Bobby "Blue" Bland Kills Me....

Bobby "Blue" Bland - "Call On Me" b/w "That's the Way Love Is" is what I guess would've been a double A-side 45 on the Duke label from about 1963. It's my favorite 45 by my favorite blues singer, period. This is a 45 I stumbled on for cheap in a record store that moved to Bordentown, NJ a few years ago, where it still resides. I had read that Bobby "Blue" Bland was the most soulful and fantastic blues singer, regarded as the best by many folks. Having been more into the grittier Howlin' Wolf-style blues stuff, when I dropped the needle on this record about 5 years ago, I was floored. It's SMOOTH, deep, soulful, even SWINGIN' blues! It's not gut-bucket, stompin', yellin' jukejoint stuff. This is high class, high quality stuff with great instrumentation, and vocals and melodies that tug on your heart strings in a totally different way than Howlin' Wolf or Muddy Waters.

This 45 is full of fairly lush horn arrangements that augment the vocal melodies SO well. "Call On Me" is a really nice song, but "That's The Way Love Is" is a song that I vividly remember playing over and over in my room when I first got this record. Just picked up the needle, put it back at the beginning, and dropped it again and again. It's a beautiful itemized list of the ups and downs Mr. Bland has known in his (seemingly vast) experience with love. The day-to-day fluctuations you should expect, and that he advises you to take or leave, because "that's the way it's always been, that's the way love is." His voice goes from so sweet and gentle to passionately pleading. It's a really simple masterpiece of a song with a truly timeless message to be taken to heart.

Enjoy.

http://www.mediafire.com/?byg78b4qvc0ywjq

FUN 60's PARTY/NOVELTY Music

The Peels - Juanita Banana b/w Fun is a pretty neat little piece of 60's novelty pop that I was lucky to find for practically nothing, and purchased more for the cool label logo (KARATE) than anything. I found it in a 49 cent bin at a record store and the kitsch-appeal of the corny fake Asian font spelling out "Karate" with a hand-drawn martial artist made me pick it up. It was obviously a novelty record from the 60's, and I figured for 49 cents I would love to find out if it was a gem that might sound cool and have a decent b-side, or if it was going to be a wall decoration.

I put it on, and the obvious stereotypical Americans-trying-to-be-kinda-ethnic-but-also-poking-fun-at-a-culture vibe of a 60's novelty tune was evident on "Juanita Banana" (as well as on the Karate label logo). Lots of info about the actual song can be found at this other blog, but for my taste it was a catchy novelty pop tune you could kinda dance to, and I could imagine it making it into a DJ set sometime in the future. The b-side, "Fun" cemented it as a winner in my book, as it's basically just a good 60's garage/soul/pop instrumental with no real lyrics except the word "Fun" kinda repeated every so often. The style reminded me somewhat of the Human Beinz' and other 60's garage/"frat rock" that was just fun dance music for the times, and still is as far as I'm concerned. I dig it a lot, and it will get some spins. This was a really nice little find, and I highly recommend digging in your local record store's cheap-o 7" bins for stuff like this! Download both scratchy sides that I ripped for you:

http://www.mediafire.com/?wzzjzwnmo4n

Serious Dancehall Reggae

Buju Banton - People Kill People is a devastating dancehall tune by one of my favorite dancehall DJ's, the infamous Buju Banton. Yes, his biggest hit in his younger days was the ultimate example of Jamaicans expressing their hatred for homosexuals, and he caught a LOT of flack for it. Yes, he is also in jail for trying to deal a whole lot of cocaine. But when he is on top of his game chatting lyrics, the dude is unbeatable.

This is just one track, as the b-side was something random that barely played on my 1200, so I didn't bother recording it. This 45 isn't in the best shape, and is basically a bootleg I got in a record store in Philly I used to buy dancehall from. The song is basically a badman tune about not being afraid of some dude that talked shit about Buju. The vocal from this tune has been re-mixed and put on various riddims, which you'll find on youtube if you search this song title. I saw nothing about this vocal on the Sleng Teng riddim, and that's what you have here! Buju's ferocious vocals on a sped-up Sleng Teng riddim. I will admit that everytime I spin for a crowd with Jamaicans in it, as soon as I drop this tune they tear the place DOWN, and generally make me pull up and re-start the track a number of times. It's my go-to dancehall ace-in-the-hole track that I only bring to gigs I know will have a Jamaican contingent. If we were in 1960's Jamaica and I had a tune this hot, I'd need to hire gunment to protect it so no one could steal it from me. In 2010 America/Internet, I'll let you all have it without the use of machetes and guns!

http://www.mediafire.com/?fzjdimyde13

Cosmic American Music

Daaron Lee - Who's Making Love b/w Long Black Train is one of the coolest, most random 45's I've ever happened upon. It's on the Hip label, which I'd never seen or heard of before. I'd also never heard of "Daaron Lee" before. I bought it because by the printing on the label and feel of the vinyl it appeared to be somehow related to Atlantic/Stax of the late 60's, and of course I could see that it contained a cover of Johnny Taylor's huge Stax hit "Who's Makin' Love", and a Lee Hazelwood song on the other side. I figured it'd be a dollar well-spent at my favorite Princeton record store.

