Music – Page 117 – Tacky Raccoons

Saturday Matinee – Red Foley & Grady Martin, Johnny Burnette, The Yardbirds, Aerosmith & Tiny Bradshaw

Grady Martin was probably the greatest session guitar player in country music (that’s him on an electric double neck). He was the creator of what’s now called Rockabilly, but it was early Rock and Roll. Give him credit also for fuzztone.

That brings us to The Johnny Burnette Trio and “Lonesome Train.” Great early rock. Burnette was the guy who had a hit with a cover of Tiny Bradshaw‘s “Train Kept A-Rollin.” (Grady Martin played for Johnny Burnette in the mid 50s.)

So here’s The Yardbirds‘ 1966 version of “Train Kept A-Rollin”, with Jimmy Page.

Why stop there? Let’s jump to 1977 with Aerosmith’s version of the 1951 R&B song.

What? You haven’t heard Tiny Bradshaw’s original version? Well here you go.

And with that we’re out of here. Have a great weekend, folks, and be back here for more fun tomorrow.

And on this day, Awesome happened.

Shortly after recording what was arguably their best album at Abbey Road Studios, the Fab Four crossed that now famous intersection and posed for this publicity shot. (L to R: Paul, George, John and Ringo.)

Some say the Beatles were too popular, but you’ve got to admit that without “the British Invasion” of the 1960s there’d likely be no Tacky Raccoons.

[Image found here, crossposted here.]

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Update: This is disturbing.

Saturday Matinee – The Beatnix, Zappa, Carl Douglas, The Black Keys & the Streamline Rockers

One of my favorites of The PreFab Four (posted previously).

What the heck. Here’s Zappa’s version.

Here’s to the Royal Disco Wedding for our friends across the pond: “There was funky Chinamen from funky Chinatown.” Great lyrics from Carl Douglas. Reminds me of National Lampoon’s classic “Have a Kung-Fu Christmas.”

Heh. The Black Keys are my current favorites in the land of retrorock, and they fit right in with the Soul Train motif. [Tip o’ the tarboosh to Bunkessa]

And as long as we’re going retro, here’s some rockabilly from the UK: The Streamline Rockers.

That makes five for this episode of the Saturday Matinee, and with that I’m out. Have a great weekend folks, and see you back here tomorrow for more fun.

Saturday Matinee – Zappa, The Ink Spots, Iron Butterfly, Rare Earth & Satchmo

Earth Day has come and gone, and dang, I missed it. To make up for it, let’s run with the theme.

It would be different if I didn’t care, but I don’t want to set the world on fire.

Yep. In the Garden of Eden. On drugs.

That’s a rare Rare Earth vid. Now, to find one more video to round out the set… okay. I got it.

One of the prettiest songs ever written. Happy Easter and have a great weekend, folks. Be back here tomorrow for more fun.

Saturday Matinee – Xylophone Ad, Joey Ramone, New York Dolls, The Milenberg Joys, Red Nichols

A wooden ball is set atop a long, wooden structure that might be a xylophone or a marimba, constructed in the middle of the woods. As the ball rolls downward, dropping onto each wooden “key,” it plays a note, and suddenly we are hearing Bach’s Cantata 147, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” .. “We did not add any artificial music at all,” Harano wrote (though they did adjust some levels to “bring out the sound of river and nature”).

Yeah, ultimately it’s a commercial, but it’s still very very cool. [via]

R.I.P. Joey Ramone (d. 15 April 2001)

The New York Dolls were stuck between classic rock and proto-punk, but they had that pseudo-tranny stuff going on that turned off a lot of potential fans, at least in my opinion.

[Deleted the video. Screw ’em since they’ve blocked embedded links. If they don’t want free advertisement, then they shouldn’t post it on the Utoobage.]

The Katzenjammers. Nice trumpetingness. [h/t to Bunkessa]

So, in place of a cool video of the folks originally posted above, here are The Milenberg Joys. I think they had more talent than that Katzjamband anyway.

Red Nichols & His Five Pennies were awesome in their time.

Speaking of time, I’m out of it. Have a great weekend, folks. Be back here tomorrow for more fun.

Saturday Matinee – Nippoless Nippleby, Dan Hicks, Leon Redbone, 80s Ragtime

Nice absurd animation from the 1980s.

Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks were mildly successful in the 70s with their 1930s hot club jazz/bluegrass style. “Crazy ‘Cause He Is” was my favorite Hicks ditty. (NSFK: flip off in the vid image, mild language warning. Fun song otherwise.)

Leon Redbone’s version of “Polly Wolly Doodle.” According to Wiki, there’s no secret meaning to the song, but here’s a verse I’d never heard:

“Behind the barn, down on my knees,
Sing Polly Wolly Doodle all the day;
I thought I heard a chicken sneeze,
Sing Polly Wolly Doodle all the day.
Oh he sneezed so hard with the whooping cough,
Sing Polly Wolly Doodle all the day;
He sneezed his head and his tail right off,
Sing Polly Wolly Doodle all the day.”

I suspect that the song predates The War Between The States even though the popular tune is played in ragtime. So let’s play some ragtime!

Yep. 1980s hits played in ragtime. There’s something wrong with piano players who can pull off stuff like this (actually, I think there’s something wrong with piano players in general). Must be a subconscious and deep-rooted jealousy thing just because I can’t do what they do.

And with that, we’re done. Have a great weekend, folks. Be back here tomorrow for more fun.

Saturday Matinee – Theft FAIL, Clarence Carter, Small Faces, The Turtles, Sam & Dave

Heh. If you’re going to steal a truck, better know how to operate a clutch. [Found here]

Clarence Carter‘s “Slip Away” was one of the prettiest R&B tunes of the 60s. Here he is in 2010 with an excellent live version.

Small Faces‘ “Hey Girl” from 1966 is fun in a trolley.

The Turtles, featuring Flo & Eddie, with “The Story of Rock and Roll.” About the only redeeming quality of this sappy song (besides the intro) is a nice move at about 01:45.

There should be no introduction needed for these guys. (Watch the dancer on the left… she’s doing a modified boogaloo.)

With that, I’m out. Have a great weekend folks – be back here tomorrow for more fun.

Saturday Matinee – MANT, King Sunny Adé, Steel Drum, ASWAD, The Sonics

MANT!

King Sunny Adé popularized Nigerian juju music during the “World Music” meme of the 1980s. Didn’t hurt that he was awarded the title of Minister of Music there, either.

Oh ya mon. Me got de steel drum reggae.

Adjust your volume up and groove it.

Great Googly Moogly! Here’s The Sonics “Anyway The Wind Blows” from 1967 – and all these years I thought it was a Frank Zappa composition. Woof.

[Update: Maybe I was right after all. On the Wiki list for “Cruising with Ruben & the Jets” the song is credited to Zappa.]

Have a great weekend folks. See you back here tomorrow.

Happy Mardi Gras!

[Image found here.]

Gris gris gumbo yaya to y’all!

Saturday Matinee – The Cowans, Fats Waller, Art Tatum, George Clinton & Leon Redbone

Before you get all humpy like this is just a last minute hodge-podge throw-it-together post for the Saturday Matinee, chill. It’s all good, and it’s all connected in an odd sort of way…

September 2008: Fran & Marlow Cowan played an impromptu recital together in the atrium of the Mayo Clinic. The song is Arthur Clough’s “Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet” from 1910.