At right: Baron Manfred Freiherr Von Richthofen sits in the cockpit of his Albatros fighter for a photograph with his squadron, Jagdstaffel III. Richthofen was credited with downing 80 Allied aircraft before being shot down over the Somme, Northern France, during what was known by pilots on both sides as ‘Bloody’ April, 1917. Manfred’s brother, Lothar, is seated at front (fur collar).
At left:
Album cover art from 1969, with silhouette of the 1937 Hindenburg disaster and a bit of proto-photoshopoopage.
Manhunt, Frank Weir and his Werewolves (1962) A dark suspect is spotted by a posse of rodeo clowns riding Shetland ponies and the manhunt is on. British orchestra leader Frank Weir had several hits during his career, but this tune wasn’t one of them.
Lotta stuff got shook up this week, haboobs flying everywhere, but it’s over for now. Gonna have a great weekend, hope you do also, and we’ll see you tomorrow.
The Okra Smugglers, Henryk Fantazos, date unknown.
Cherry, Oh Baby, The Rolling Stones (1976) For reasons unknown, the Stones covered Eric Donaldson‘s 1971 hit on their studio album Black and Blue. Guitarist Mick Taylor had quit the band in 1974 and they were auditioning for replacements.
David Scott, aka The Kiffness, an artist from South Africa, is known for his collabs with interesting people and animals from around the world. The Joy (singing Isencane Lengane) is an a capella group also from South Africa.
A Band of Bees got a bit of swampy jug band in their blood.
Nashville retro-rockers The Hi-Jivers, filmed in the Torremolinos hills of Spain during the 2020 Rockin’ Race Jamboree.
Dawna Zahn – Vocals
Austin John – Guitar
Hank Miles – Upright Bass
Jason Smay – Drums
Lord help me. I don’t think I’ve heard shakedown gospel this good since Sister Rosetta Tharpe. This is The Future Shape of Sound.
Gonna get hot again this week, maybe get wet, maybe not. See you back here tomorrow for an in-depth discussion, or maybe we’ll do something else instead.
Show Stopper, The Cashmeres (HEM Records, 1965) There is little information about this soul group from Washington D.C. (not be confused with The Cashmeres, a doo-wop group from Atlanta GA, or The Cashmeres from Brooklyn NY, or The Cashmeres from Portland OR). A 45rpm copy of Show Stopper is a rarity; according to Discogs, prices range from $680 to $1800 depending on condition.
Scone Cash Players is a Miami based funk jazz group led by Adam Scone on the Hammond B3. Scone is an Ohio native, and the accompanying video may (or may not) be a hat tip to the steel industry surrounding Youngstown.
Past week so hot I was forced to dig out my official Steve Irwin Crikey Shorts, hose myself down and sit for hours in front of the Vornado. Thankfully, tropical storm Kay showed up and blew out the heat. I’d forgotten how nice it is just to stand in the rain – and listen.
Have a great weekend. Tomorrow we’ll mess with stuff.
My Good Pott, Doc Pomus & Curley Russell’s All Stars (1948)
Jerome Felder, better known as Doc Pomus, was one of the grandfathers of rock and roll. He wrote and performed rhythm & blues, a genre that belonged almost exclusively to black American artists whose 78s were often categorized as “race records.”
“By the late 1950’s he was established as one of the best songwriters in the business which is where he’d make his name and cement his legend. During that time it’s doubtful anyone buying his classic compositions performed by The Drifters, Dion & The Belmonts, Ray Charles and the ultimate white-Negro Elvis Presley, were even aware Pomus once sung this kind of music before any of those artists had even cut their first record.”