I put it on my turntable, and low and behold, it's a country version of the Homer Banks-penned Stax hit, and the expected sorta funky soul Hazelwood-penned tune to boot. SCORE. It's that late 60's "Cosmic American Music" sound Gram Parsons was aiming for with International Submarine Band (produced by Lee Hazelwood) and Flying Burrito Brothers, which I have a MAJOR thing for. I couldn't find ANY information on anyone named Daaron Lee or a Hip record label, but then seeing it was produced by Billy Lee Riley, I looked further and found out Daaron Lee was a name Billy Lee Riley recorded under for about 5 minutes in 1968. Riley was one of the absolute heros of Sun Records, who really kinda got screwed out of blowing up like Jerry Lee Lewis or Elvis Presley by a shrewd Sam Phillips who wanted to use Riley's skills and backing band in the studio to blow up other artists' careers.

So anyway, this is a funky country-soul crossbreed from the late 60's. NO-BRAINER, awesome music, and apparently rare. I know I haven't posted on here in a while, so I figured I'd come with some extra-good stuff for you. Download and enjoy!

http://www.mediafire.com/?q4ivkzjzyjj

Very Blue-Eyed Soul

Bob Brady and the Con Chords - "More, More, More of Your Love" b/w "It's a Better World" on the Chariot label is a great Northern Soul-style 45 from 1967 or so. Upon first listen, you'll think to yourself, "Is this Smokey Robinson under a fake name, or something?" And you won't be entirely wrong. It's a Smokey Robinson song that the Miracles did record, but wasn't a hit single. I actually feel Bob Brady and his Con Chords (a locally-popular white band from Baltimore), did a heck of a job with this throwaway tune. The band is tight, the chops are right on, and Brady's falsetto is right on the money! Great soulful rendition of a solid tune. "It's a Better World" is a surprisingly quality b-side, more mid-tempo or even on the slower side, but still has a good dancable beat and melody, if more or less forgettable lyrics. I love spinning this tune to a crowd of folks in the middle of a few uptempo Northern numbers. It's a mover.

http://www.mediafire.com/?rzozwfmjnut

Revolution Summer in the Winter!

Moss Icon - Mahpiua Luta 7" was an awesome find at a very popular record store in Princeton, NJ. Track list is 2 songs, "Ghost Dance" and "Last Ditch". I don't know how someone could have gotten rid of this, but the copy of this 7" I got (for cheap) has a hand-written and signed note from Tonie Joy (guitar, later of Born Against) to the person who bought it, thanking them and asking them to keep an eye out for shows being put on and asking to have Moss Icon on them. Like, this was how punk bands connected with fans and played shows and toured before our beloved internet. It's a beautiful thing, and make owning this record even cooler than the music on it, to me.

Moss Icon were sort of late-comers to the DC area's "Revolution Summer" time period of "emotive hardcore", or early "emo", "emocore" or whatever you wanna label it. They were along the lines of Embrace, Rites of Spring, and those bands affiliated with that label in the mid-late 80's. They came from Annapolis, MD, and were very into the socially conscious vibe, especially Native American issues, as the cover of this 7" shows. This 7" is basically the sound they were known for, sort of meandering vocals and melodies and varying intensity and volume of the music, even within one song. It's good stuff, worth a listen and trying to find a copy for yourself! Download below:

http://www.mediafire.com/?2eiyzjwrzzq

Old Dancehall, Horace Andy Style

Horace Andy - "Come Inna This" is Horace Andy in his signature "Sleepy" mode, singing perfectly behind the beat on a sort of slow early digital dancehall riddim. I got this 12" single for a couple of bucks, and the flip side is really nothing special (it's not Horace Andy or a dub version of the riddim or anything). So all I have for you in this post is this one song. It's Horace Andy singing about reggae music and how awesome it is, using the vocal melody from Mongo Jerry's "In The Summertime" over the fantastic early digital riddim (can anyone tell me the name of it?). Horace Andy is one of the most beloved reggae singers of all time, and I already posted a great dub record of his on here, so here's a rar single of his that I like more than most of his popular singles from this time period. I've never seen this track on any of the comps or "best of" records of his material. I ripped it for my own listening pleasure, and now you benefit from it too! Download below:



