuff used in public spaces. The Muzak company is still thriving, but now you're more likely to hear Celine Dion warbling while waiting in the supermarket checkout line. What does it mean? That we like our background music less backgroundy now? I dunno.
Wimpiest Song Ever?
I heard it in a restaurant two days ago. Like the flu, it lingers on. Dan Fogelberg's "Longer", which ascended into the
Billboard Top 10 exactly 24 years ago, has to be the wimpiest song ever. Fogelberg sings as if he were strolling through a meadow, plucking petals off a daisy. There's even a fey trumpet solo. Gag me with a granola bar! Outside the occasional 'American Idol' contestant, one doesn't hear much sensitive male balladry these days - and never anything as passive as ol' Fogey. Can anybody top this?
Related:
Every Billboard #1 Adult Contemporary Hit of the '80s.
Goofy Music for All
Oddio Overplay looks like a great source of interesting downloadable music. I'm gonna check out their
Pop Hits! collection and
this one of drug-influenced jazz of 1932-45.
Disco Sesame
Ninja Tune just released two rare
disco-era remixes of "C Is for Cookie" by the Cookie Monster. Also included is DJ Food's new remix of the Pointer Sisters' "Pinball Number Count". Very Cool! Too bad it's only on 12" vinyl though.
Modern Life is Rubbish
A rant against the music industry from a piss-and-vinegar spouting Brit (via
Robot Action Boy, who helpfully suggests the quirky Spanish label
Siesta as a good place to find interesting new music).
Snow Bomb
If you're on the lookout for wild, wacky Christmas music, head on over to
Basic Hip's Digital Oddio and quick. He's got the Three Suns' 1959 album
A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas available for download, but only for the next few days. This is one of my fave albums ever - Holiday or no. If you must do one song, check out their weird "White Christmas" or the rockin' "Russian Sleigh Song".
Thank Goodness He Never Covered "Oh Boy"
Make-Believe Michael - the Phoenix
New Times tilts a sympathetic ear toward Michael Jackson's latest hits collection.
Speaking of MJ, I've taken a shine to one of his earlier, rarer songs which I downloaded off the iTunes store - "Little Christmas Tree". This sugary ballad was recorded for the 1973 compilation A Motown Christmas and captures Michael at his teenaged best. The arrangement is very dated and sickeningly sweet - with backup vocalists sounding as if borrowed from a Partridge Family session - but the lead vocal is astonishing. It shows a young man bursting with poise, soulful yearning and innocence, worlds away from where he is now.
On the Floor, In the Round
Today at the Morning News:
recollections of 'Thriller'-era Michael Jackson. Doesn't sound like much, but it's really a beautifully written little piece about the changing relationship between a performer and a fan.
Booty Quakin' Non-Hits!
Download the 101 Strings'
Exotic Sounds of Love, courtesy of Jonny from
Delicado. 101 Strings has had an interesting history. Most of their records are crap, but occasionally there are a few gems. This particular one is the kind of music that Mr. Horny Bachelor of 1970 might put on to get his "special lady" in the mood.
Booty Shakin' Hits!
Max's Top 40 Songs of 2003. Choice picks from Max of
Lots of Co., hippest high school teacher east of the Mississippi. If it weren't for Max, I would be completely in the dark on current pop music (one can overlook his bizarre attraction for the Cheeky Girls). He knows his stuff.
Make Way for Devastatin' Dave, the Turntable Slave
Worst Album Covers Ever. Friggin' hilarious.
Where the Exoticats Go
Nifty download alert:
Two Zombies Later is a two CD collection of new music played by members of the Exotica Mailing List. I've only downloaded one track thus far ("Up In Flames" by
Misty Roses) -- but since the project was produced by Otis Fodder of
365 Days fame, you can bet the whole thing probably reeks of retro-cool. Nice graphics, too.
Mix It Up
Over at
Art of the Mix, users were asked to compile
"Frankenstein mixes" made up of songs that fit certain criteria (such as a song with the word "look" in the title). This has inspired all sorts of interesting results.
My own Frankenstein mix came out weirdly disjointed but with a lot of nice segueways between songs. Discovered via Kathleen at
Pearls That Are His Eyes (here's
her mix).
