Schwinn 24, King Arthur & the Carrots (1966)Kinky Friedmanformed King Arthur & the Carrots while in college, and they recorded one 45rpm. Flip side was Beach Party Boo Boo, cover version here.
[Top image: Created from a kindergartner’s drawing of a car? Nope. It’s El Super Auto del “Potro” Rodriquez, Ingenario Popular. The owner, Alberto Rodriguez (of Deán Funes, Córdoba, Argentina) left a message in the vid comments.]
Chicken Stuff, Hop Wilson & His Chickens (1958)Harding Wilson (1921-1975) got his nickname from playing harmonica a lot as a kid – harp is pronounced hop in Texan. (Chicken stuff goes by another name there, too.) Pop Hop’s steel slide style influenced many other bluesmen.
Oh What A Baby, The Tonettes (1958)The Tonettes (aka The Claremonts) started out in the Bronx in 1957. Sisters Diana and Sylvia Sanchez were killing time when their TV crapped out and were harmonizing by the family piano when TV repairman and aspiring music biz impresario Lou Ezzo heard them. He convinced them to cut a demo session in 1957. Classmate Josie Allen completed the trio, and they had some success in the eastern U.S.
Love Of My Life, The Persuasions (2000)Frankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa is a tribute album released after Zappa’s death in 1993, and if you’re an FZ fan you’ll love it. In 1969 Frank Zappa heard The Persuasions singing in the background during a phone call to a record shop and promptly flew them to L.A. to record their first album Acappella (1970).
ICYMI – For those of you who use WordPress and hate the Gutenberg Editor, we’ve collected some useful hacks that allow you to revert to Classic Editor for some tasks.
[Top image: Location of the 12 trash pandas is unknown, a Tineye search sources Reddit. h/t Rightymouse.]
See See Rider, Janis Joplin (1963) Janis Joplin was 20 years old when she covered the traditional blues song. Ma Rainey was the first to record See See Rider Blues in 1924, but the music and lyrics date to the early 1900s at least. It’s my opinion that the name of the song is a misheard lyric / typo by the publisher, and that C.C. Rider is correct, that “C.C.” stands for “Chitlin’ Circuit” (or “Chitlin’ Café”).
Old Timey-Holler/Ditty, Leonard Emanuel, (1976) Rhino RecordsRecorded at Spivey’s Corner, North Carolina between 1975 and 1976. Back in my apartment days, if the neighbors got too noisy I’d slap Hollerin’ on the turntable and crank it up. Leonard Emanuel worked the best. Things would get real quiet…
Atomic Talking Blues (Old Man Atom), Sons of the Pioneers (1950)The song was written by Vern Partlow (1945) as a satirical protest, and was first recorded by Pete Seeger (1948).