http://www.mediafire.com/?20z4zzymyoi

Elvis Costello Bootlegs Cont'd

Side "D" of the 2-disc set entitled, "50,000,000 Fans Can't Be Wrong." I know, I'm taking my sweet-ass time getting all 4 sides up. Side "C" has a few bad skips, so that one is really lagging. This side is all live recordings, apparently from Cleveland in December of 1977, a fine year. You have some songs from My Aim is True and This Year's Model here, played at blistering speeds. The version of Lipstick Vogue on this recording just burns up your stereo, it's hot. Enjoy!

http://www.mediafire.com/?zktz5zmleen

Boston New Wave-Punk

Slow Children - "Pseudo Girl" b/w "Going to Germany" & "Oriental Bondage" is indeed a rare find. This 7" is from the Boston area, dated 1981 on the Varulven label. What do I know about this band? Absolutely nothing. Tried to do a little online sleuthing, and only found this 7" listed on a page that has a really extensive, thorough listing of every punk-related record that came out in the Boston area in the late 70's-80's. Found no information to go with it. Any you might have is welcome. I got this little record (kinda scratched and a slight warp) for next to nothing, so I'm not complaining. One little skip at the beginning of the second song, doesn't ruin it for me.



What's it actually sound like? It's weird, kinda artsy New-Wave/Garage/Punk/...? Sounds in the vein of early XTC, Gang of Four, Ian Dury....somewhere between them, maybe, haha. They desperately wanted to be from Great Britain. Honestly, the sound is fairly convincing and it's really not a bad little 7". This one will be a regular spin for me at certain gigs, and will be on mixes for driving long distances.



Download it from the link and give it a listen for yourself. Couldn't find anywhere to download or buy it, so good luck!



http://www.mediafire.com/?ynnzlwyxtny

British Soul

Watson T Browne and The Explosive - "Gimme Some" b/w "Home is Where the Heart Lies" is a British-pressed and recorded soul 45 on the President label. I honestly don't know a whole lot about it except it says it's produced by Eddy Grant. I can't really find much info about about Watson or the President label, although I did see a President label discography, and it includes a ton of great American soul 45's, some Equals 45's, and other British artists I'd never heard of. The Equals 45's tip me off that the Eddy Grant you're thinking of (yeah, Electric Avenue) is the same guy who produced this 45. It also has a similar rock 'n soul sound to what the Equals were doing. "Gimme Some" is a mid-tempo mover with passionate vocals and lyrics that you could probably guess without ever hearing the song. The b-side is a mellow ballad that leaves some passion to be desired, in my opinion. What I love about this 45 is how British it sounds. It's clearly trying its hardest to sound like good American southern soul, but it's got a certail sterility about it that just reeks of England. The vocals are a bit too forward in the mix for my liking, and the rhythm section doesn't play "behind" enough to give it the swagger that American soul had. It's interesting, and "Gimme Some" is certainly danceable. Download and hear it for yourself, then look for a copy somewhere!


http://www.mediafire.com/?tnn3zwimrhw

Jean Wells' Sweet Soul

Jean Wells - "Can't You Feel It" b/w "Sit Down And Cry" is a beautiful 45 on the NY-based Calla label from the late 60's ('67 or '68). Wells was a Florida-born singer who made records in Philly before doing her finest work for Calla in the late 60's. She's got some tunes that are prized by the Northern Soul cats, and she's not particularly well-known overall. When I saw this 45, I only bought it because I love a lot of stuff on Calla, and the song titles sounded like soul. I'd never heard of Ms. Wells. Well, the record went beyond my expectations. "Can't You Feel It" is an up-tempo mover with the hand-drumming and percussion that makes purple-heart-popping Anglophiles dance in ways they didn't know they could. It's a fairly passionate tune, but the ballad side, "Sit Down and Cry", is the one that gets me. Wells' voice is just totally convincing, and her timing is fantastic. She comes into lines just late enough to really make you believe, and keep you waiting for the next note to be emphatically sung. Love this 45, so download it below and buy it from somewhere.

