R&B – Page 14 – Tacky Raccoons

Saturday Matinee – AGW Explained, Pug Sings Batman Theme, Jackson Browne & David Lindley Rip Off Originals, The Everly Brothers Rip Off Jackson Brown & The Original Zodiacs Rocked

Okay, before some copyright dweeb tries to attack me for slander, that title is pure sarcasm. It’s a joke.

I hadn’t seen this entertaining summary, but apparently it’s been bouncing around the internest for a while.
[h/t whatever]

Here’s a Blast from the Past, and it’s exactly as I remember it.
[h/t John DiFool]

Here’s a video that I bet you’ve not seen. Jackson Browne with David Lindley, live on Buenafuente, singing a compilation of Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs’ “Stay” and “Love Is Strange,” a 1957 hit by Mickey & Sylvia. (Note that the original version of “Stay” was the shortest song – 99 seconds – ever to become a No. 1 Hit.)

Here’s “Love Is Strange” <—-click) as performed by The Everly Brothers:

“Stay” is perhaps the greatest doowop song of all time, given the amount of doo and the wopness, all compressed into a hit that runs a minute and a half plus 9 seconds. There is only one vid on the Utoobage of the original performance, and here it is:

That makes the requisite number of five videos complete. Have a great weekend folks, and be back here tomorrow for more stuff.

Saturday Matinee – Jerry Lee Lewis, Joan Jett, The Blasters, Big Joe Turner

Great cover of Johnny O’Keefe’s “The Wild One.” Here’s Jerry Lee Lewis’ version of “Wild Child.”

Although Iggy Pop did a great cover (here’s the instrumental track if you want to sing along), Joan Jett’s version is pretty good, and looky who shows up on the street.

Speaking of covers, here’s The Blasters’ 1981 version of Little Willie John’s “I’m Shakin’.” From the Wikipud:

Phil Alvin explained the origin of the band’s name: “I thought Joe Turner’s backup band on Atlantic records – I had these 78s – I thought they were the Blues Blasters. That ends up it was Jimmy McCracklin. I just took the ‘Blues’ off and Joe finally told me, that’s Jimmy McCracklin’s name, but you tell ‘im I gave you permission to steal it.”

Big Joe Turner was a great big band blues singer in the early days of rock and roll rhythm and blues. “Shake, Rattle and Roll” was his first big hit in 1954, but was coopted by Bill Haley & His Comets (who cleaned up the lyrics for the white folks).

That’s all for now, have a great Memorial Day Weekend, see you back here tomorrow.

Saturday Matinee: Eartha Kitt, Sharon & Binky, Willis, Eddie & Keith

Eartha Kitt (1927-2008). She was THE Catwoman.

Sharon Jones, live in France, backed by Binky Griptite & the Dap Kings.

Willis “Gator Tail” Jackson cranks it in 1955.

Now for Something Else:

Eddie Cochran recorded this in 1959. (Six months later he died in a car crash in England that also injured Gene Vincent and the songwriter, Sharon Sheely.)

Keith Richards’ tribute to Cochran. Richards died of various drug overdoses and alcohol poisonings in 1967, 1970, 1972, 1983 and several other years since. He’s still touring.

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.