Too Many Alfies
The Hitmaker Archive - searchable database of seemingly every rendition of Burt Bacharach's songs ever recorded.
Space Age Morning
Spent this morning grooving to the
Space Age Pop Live 365 radio show. Check out
the playlist and the wild cover designs on some of the albums.
This one is among my favorites from back then (Capitol records' late 50s cover designs were absolutely spectacular). There's also
Delirium in Hi-Fi with an illustration by the recently departed
William Steig. And
this, and
this, and, well just go there.
Kites Really Are Fun
Free Design 67-72 is a personally selected compilation made for
Ms. Sparky and just posted at Art of the Mix. The Free Design was one of the most underrated groups ever. I keep coming back to their music because of its utter uniqueness (that's probably why their records originally didn't sell worth squat), occupying a space somewhere between folksy, jazzily adult music and that genre known as Sunshine Pop. Since they were backed by the experienced house musicians at Enoch Light's groovy Project 3 label, the arrangements have a craftsmanship and clarity unparalleled in sixties pop. The vocal harmonies are gorgeous. On the down side, they had a tendency to be cloying, what with all their songs invariably being about springtime and bubbles and rain and baby animals. Still, like most sugary substances, it's highly addictive. Seattle's Light in the Attic Records just reissued
two of their original albums with bonus cuts.
This fansite has everything you'd ever want to know about them.
Nah Nah Nah Gonna Have a Good Time
365 Days lately seems to be posting a run of twisted kiddie records from the past. There's a
Strawberry Shortcake medley that explores the Smelly One's roots as a disco diva. This came five days after the
Pac Man cash-in music that isn't "Pac Man Fever". Also there's the inspiring
"Chicken Fat", which I remember constantly being played at grade school excersize drills. A
Casper the Friendly Ghost song, Mini Pops'
ABBA Medley and something called
Charlie the Hamster Sings the Ten Commandments round out the pickings. Having heard exactly zero of these songs I cannot verify their goodness, just a warning.
C'Mon, Jesus Jones Wasn't That Bad
Pitchfork selects the
50 Most Common Used CDs. I sailed through this with smug satisfaction. I'm impervious to every lame-o alt-rock trend, yessiree. Then it was revealed that I own/owned
all of their
top five picks. D'oh. (via
I Love Everything)
In Search of the Wannabees
My pal
Aldo is putting together a homemade CD of Madonna soundalikes, songs that slavishly imitated Madonna's signature sound during her 1983-89 peak. I assume the more girly and poppy and cotton candylike the tune, the better. We put our heads together and came up with some ideas. Click "continue" for more.
Here's what we came up with ---
Baby Love - Regina
Baby Talk - Alisha
Each Time You Break My Heart - Nick Kamen
Fascinated - Company B.
Hooked On You - Sweet Sensation
I Love You More Than You Know - Martika
Right On Track - The Breakfast Club
So Many Men, So Little Time - Miquel Brown
Shake Your Love - Debbie Gibson*
Show Me - The Cover Girls
Turn Your Love Around - Hazell Dean
Two of Hearts - Stacey Q
Who Found Who - Jellybean*
* these I thought of later on.
Jog your memories, now. Any other suggestions?
Music for Coffeewise Tokyo
Expensive Japanese Compilations I'm Obsessed With - the
Cafe Apres Midi series. Subtitled "Music for Coffeewise Tokyo," these comps are each named for a color and tend to skew toward obscure Brazilian and American jazzy pop of 60/70s vintage. They look super, super cool. I just bought the
Azur one and, although it's wildly eclectic, there's not a single dud among its 25 tracks.
Has anybody else heard these? Reccomendations?
Everything Is Everything
It's a good "slam on the record industry" day. This
oft-linked page outlining how the Apple iTunes store rips off artists is an eye-opener, but it won't stop me from buying stuff there.
The real scorcher is this story in today's L.A. Times. It's about record labels having their employees record stupid little Christmas albums as a shady way to recruit new Grammy voters. Apparently, under current rules, anyone can become a Grammy voter by appearing on at least six songs released in a given year. That's right, Bob from accounting and Helen from the receptionist's desk can become recording stars! The most hilarious tidbit – one of these albums sold only 34 copies.
