Saturday Matinee – This Is Hormel (1964), The Rave-Ups, Tom Waits, Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood, and Freddie King

Everything you ever wanted to know about Hormel… up to 1964. [h/t SL]

The Rave-Ups got some traction for their work in the movie Pretty In Pink (1986). Their cover of the ByrdsYou Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere is pretty good, too.

Tom Waits does rockabilly his way, and the intro on his live version is pure awesome.

Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood tell the truth (2009).

Any Freddie KIng jam makes me smile, and Boogie Funk (ca. 1968) matches what’s been going on in my brain lately. (I’m not sure that’s the correct song title – it might be Feelin’ Good.)

Have a great weekend, we’ll see what happens tomorrow.

Gonna be a cold day in Hot Links

Wham! Lonnie Mack (1963) The Wham of That Memphis ManHit song from his first album was likely influenced by Bobby Blue Bland‘s Turn Your Love Light On (1961) and there are echoes of it in Clarence Gatemouth Brown‘s Pressure Cooker (1985).
Musical transcription of Wham! .pdf download here.

Cat Train.

Stairway to WTF.

Repurposed cats.

Repurposed hogs.

Ming “Hafrún” the Clam.

Hey you! Fossil Bug Penis!

I don’t want to be President.”

Switzerland Mountain Coaster.

The Immigrant Song vs. Bali Hai.

Trichophagia can result in bezoars.

The note on the napkin read, “Can you help me?

The note on the napkin read, “Do you need help?

ElectroBoom (aka Mehdi Sadaghdar) is awesome.


From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago.


[Bernie Mitten Aquittin’ image found here.]

Keleusmatical Hot Links

Guitar Boogie Shuffle, The Virtues (1958)Recorded as Guitar Boogie Shuffle in 1953 by both The Esquire Boys and The Super-Sonics, Frank Virtue (aka Frank Virtuoso) was 35 when he recorded this cover of Arthur Smith & His Crackerjacks 1948 hit Guitar Boogie.

My opinion.

Poncho Sales.

Dog likes Pavarotti.

Don’t try this at home.

Now about this QAnon business…

Banjo Boy. (It’s not who you think it is.}

The first “toy” to be advertised on TV.

A bored Viking traced his feet 1100 years ago.

Why is that person running? [h/t Feral Irishman]

What Did Jack Do is 17 minutes of pure David Lynch.


Top image: The missus was about to pitch these cool shades, and my new mask stops BBs at 800fps, so it ought to be able to stop a flying ‘Rona. I’ll test it out at the clinic on Monday.


From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago.


Saturday Matinee – Gillian Hills, Delbert McClinton, The J. Geils Band & Bobby Womack

“‘Tut Tut Tut Tut’ is indeed the Franco-phonetic way of imitating a busy signal. In the course of this two minute song, Hills huffs 7 TUTs in a row, four different times for a total of 28 TUTS. Then she adds another 15 or 20 during the fade. Who doesn’t love her TUTS?”

The song is featured in the 2020 TV miniseries “Queen’s Gambit” starring Anya Taylor-Joy, but Gillian Hills recorded “Tut Tut Tut Tut” in 1960, featured in the movie Beat Girl. An English version, Busy Signal was recorded by The Lollipops in 1965.

[Update – Corrected factual error. That is Gillian Hills in the video.]

“McClinton sounds EXACTLY like Peter Wolf!” – video comment

Delbert McClinton is the sound of Texas soul, and has the credentials, backing the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson II, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Jimmy Reed. Eventually he had a national hit, playing harmonica on Bruce Channel‘s “Hey! Baby” in 1962.

“Wolf sounds EXACTLY like Delbert McClinton!” – video comment

The J. Geils Band on The Old Grey Whistle Test 1973 (before all that garbage they put out in the 80s). They also covered this song:

Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, Bobby Womack was slowing down by the time of this 2013 performance, and he passed away the following year at age 70. He first recorded “Lookin’ For A Love” with his brothers as The Valentinos.

Guess that’ll do it for now. Have a great weekend while you can, see you back here for dessert.

Saturday Matinee – Andre Antunes, The Cleverlys, Ricky Skaggs & The Whiskey Gentry

Hold onto your earflaps people. Andre Antunes has a hit on his plate, and he included the lyrics so everyone can sing along.

The Cleverlys Who’s That Knockin’ At My Door is pure gospel bluegrass. Awesome happens at 02:30 with Irl Hees on bass. He’s no longer with the band.

In November 2019, Mr. Hees was charged with felony domestic battery in the second degree and felony aggravated assault of a household member.

“Hees said the argument was over his communication with an ex-wife. He said at some point during the argument, Heather DuBroc walked into the kitchen, picked a pistol up off the kitchen table, and pointed the weapon at him.” [Source]

Ricky Skaggs is one of the greatest mandolin players to come out of the 1980s bluegrass revival, and Highway 40 Blues is one of my favorite early morning roadtrip songs. Skaggs continues performing at the Grand Ole Opry.

Another of my favorites is the ballad of Colly Davis, written by Steven F. Brines and Jim Smoak. I’ve heard a few versions, but this one by The Whiskey Gentry blew me away.

That should keep you rollin’ a while. Have a great weekend folks, and do whatever seems righteous. See you back here tomorrow for more things to click on.

