Genesis - The Long Road, 1969
No, not THAT Genesis, the OTHER one… taken off a trippy anti-speed compilation from Do It Now Records. This psych track definitely falls into the “taking drugs to make music to take drugs to” genre, which seems to undermine the basic message of the album.
X - Come Back To Me, 1982
Produced by Ray Manzarek, X’s autobiographical tale of death & loss seemed fitting as a late entry tribute.
Otis Spann - Blues For Hippies, 1972
A post-60’s slam on hippies, or just a corny title for a killer tune?
The stories behind the music: Kiss’ Beth.
Two commercials from last night’s television viewing that would have broken my mid-90s, indie rocker heart.
William Bollinger - Tell Him Tonight, 1967
…and another track that requires that late night play on the jukebox. If only I had one. :(
His Name Is Alive - Can’t Go Wrong Without You (dir. The Brothers Quay). A perfect example of video accompaniment that still haunts me 20 years after watching it on 120 Minutes. And on a side note, Wikipedia claims a majority of the music was sampled from Prince’s “Purple Rain?” WTF?
My new (old) turntable: a Sansui FR-1080. Nothing spectacular; the simplicity of the flat 70’s design and the semi-auto features won me over.
Sam & Dave - If You Got the Loving (I’ve Got the Time), 1966
Something about this song… it belongs on the jukebox of a “last call” setting in Nowheresville, USA.
“Here Come the Warm Jets!”
Ernie DeHerrera and the Infal-libles - Memphis, 196?
One of the more eclectic 7” finds from the thrift store stockpile I’m still making sense of: a local rockabilly act ripping through Chuck Berry’s Memphis… en español!
West Street Mob - Break Dancin’ - Electric Boogie, 1984
Getting old school on a Friday and wishin’ I still had my parachute pants from 6th grade.
The Soul Clan - That’s How It Feels, 1968
Without a back story, the idea of a super soul group comprised of the biggest hit makers in the Atlantic scene sounds like a quick cash grab. According to ringleader Solomon Burke, though, the intentions behind the conglomerate was based on a more selfless plan:
Our idea was “to pool our talents and resources, and become a positive force within the black community. We envisioned things like buying ghetto real estate and refurbishing it, providing jobs, building schools, and creating black-owned restaurant franchises that would knock the McDonald’s and KFCs out of the box… the possibilities were endless.”
Unfortunately, the project was doomed to fail like so many brilliant ideas backed by positive intentions… the record labels weren’t likely to relinquish that much power to a group of successful “black” musicians, and the lack of publicity successfully dismantled the group.