I think I'll just stick to listening to The Classic Soul Network. They really made my day by playing Tammi Terrell's perky "Can't Stop Now (Love Is Calling)". Solid! (That's Tammi's picture by the way.)
Electronic Essentials
Slant magazine recently compiled its
25 Greatest Electronic Albums of the 20th Century. Pretty self explanatory, but I was glad to see the 1984 platter
(Who's Afraid of?) The Art of Noise! recognized as the overlooked landmark it is.
Working on a Groovy Thing
More
Space Age Pop aural nuttiness:
"House of the Rising Sun" by the Sammy Kaye Orchestra. Brad Bigelow's knowledgable liner notes are as entertaining as the track itself. Earlier,
I wrote about another spotlighted track from his site, the ultra-corny
"Walk Don't Run" by the Marty Cooper Clan. Now I'm just finding out about the others - click on for a listing.
Here are the ones I could find:
Indie Thing
Matador records gets a generous going-over in
The Denver Post.
They Play, I Listen
In a software upgrade at work, they finally put iTunes on my Mac. This seemingly innocuous act translates to - quick and easy internet radio! Finally I can get reacquainted with the glories of
WFMU. I tuned into
Monica's shift yesterday morning. Brilliant. You gotta admire a program that plays both Krautrock and Lalo Schifrin's disco rendition of the
Jaws theme. (Picture is from the lovely
onfocus.com vintage radio dial gallery.)
Cool, In a Crappy Sort of Way
New at Space Age Pop:
The Marty Cooper Clan, an impossibly lame early '60s vocal group put together by RCA in an attempt to tap the rock 'n roll market. Their main gimmick was arranging the male vocalists to sound like guitars. As the page says: "Think how you would imitate a rock guitar melody line when you were playing around with your friends when you were about ten years old. 'Nyow, nyow, NYAAOOWW!'"
You've gotta hear their downloadable version of "Walk, Don't Run" for the full effect - it's hilarious. (This and below were spotted on the
Exotica Mailing List.)
Another Fascinating Dead Person
Franklyn MacCormack was a radio personality beloved for his melodious and calming voice. This tribute site was assembled by Otis of
365 Days and Ford of
Basic Hip's Digital Oddio. Nice!
Contains Nothing by Britney, Eminem or Celine
For the newest edition of
Professor Barnhardt's Journal, editor
Bob Sassone asked contributors for their personal favorite songs of the last 20 years - including yours truly. This was in response to VH1's totally lame-o top 100 songs list, and the results are eclectic and fun. The accent was on personal favorites, not historically important or popular tunes - so of course this necessitated putting "Xanadu" in my own top ten.
Whenever I do these lists, there are always several "D'oh!" moments that inevitably come up
after I submitted them, like - "Oh, man I forgot 'The Boy with the Thorn in His Side'!" and "Hey, that Broadcast song from a coupla years ago was pretty swell, why did I leave that off?"
My list -- for this week, anyway:
1. "Everyday I Write the Book" - Elvis Costello & the Attractions (1983)
2. "One More Time" - Daft Punk (2001)
3. "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" - R.E.M. (1984)
4. "Xanadu" - Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra (1980)
5. "Hey Ladies" - Beastie Boys (1989)
6. "Someday, Someway" - Marshall Crenshaw (1982)
7. "Holiday" - Madonna (1983)
8. "Never Knew Love Like This Before" - Stephanie Mills (1980)
9. "Back on the Chain Gang" - The Pretenders (1982)
10. "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's (1981)
11. "Mysterious Ways" - U2 (1991)
12. "You're In a Bad Way" - Saint Etienne (1993)
13. "You On My Mind" - Swing Out Sister (1989)
14. "It's Alright, Baby" - Komeda (1998)
15. "Sexxx Laws" - Beck (1999)
16. "Cruel to Be Kind" - Nick Lowe (1979)
17. "Birdhouse in Your Soul" - They Might Be Giants (1990)
18. "Dreaming" - Blondie (1979)
19. "Remind Me" - Roykksop (2002)
20. "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" - The Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield (1987)
