Category: Videos

Saturday Matinee: Hambone, Jeff, Doc, Sonny & Terry

Hambone is the traditional folk music consisting of rhythms produced by slapping oneself and making noises without singing.  It traces its history to the pre-civil war South, and was probably introduced by west african slaves.  Regardless of your musical tastes, Hambone is harder than it looks.  Try it yousef and you’ll see.

The Hambone Brothers showed up occasionally on the long running TV show, “HeeHaw.” The guy on the left was cool, but the guy on the right always creeped me out.

[Presurfer reminded me about ’em.  Honest.]

Jeff Holt does Hambone with the always amazing Doc Watson.

Holt and Watson doing “Soldier’s Joy” and “Ragtime Annie.”

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, with Pete Seeger on banjo.  Terry’s breath control and “whoopin'” on harmonica was directly related to Hambone, if you didn’t notice.  (Unless I’m mistaken, Sonny and Brownie also had a small cameo on the first Blues Brothers movie.)

And finally, a public service announcement from Plaxico Burress.

[Found here.]

Saturday Matinee: Bus Boys, Paladins, Mustangs, Forbidden Pigs

Whatever happened to these guys?  They were a blast when they came out in the late ’70s. Here’s the Bus Boys‘ promo video.

Better yet, whatever happened to The Paladins?  Great 3-man flat head six rockabilly, and here they are live in Holland of all places.  I saw them decades ago opening for The Fabulous Thunderbirds at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, California. Track down any of their records and you won’t be disappointed.

When I was dating the future Mrs. Strutts, we went to see the Paladins in L.A.  Opening for them was Jimmy & the Mustangs.

Opening for the Paladins and the Mustangs: The Forbidden Pigs.  Stand up bassman Billy Bacon was amazing, standing on it, rolling around with it, jamming it. At one point the drummer took a flip over his drumset to beat on the bass while Bacon fingered the chords.  Great show.

Tarsier Skull Shop Drawings

tarsier-skull_hanuman-081121

[Shop drawings from the always excellent Hanuman.  Video linked from here.]

Saturday Matinee: AmIdol O NOES + Animation, Danny Gatton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Buddy Guy

When you’re an 11-year-old girl at a sleep over, watching the results of “American Idol,” some things matter A LOT. [via Woosk.]

This is kinda cool, even though it’s contrived and the music drips with lameosity. Combines Picasso, Dali, Van Gogh and Escher imagery.

Thanks a wad to TR Commenter Breon for reminding me of the late great Danny Gatton. Here’s a kickass medley of Sun Records hits, in typical out-of-sync Utoobage fashion.

But I remember Gatton for THIS incredible stunt. (Phil, y’all pane-tension?)

Here’s Bunk’s favorite pissed-off blues crank, from Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Shortly after Vaughan passed on, Buddy Guy fronted SRV’s band, Double Trouble, on Austin City Limits in 1991. Here’s his tribute version of “You Better Leave My Little Girl Alone”.

Saturday Matinee: Hubba inna Jiggawah Rip It Up Pressure Cooker

1959’s “Shombolar” by Sheriff and the Ravels post dated The Chips’ “Rubber Biscuit” by a few years, but had some of the same Hubba inna Jiggawa phrases. Gotta love it. (Watch for the Dick Dale cameo.)

Bill Haley & the Comets’ “Rip it Up” (ripping off Little Richard’s original verision). Awesome jitterbuggin’… Lookee here for mo betta.

1957’s “Untamed Youth.” Scary stuff.

This one’s for Aussie Phil. Ready for some speed blues? Here’s “PRESSURE COOKER.” Clarence Gatemouth Brown was one of the most underrated bluesmen of the modern era.  He was one of those rare folks that if you told him a set of jumper cables was an instrument, he could play ’em.

Saturday Matinee – Drums: JCB, CW, TB, GK, BR & MR

jimmy-carl-black

Jimmy Carl Black 1938-2008

“Lonesome Cowboy Burt” was “Harder Than Your Husband (to get along with).”  Where’s my waitress?

He was one talented Mother drummer.

Speaking of Zappa’s drummers, here’s a beat-off between Chad Wackerman and Terry Bozzio, with a couple of absolutely ridiculous drum sets.

Don’t like them? Here’s Gene Krupa vs. Buddy Rich.

Don’t like them? Here’s Marky Ramone to explain it all.

Don’t like Marky Ramone?

Eh.

Saturday Matinee on Sunday: Jaco, John, Willie, T-Bone, Helen, Sonny, Brownie, John, Memphis & others (featuring Tom Waits)

Jaco Pastorius with John Scofield.  Not sure who is on drums.  Pastorius is my all time favorite bass player, (with Bootsy Collins a close second).

Willie Dixon was a classic bassman.  Not sure who is on the ivories, but it’s not Eubie Blake, Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons or Pete Johnson.  Memphis Slim?

This has gotta be one of the greatest blues lineups in history:  Willie Dixon, Memphis Slim, T-Bone Walker, Helen Hume, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee and John Jackson.

Emotional Weather Report delivered by Tom Waits.

Saturday Matinee: Stuff (in no particular order)

Pete Drake is kinda famous in a way you’d never suspect after watching this.  I love it. [Found here.]

Ms. Cellanea found this original version of Jurassic Park.

One of the prettiest but saddest Country Rock songs ever recorded:  “Melissa” by the Allman Bros.

On the other hand, the Allmans’ “Jessica” lifts the load. Roadtrip music at its best.

Okay. Y’all heard of Bo Diddley.  Here’s the Diddley Bo played by a master, Seasick Steve.  All rhythm; raw as y’all can get.

(That last one’s for Roo Skinner Phil.  Give him a howdy and tell him Bunk sent you.)

Logging Blogging

No Photoshopoopage here.  This is cutting edge, wave of the future stuff.  I already posted it here, and there’s no reason that you folks should be left out of the loop.  Check it out:

No clear-cutting, only culling of old timbers, without the logging roads.  Ingenious, but slow and expensive.

[Image from here, video from here.]

Saturday Matinee: Levi Stubbs 1936-2008

Levi Stubbs & the Four Tops, on the American TV show Hullabaloo, singing “Just Walk Away.”

From the Wikipoodle:

“Levi Stubbs was an American baritone singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the famed Motown R&B group The Four Tops.”

From Billboard’s Top Pop Singles:

“R&B vocal group from Detroit formed in 1953 as the Four Aims.  Consisted of Levi Stubbs (lead singer), Renaldo ‘Obie’ Benson, Lawrence Payton, and Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir.  First recorded for Chess in 1956, then Red Top and Columbia, before signing with Motown in 1963.  Stubbs was the voice of Audrey II (the voracious vegetation) in the 1986 movie ‘The Little Shop of Horrors.'”

Besides being a cousin to Jackie Wilson (!) Stubbs was also the voice of Audrey II in “Little Shop of Horrors.” I never made that connection until today.

Aretha Franklin’s tribute to Levi Stubbs, after his stroke and during his fight with cancer. Hard to watch.

RIP, Mr. Stubbs.