Category: Retro & Vintage

Saturday Matinee: Wolf vs. Pig, The Wrecking Crew, Tommy Tedesco, Lightnin’ Hopkins and John Prine

This trippy oddness was found here.  Kinda long, but somebody put a lot of time into it.  The result is excellent.

Here’s a trailer for an unreleased documentary.  The Wrecking Crew was a band you’ve never heard of, but you’ve heard ’em.

Tommy Tedesco was a member of The Wrecking Crew, and was probably the most talented session guitarist ever. He was certainly the most recorded one.

Lightnin’ Hopkins.  How many POS bands covered this great song?

It’s getting late, so here’s John Prine, live at the kitchen table. I miss nights like that.

[Bonus below the break.  I’m gonna break the G-rating just this once, only because I think it’s funny.  Kids, bring your dad in before you click on it, have him read this caveat, and you won’t get into trouble.  I’ll take the blame, and I promise I won’t do it again as far as he knows.]

Continue reading “Saturday Matinee: Wolf vs. Pig, The Wrecking Crew, Tommy Tedesco, Lightnin’ Hopkins and John Prine”

Tweety Bird Dead at 67

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Palm Springs, California (Strutts News Services) – Long admired yet not forgotten, Robert “Tweety Bird” Balderstien passed away at the age of 67 at his ranch home in Palm Desert, Southern California.

Robert Svenson Balderstien, hatched in 1942 in Suffolk, Massachusetts, by immigrant parents, adapted to the stage early, despite his hydrocephelitic condition. Contrary to popular belief, his medical condition did not cause his speech impediment, and for years he battled the stereotype.

Balderstien also rejected the contention that he was female, and fought the resulting insinuations and innuendos all his life before retiring in seclusion in Palm Desert, California.

sylvester-tweety“I never said, ‘I tawt I taw a puddy tat.’  I have perfect enunciation, but Warner Brothers chose to overdub my voice, and I was stuck with it ever since.”

Longtime friend and companion, Sylvester The Cat, also of Palm Desert, gave a touching eulogy that ended with, “Yeah.  I’ll mith him the motht. He alwayth thought he thaw me, and motht timeth he motht thertainly did.”

[Image from here.  Related obituary here.]

Saturday Matinee – Charlie, Ramones, Chantays, Dale, Vaughan

Charlie the Unicorn 3 has prolly been around for a bit.

[Found at Miss Cellania’s Blog ‘o Fury.]

Gotta clean the palate after that one. Hey Ho! Let’s Go!

The Chantays rocked on The Lawrence Welk Show in 1963.

Dick Dale and Stevie Ray Vaughan play “Pipeline.”

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble play Hendrix.

When I was a boy…

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It’s got a zip code, ergo post 1963.

[Undoctored image found here.]

[Kinda Related Story:  If you don’t believe this, you can verify it for yourself. In the google box, type in google trends. When the new box opens, type in Chuck Norris, boobs.

Also, except for understandable spikes in early November 2008 and late January 2009, The Little Mermaid consistently kicks Obama‘s ass. Analyze the data as you see fit.]

Saturday Matinee: Sucky Song & Favorite DooWop


Clever stop motion stuff outclasses a sucky song.

The Dell-Vikings’ “Jitterbug Mary” is an unrecobanized classic.  They were my  favorite doowop group.  I hear this kinda stuff and it makes everything better.

My favorite doowop group was The Five Satins. Here they lipsynch for a bunch of white people.

Gene Chandler was better known for “Duke of Earl.”  Here’s the Duke singing “Good Times.”  Although this song is R&B, he’s my favorite doowop singer.

“Love of My Life” is one of the greatest songs ever, and  Frank Zappa’s bands are my favorite doowop group.  (This song is still my favorite — too bad The Ramones aren’t still around to do a Zappa tribute album.)

[ Woohoo! Post No. 700!]

Mr. T vs. Chuck Norris vs. …FRANK?!

Sunday funnies extraordinaire.

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Rarely do I laugh out loud at internest humor, but this absurd mashup is pure efficient genius.  Full story here, via here.

[Several very related archived posts may be retrieved and perused here and here.]

Saturday Matinee – Kid Ory’s Muskrat Ramble

Kid Ory was one of the greatest trombonists and band leaders of the 20th Century.  One of the early jazz pioneers, his career spanned decades and influenced uncountable others. From Wikipedia:

Kid Ory had one of the best-known bands in New Orleans in the 1910s, hiring many of the great jazz musicians of the city, including, cornetists Joe “King” Oliver, Mutt Carey, and Louis Armstrong; and clarinetists Johnny Dodds and Jimmie Noone.

For many years I thought King Oliver formed the band. Here’s Kid Ory’s band in 1959, playing “Muskrat Ramble,” a song he wrote in the 1920’s.  [Bonus: Interview with Kid Ory.]

Satchmo got his start playing 2nd trumpet in King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, later married the piano player Lil Hardin. Here’s Louis Armstrong’s version of “Muskrat Ramble.”

Country Joe MacDonald blatantly and unashamedly ripped off Kid Ory’s tune (probably without paying royalties) and warped it into a sarcastic war protest song.  Here he is in his blissfully ignorant glory (apparently without the Fish) at Woodstock 1969.

Here’s a kinda related video:  Small Faces’ “Tin Soldier.” There’s a reason they had few TV appearances and I don’t think Spinal Tap could’ve topped that spastic performance. [Found via Mogadonia.]

Just sealed it. I’m going to hell for connecting Kid Ory with Spinal Tap Lego animation.  I am very sorry and I promise that it won’t happen again as far as you know.

Charlie. With an attitude that’s about to snap.

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[Updated with full panel]

[Image from here via Neatorama.]

Pen & Ink: Mattias

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I love pen and ink illustrations, and  Mattias Inks has a good spread.  He’s got a 1930’s comic book style with an odd twist that you gotta see for yourselves.

If I could make a living doing this kinda work I’d need nothing else in life.  Except for food and beer.  Oh yeah, and family.  And a computer with internet access. Nothing else. Maybe a car and a house.  And a stereo.  That’s it.  Except for a refrigerator.  A warm indoor bathroom would be nice, too, with running water and a water heater.  But that’s it.  I know that list is kinda long, so let’s start with a million bucks and move up from there.

[Somewhat related post here.]

Ode to Herbie Hancock

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[Image from here.]