http://www.mediafire.com/?enf5zzwj41z

Magazine - Shot By Both Sides

Magazine - "Shot By Both Sides" b/w "My Mind Ain't So Open" was Magazine's very first single, and I proudly own it. This 7" was recorded BEFORE the band had a keyboard player, so it's got a much rawer sound, with less glossy production and....well.....no keyboards. Now, this is tough for me, because I admittedly LOVE the polished, keyboard-heavy sound of the first LP, Real Life. So, obviously, this version of the classic song is different from the LP version that is more well-known to anyone who didn't hear this song on the radio in the UK when it came out. It's a more "punk" sound, and the b-side (which didn't make it on Real Life), "My Mind Ain't So Open", is definitely a fairly traditional "punk" song, more than the artsy, New-Wave-anticipating sound of the songs on the LP. It's a straight-ahead 2 minute rocker with 2 or 3 chords total. LOVE it. Devoto's voice was awesome. This band was awesome. Enjoy my rip of my very clean copy, then get a copy for yourself:



http://www.mediafire.com/?n0jjmmgdyna

The Weirdos - Destroy All Music

The Weirdos - Destroy All Music on the Bomp label from 1977 is probably my favorite REAL early LA punk 7". I found this SUPER clean copy of this record for really cheap at a record store REAL close to where I'm working now. This is just quintessential 1977 American punk, with the perfect amount of posturing-without-really-trying-because-it's-new attitude and snarl. Songs are short, not all that serious, and very fun to listen to. Don't know what more to say, really, because this one should pretty much explain itself. Great punk 7", download:

http://www.mediafire.com/?2txynmwl51m

Instrumental Early Reggae

Jo Jo Bennett & Mudie's All-Stars - "Snowbird" b/w "Change the Tide" is the 45 I have for you today. Jo Jo is an Alpha Boys School alum, as so many of Jamaica's greatest musicians have been. He is known for his fine trumpet work, and I suppose his biggest "hit" was "Leaving Rome" on Trojan records in the UK, or maybe "Lecture Me", which I believe went on to become the oft-versioned "Lecturer" riddim that dancehall artists still use to this day. He moved to Canada, as so many of his fellow-Jamaicans did and still do. This 45 was one of his awesome recordings for Mudie's "Moodisc" label. My copy has most of the info scratched out, so it took some hunting and figuring out on my part just to find a name for the A-side. Turns out it's an instrumental, cooled-out early reggae version of Anne Murray's 1970 country hit "Snowbird"! That dates the recording of this to about that year.



I have to say, this instrumental version of Snowbird KILLS the original Anne Murray version (not surprising, I guess). It gives it such a nice melancholy vibe, with the lilting melody played PERFECTLY "behind" the rhythm. You'll see what I mean when you listen to it, it's lovely. "Change the Tide" to me sounds like a slighty-reggae-fied version of the "I Dream of Jeannie" theme song (written by Hugo Montenegro). I love it. Weird percussion, yelled vocal breaks, and the funky rhythm make this tune worth a listen. The only thing "reggae" about this track seems to be the organ and guitar hits. Check it out by downloading below:


http://www.mediafire.com/?enlzjq5lqdd

My Favorite NJHC 7", right now, at least

Vision - Undiscovered is currently my favorite New Jersey Hardcore punk 7" EP ever, but that is subject to change depending on my mood or where I'm hanging out or what color I'm wearing or whatever. It's just a brilliant debut 7" from one of New Jersey's all-time best hardcore bands. This is on the melodic side. Definitely not the tough guy metal-tinged stuff, and also not the goofy-but-blistering AOD/Bedlam kinda stuff. It's awesome late 80's NJ hardcore punk that has influenced a lot of bands since. "Falling Apart" is one of my favorite NJHC songs EVER. Awesome melody, with vocals that are just the right mix of yelling/spitting words at you with venom, and actually sort of singing. At very least, we're not talking gutteral grunts and deep-throated screams. You can hear and understand every lyric (something my grandparents would say, but seriously, it rules). I have just been on a total mid-late 80's melodic hardcore kick recently with all of the DC stuff from that period dominating my listening. Then I picked up this 7" and remembered how fucking awesome it was, and why I loved seeing this band live so much. First hardcore band I ever saw, and they've never gotten old in my eyes. Still awesome. Support this band and buy actual, better-sounding versions of the songs from this EP on the "One and the Same" CD. For now, download this mediocre-sounding rip of the original 7".

http://www.mediafire.com/?z0hjqoywjit

Otis Clay's Deep Soul

Otis Clay - "She's About a Mover" b/w "You Don't Miss Your Water" is a wicked 45 on Atlantic's Cotillion subsidiary. This is seriously DEEP soul from Mississippi-born Clay, recorded at Muscle Shoals under Rick Hall's production. The 45 SOUNDS awesome thanks to tight production and a crack band, with Otis Clay's unique readings of these 2 classic songs. "She's About a Mover" was the Sir Douglas Quintet's "Nugget", and a good, rollicking R&B-styled song. Otis Clay and the Muscle Shoals band honestly take it to the next level and put the song in the correct context. It's great.


