The Chantays were from Santa Ana, California. The oldest was 17, the youngest 14, when they recorded their 1962 hit “Pipeline” (according to the liner notes on my LP.) I was a kid in the midwest when I first heard it, and I liked it, but I didn’t equate it with surfing. I imagined a rock n’ roll sludge pump.
According to Wiki, the Chantays originally called the song “Liberty’s Whip” but I have my doubts.
A year later, The Ventures co-opted the classic. Not sure if royalties were paid but their version didn’t make Billboard’s Top 100.
Iraq war veteran (Airborne Infantry) bought a plot of farmland in rural Virginia and discovered that something came with it. Grab a mug and listen to his story.
Roy Buchanan (1939-1988) was one of the greatest unknown blues guitarists in modern history. Have a listen to “Roy’s Bluz” live in Austin Texas, 1976. [Related posts here.]
Have a great weekend, folks. Got a nice assortment of Hot Links for you to sift through tomorrow.
Goodbye Mr. Snuggles. (Impressive credits roll, too.)
Stan Ridgway and Wall of Voodoo were unusual for the time. They weren’t prolific, but I liked what they did.
Filmed & Recorded on May 4, 2019 at the Dallas International Guitar Festival
Red House is pure awesome, but I can’t find a direct link to the band.
Kelsi Kee – Vocals
Reece Malone – Guitar
Ally Venable – Guitar
Anthony Cullins – Guitar
Danny Ross – Keys
Mike Gage – Drums
Aram Doroff – Bass
Holy crap. I just found this. So heavy and nasty.
Have a great weekend, folks. See you back here tomorrow for more awesome.
Leon Redbone was an iconic performer who reinvigorated the music of the late 19th to early 20th century, including blues, ragtime, dixieland jazz and country. That he pulled it off in the mid 1970s is an interesting commentary of the state of music of the time (mainstream rock was sucking donkeys). You couldn’t get more retro than Leon Redbone at that time, and he stepped right into the mix.
Rolling Stone described his repertoire as “so authentic you can hear the surface noise of an old 78 rpm.” During a 1974 interview (prior to release of any album) they asked where he first played in public. Redbone responded, “In a pool hall, but I wasn’t playing guitar, you see. I was playing pool.” Apparently he was pretty good at it.
I learned of the song “Ain’t Misbehavin‘” via some sheet music my late grampa had, and I liked the tune. I’d never heard of Fats Waller before I heard Leon Redbone’s version.
In the early ’80s I saw Mr. Redbone perform at The Golden Bear (a small but famous venue with no bad seats). His props were a rattan chair, a side table with a lamp, and his guitar. He was in the middle of a song when he saw the flash of a Kodak Instamatic camera. With lightning speed, he stopped, grabbed a Polaroid Swinger and took a photo of the photographer, then sat quietly humming until the image appeared. He held it up to view.
“Ahhh. Not a bad likeness.”
Then he resumed the song exactly where he left off.
I wasn’t aware of this until today, but there is a documentary on Leon Redbone. Here’s the trailer:
“He was always mysterious, he was always coming and going. It was almost like he was there one second and he’d be gone the next… and you never knew where he’d gone or why or how he’d even left, but suddenly he wasn’t there anymore.” – Jane Harbury, Publicist.
Here’s a link to the full documentary if you’re interested. It’s only 16 minutes, but it’s worth it.
Leon Redbone, you were a breath of fresh air into the stagnant late 70s music scene. May You Rest In Peace.
Definitely dangerous. Hand her something with four wires nailed to it and she’ll jam it down your throat. I want to hear what she can do with a diddley bow.
I had no idea of Lockwood’s pedigree when he showed up at an early morning jazz appreciation class I took in college. For him, it was all about the blues, and his lecture/demonstration blew me away.
He was taught guitar by Robert Johnson (1911-1938), the legendary King of the Delta Blues (and the Grandfather of Rock and Roll) hence the nickname Robert “Junior.”
Most of Robert Johnson’s songs have been covered by modern musicians, but I hadn’t heard the original “Hellhound On My Trail” until today. It’s got unusual chord patterns and rhythms:
You sprinkled hot foot powder All around your daddy’s door.
Here’s Eric Clapton’s version from 2004, and it’s just as disturbing.
Have a great weekend, folks, and remember that everything’s gonna be alright.
Little Walter’s Jump, 1967. From here: “Little Walter‘s harp is accompanied by Hound Dog Taylor (guitar), Dillard Crume (bass), and Odie Payne (drums), at the 1967 “American Folk Blues Festival” in Germany just months before his death.”
Tacky Raccoons 