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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fats Waller‘s “Aint Misbehavin'” (1929) was my introduction to early jazz before I knew who Fats Waller was. 1930s Jazz = Best Jazz in my book.
And then Art Tatum ripped it all apart and completely rebuilt the engine.
Gonna jump a few decades to Miles Davis‘ “Tutu.”
George Clinton‘s Mothership! [via Coldwarrior] One more? Heh. You got it.
Yep, Leon Redbone on Carson, playing “Diddy-Wah-Diddy,” which is somehow apropos for Mardi Gras gris gris gumbo yaya.
Have a great weekend folks, and be back here tomorrow for more fun.
“Hail Fredonia,” written and performed by Frank Portolese with Brian Sandstrom (Bass) and Rusty Jones (Drums).
Now for a completely unrelated vid, here’s Joe Cocker and Leon Russell from 1970 – “Cry Me A River.” Lotta noise, but a lotta fun.
Here’s CCR‘s “Ramble Tamble from 1970, pasted onto a time lapse cross-country roadtrip. The tune reminds me of The Chips‘ greatest hit (sorry, no video action except for a spinning 45):
And then there’s Dan Akroyd‘s awesome and accurate rendition (lyrics previously posted here.)
Hell ride ricky ticky hubba lubba great weekend, folks. See you back here in a Hi-low ‘n sum a-chickawa.