"You Don't Miss Your Water" is maybe my second favorite Soul song ever after "Dark End of the Street." Currently it's the one I feel the most, as, sadly, I'm sure many folks my age do. Your pretty standard story of having a good thing going with someone, leaving it for whatever bullshit reasons, and then later on when the superficial good times clear out, you find yourself missing the original, pure good thing you had. But of course it's too late, you had your shot, and forces of the universe have closed that door in your face. "You don't miss your water 'til your well runs dry" is a fairly well-known saying, and William Bell wrote an honest, touching soul ballad to PERFECTLY express his own realization that he missed his water. Otis Redding did a moving version of the song, and many have since covered it. This is my second favorite version, with the original Bell take on Stax being my favorite. This is a unique reading of the song, more conversational and laid-back in vocal tone (as maybe was Clay's general style), but still quite powerful. Download and listen below and find a copy, it's worth it.



http://www.mediafire.com/?dnwzzymtanq

Elvis Costello Rarities/bootleg Part 2!

Here's side B, LP 1 from the same bootleg comp as my last post! 2 sides to go after this!

http://www.mediafire.com/?4zvowwyi4ml

Elvis Costello Rarities/bootleg Part 1!

Alright, I've got a copy of Elvis Costello and The Atractions - 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong. Elvis Costello is my favorite musical artist of the last 35 years or so. When I get pissed off, especially with ladies, Elvis is like an understanding, bitter older brother who's been through it and knows just what to say. This is a double LP bootleg on Slipped Disc records from Monaco. I've ripped all 4 sides, and now must edit them all, which is daunting. I'm kinda lazy so I'm gonna pace myself and go one side at a time and post them as I go. For info on this bootleg, you can check the Wiki on it. Basically, it's a bunch of live and demo recordings of Elvis Solo and with the Attractions, from the very early days. A quote from the a source of the Wiki: "Essential. The Agora concert appears in better quality on other bootleg CDs, but the Capitol Radio recordings on the Rhino re-issue were taken from a worn copy of this bootleg (hence the heavy noise reduction). But these sound amazing on this LP, so that makes it necessary to get an original copy of on vinyl." Well I have an original copy on vinyl, so you can download my rip! Here's side 1:

http://www.mediafire.com/?zmnjrnmg1lw

Rare Atlantic Soul

Percy Wiggins - "Book of Memories" b/w "Can't Find Nobody" - Atco Records 45 I found for cheap and am really glad I did. "Book of Memories" was the "hit" side, I guess, but "Can't Find Nobody" is my favorite song. The awesome thing about this 45 is that both sides are sad songs of longing, which I'm a sucker for. "Book of Memories" is about hating feeling like being just another page in his former woman's book of memories, rather than a lasting love. Timeless theme, but not something you'll hear voiced in pop songs of today. It's a shame, and I think it's harming more than just the popular music, but those theories are for another blog. "Can't Find Nobody" is about not being able to find someone to take the place of his lost love...another common theme. The melody and beat of this song are killer, and it's a perfect dance tune. Has everything I like in an uptempo 60's soul track. I'm sorry I don't have much info on Mr. Wiggins, but I do know he had a sweet voice, and this is an Atco 45 I don't see very often. Download and enjoy below:

http://www.mediafire.com/?wmmvgvzymtm

Crown Prince of Reggae

Dennis Brown - "Your Love's Got a Hold On Me" b/w Joe Gibbs and The Professionals - "Oh Girl" is a SWEET rub-a-dub early dancehall reggae 12" single from 1983, a great year for this style of music. It's one of my favorite versions of the Heavenless riddim, done by Joe Gibbs and The Professionals, with Dennis Brown singing a slow, sultry song over it with a laid back melody. Like, he sings it so slow and behind, you're waiting for each note and word, and it hits you just at the right time. The vocals match the riddim so well it's disgusting. The riddim is addictive, and overall it's perfect hot day, summertime listening. This is my favorite Dennis Brown track. The b-side is the riddim with the occasional dubbed in shout of "MURRRDERAH!" It's fucking awesome, and in good shape, so this rip actually aounds okay! Enjoy!

http://www.mediafire.com/?jienji3qqkr