Tag: The Who

Saturday Matinee – Nina Simone, The High Numbers & GA-20

1987 claymation video by Aardman Animations features the voice and piano of Eunice Kathleen Waymon, aka gospel / jazz / R&B / soul singer Nina Simone, with a song from 1958. She changed her name to elude family members and play “the devil’s music” in an Atlantic City nightclub. The management told her that she would have to sing to her own accompaniment, and that launched her career as a jazz vocalist.

“What’s your band’s name?”
“The High Numbers.”
“The who?”
“Yes.”

The Detours, a British group formed in the early 1960s, changed their name to  The High Numbers and recorded a few tracks before reverting to a previous band name, The Who. That’s a young Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon covering Jesse Hill‘s Ooh Poo Pah Doo (1960) and The Miracles‘ I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying (1963).

GA-20  covers Hound Dog Taylor‘s She’s Gone (1971). Great authentic electric blues cranked out with respect.

Too far south to see this weekend’s aurorae, and I hope everyone who can survives the EMT barrage. I’ll take the event as a good omen, and yet another damn good reason to do some porch sitting tomorrow.
See you then.

Saturday Matinee – Summertime Blues (1958 to Whatever).

From the UToobage description:

“Though Eddie Cochran was only twenty-one when he died, he left a lasting mark as a rock and roll pioneer. Cochran zeroed in on teenage angst and desire with such classics as ‘C’mon Everybody,’ ‘Something Else,’ ‘Twenty Flight Rock‘ and ‘Summertime Blues.’ A flashy stage dresser with a tough-sounding voice, Cochran epitomized the sound and the stance of the Fifties rebel rocker.”

Lotta covers of that kickass song.

1962 The Beach Boys. A 14 and a 16 year old contributed to this recording.

1962 Johnny Chester

Ten years later, Blue Cheer broke ground in 1968 with a heavy metal version of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues,” released ten years earlier. [This guy was on the SanFran scene in 1968.]

I heard that version when I was in 6th grade, and tried to decide if I liked it or not. Took me several years before I understood what they were doing, and I decided that I liked the original better. Hell, the name of the band was a brand of LSD named after a laundry detergent.

1975 The Who – According to Wiki they’d been playing Summertime Blues since 1967 so this version is out of chronological order.

1970 T. Rex

1975 Olivia Newton-John
1978 The Rolling Stones

1982 Joan Jett.  Hear The Ramones influence?

1987 Alvin & The Chipmunks
1992 Little River Band
2004 Rush
2009 The Black Keys

Cheech Marin, The Prophets, Levon Helm, Guitar Wolf, The Flying Lizards, Bobby Vee, The Crickets, Buck Owens, James Taylor, The Ventures, Dick Dale, Robert Gordon with Link Wray, Skid Row, Johnny Hallyday, Brian Setzer, MC5, Alex Chilton, and Marty Wilde have also covered the song.

Y’all can find the the other killer ccvers  on your own. Have a great weekend and we’ll see you back here tomorrow.

Saturday Matinee – Hot Cats

Cats and croissants. [via]

I loved the Stray Cats’ retrobilly thang, and this was one of their finest moments. (BTW,  “Fridays” was a much funnier show than Saturday Night Live IMO.)

Speaking of Eddie Cochran, here’s Gene Vincent’s  “Be-Bop-A-Lula.”

Vince Taylor beat out The Who with this cover of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates’  “Shakin’ All Over.”

And here’s one of the greatest latter day rock and roll love songs in my opinion. Have a great weekend, folks, and may you all have pleasant surprises.