Saturday Matinee – The Gunfighter, Freddie Bell & the Bell Boys, The Bus Boys, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band

“In a small town in the old west, a lone and weary gunfighter enters a saloon.” The Gunfighter is a classic short by Eric Kissack (narrated by Nick Offerman). NSFK content, language.
[h/t Andy D.]

Freddie Bell & the Bell BoysGiddy Up A Ding Dong” (1956) as performed in Rock Around The Clock, (a showcase movie featuring DJ Alan Freed). The song was written in 1953 by Freddie Bell and his friend Peppino “Pep” Lattanzi.

The Bell Boys played covers of black R&B artists, including Big Mama Thornton’s Hound Dog. Elvis Presley heard Bell’s version and decided to record it in 1955. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band covered Giddy Up A Ding Dong (with matching choreography) in 1973.

The Bus Boys had a great retro sound and were featured on SNL and in the 1982 movie 48 Hours.

New Orleans’ famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band was founded by Pennsylvanian Allan Jaffe in the early 1960s as a dixieland revival group, and that song wasn’t at all what I expected.

Have a great weekend, folks. Be home by 9:59pm so the ‘rona don’t gitcha, or stay out to 10:01pm and you’ll earn some serious ‘vid-kickin’ braggin’ rights.

Saturday Matinee Halloween Edition – The Ramones, Sally Cruikshank & Oingo Boingo

First recorded in 1976, The RamonesI Don’t Wanna Go Down To The Basement is sort of appropriate.

Sally Cruikshank‘s animations are Betty Boop on acid.
Face like a Frog (1987) includes the Cab Calloway-esque song Don’t Go In The Basement (starts at 02:26 ). In 2017, Cruikshank herself added this to the YouTube comments:

Danny Elfman composed the track for this film. Period. Copyright mine. Then a year or two later I gave his agents permission to include it on a compilation LP, I guess put out by [David] Geffen. Now they claim I got the music from the album or something. They’re wrong. My film came first. My husband’s going to get into it with Geffen.”

“I don’t always listen to Dead Man’s Party, but when I do so do the neighbors.” – YouTube comment

Oingo Boingo was a standout band of the 1980s, combining ska, punk, jazz & rock, and Dead Man’s Party became a Halloween party standard. According to Wikipedia:

The lyric, “I hear the chauffeur coming to my door / Says there’s room for maybe just one more,” is a reference to “The Bus-Conductor,” a short story by E. F. Benson about a hearse driver, first published in The Pall Mall Magazine in 1906.

Video is from the 1986 movie Back To School. Yeah, 34 years ago…

Happy Halloween, folks!
This year I’m gonna scare half the neighborhood by NOT wearing a mask. Hope you get all the tricks you deserve and all the treats that you don’t.

[Paranoia moons previously posted here. More Halloween-related posts in the archives.]

The Saturday Matinee – BLR Debate Night, Spencer Davis Group, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, and La Bamba

Just click play. It’s worth it.

Spencer Davis passed away this week at the age of 81.  What a legend.

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (with Mick Taylor) 19 July 2003, 70th Birthday Concert. The “Father of British Blues” was born on 29 November 1933, but so what.

We started this recording on a back porch in East Los Angeles With members of Los Lobos, And Then returned to the roots of the song in Veracruz, Mexico. As we Traveled, musicians everywhere mixed the traditional and rock ‘n’ roll styles of “La Bamba” into a new Song Around The World. – Playing For Change

Guaranteed to be the best version of the traditional you’ve never heard. Have a great weekend, folks. We’re not going anywhere, so stop back here tomorrow for, you know, stuff.

 

Haruspicational Hot Links

All Shook Up, Ry Cooder (1987) Album: Get Rhythm, Warner RecordsCooder took the 1957 Elvis classic and made it all sweaty ‘n’ swampy.

Cough it up.

Zinc ionophones.

Mr. Sunshine Lollipops.

Cool interactive 3D model.

Two full minutes of St. Bernards.

Janet Nguyen’s story. (Here’s her home page.)

Dental training robot creeps me right out [via].

“The people who are their own spiritual directors have fools for disciples.”  Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 -1153 AD)

Just in time for Halloween: Candy corn (and candy carrots & candy green beans) that taste like the real thing.

[Top image from here. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins put a spell on you.]


From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago.


The Saturday Matinee – Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express, Link Wray w/ Robert Gordon & Santana

Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express live at Winterland 29 November 1975, San Francisco, CA. Early jazz fusion at its best. Lineup:

Brian Auger – organ, vocals;
Jack Mills – lead guitar;
Alex Ligertwood – vocals, guitar, percussion;
Clive Chaman – bass;
Lennox Langton – congas;
Dave Dowle – drums.

Robert Gordon‘s 1977 cover of Billy Lee Riley‘s 1957 cover of Billy ‘The Kid’ Emerson‘s 1955 recording of Red Hot got a lot of radio play. Now about that legendary guitar ripper…

Link Wray‘s recording career spanned decades, 1958 to 2000, and it’s hard to pinpoint when he was really at his prime. Wray was ranked No. 45 of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time bu Rolling Stone, and is considered the “Father of the Power Chord.” Other fun facts: his parents were Shawnee and Cherokee; he was a Korean War veteran; he lost a lung due to tuberculosis in 1956.

Carlos Santana‘s 1999 album Supernatural is one of my favorites. Can’t believe it came out over two decades ago.

That kinda wraps things up until tomorrow. See you then.