Music – Page 101 – Tacky Raccoons

Saturday Matinee: Planet Drum, Sirens, Spelling Bee Champ, Wright

Here’s Micky Hart’s Planet Drum from a few years back. (I have one of the Planet Drum CDs that I play at full blast from my porch on Halloween. I love the way it echoes around the neighborhood, even if Mrs. Strutts hates it. When she’d complain, I’d switch to Tom Wait’s “Bone Machine.” She doesn’t complain about Planet Drum anymore.)

The Sirens from “O Brother Where Art Thou” sang a song both pretty and dangerous. Great movie.

Spelling Bee pro. Great recovery.

Ferret nail trimming tips (via AAF.)

Steven Wright… well, you know what they say. C’mon. You know.

Saturday Matinee: Hollies, Checkmates, Guitar Strings, Waits & Satchmo

The Hollies’ “Just One Look” was a 1964 cover of Doris Troy’s 1963 hit. [More tomorrow.]

[Via Ms. C.]

[Via EK.]

Since Phil posted a TW vid, here’s a reposte. Tom Waits never sings the same song the same way twice.

One of the prettiest songs ever sung. Oh Yeah.

Saturday Matinee: Christmas Present & Psst

1906-st-nick

According to the source, this clip was found in New Brunswickeshire England, in the basement of a home once owned by one of the founders of the Salvation Army. It’s bean carbon dated to about 1925.

Brian Setzer’s rockin’ version of Elvis’ rockin’ version of “Santa Claus Is Back In Town.”

Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” choreographed with lights.

It’s not Christmas to Bunk unless he hears this version by the Ronettes. (Note that in the video the horse is bustin’ butt and that he also has windshield wipers.)

Q: What’s Christmas without the Ramones?
A: Christmas.

[Update 22 December 2008–

Plane Tross has noticed and verified a significant congruence between this post and a previous one: “It’s amazing that when you play “The Ramones” song it’s in perfect sync with “Honka Chickm” below it.”

That’s gotta be one of the best comments ever on this blog. Thanks gobs, Plane. Comments like that are what make me wanna get out of bed almost every morning.]

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.

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: When Day Breaks

Cool animation.

Talking Heads: Wild Wild Life

The Ramones: Sheena Is a Punk Rocker

Tom Waits: Downtown Train

And now for our Feature Presentation:
ATTACK OF THE KILLER PARASITES!

[Tip o’ the tarboosh to the entirely bitchin’ Miss Cellanea.]

Humpy-Blogs.com

Saturday Matinee: Ukeleles, Hair & Drums

Jake Shimabukuro makes his Uke Weep. Amazing.

Kaje. Nice hat. Nice Uke.

Nice animation. Nice Uke.

Nice hair, no Ukes, but wait ’til you see their cantalopes. (Found it on this guy‘s website. The B-52’s are always cool.)

Not sure where these folks are from, but I’d love to hear ’em play this:

Todd Rundgren’s ska more than makes up for last week’s lack of Saturday Matinee offerings. (Here’s Bad Manners’ take on “Bang the Drum All Day.” Unfortunately, no video, but Linerider rocks out here.)

[Image of headbangers via email from Grampa Strutts. More Ukelele here.]

Saturday Matinee – SpinCycle, Howlin’ Wolf, Howlin’ Lou,Henry Mancini & Roy Buchanon

[Found at Arbroath.]

Twilight Zone-ish.

Interesting documentary… Interviews of some of the patrons of the “Spin Cycle” laundromat somewhere in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Oh, yeah. “Ya ya ya aya…” Gotta post some music. Do not mock those who try. [Also found at Arbroath.]

Howlin’ Wolf’s classic “Smokestack Lightning.”

[UPDATE: The bass player in this clip is Willie Dixon. THE Willie Dixon. Sorry I missed giving him credit. Dixon wrote a number of songs that later became rock standards. He recorded some albums himself, and didn’t stutter when he sang. More after the break below.]

“Theme to Peter Gunn.” Here’s Henry Mancini’s live version, introduced by Steve Allen. (The horn section rocks, whether you like it or not.)

Last Post on THIS Spin Cycle: The Late Great Roy Buchanan‘s explosive take on Mancini’s “Theme to Peter Gunn.” (This one’s for all you Aussies – Thanks for the hula-hoops, mates!)

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