I love discovering music I somehow missed along the way.I recently picked up a Silver Fox label compilation released by Sundazed (check the Sundazed website for My Goodness, Yes!) and stumbled upon this gem and a whole host of brilliant tracks from the small Nashville imprint.“You Got To Pay The Price” started out as an instrumental written and performed by Al Kent in 1967. The version here was cut by Gloria in 1969, but Al went and cut another vocal version with The Supremes(post Diana Ross) in 1970. The song really didn’t see any chart action, but that gives us all the more reason to discover and enjoy this long lost gem from Ms. Taylor.
You may not know the name, but you probably know one of his songs.Shuggie Otis, son of ‘50s R&B bandleader Johnny Otis, wrote “Strawberry Letter 23” which The Brothers Johnson turned into a HUGE hit in the late ‘70s. “Aht Uh Mi Hed” came from his 1974 album Inspiration Information.Despite a host of strong songs and rhythms, the album surprisingly went nowhere upon release.Shuggie is a fascinating character. Playing with his father’s band at 12, recording with Al Kooper at 15 and Zappa at 16, he released his first record at 17.Inspiration Information was released when he was the ripe old age of 21 and unfortunately would be his last proper album. He turned down offers to tour with the Stones at the time as well as to have Quincy Jones produce the follow up to this record, and we still haven’t heard much from him after 36 years. Do yourself a favor and check out the 2001 re-issue on Luaka Bop.
In the early ‘80s, Prefab Sprout was a jangly, often heady, melodic English band that drew comparisons to Aztec Camera, Steely Dan, and Elvis Costello. For their second album, they hired synth-pop wiz Thomas Dolby to helm it.His presence brought a more polished production sheen, and the band showed up with a batch of tunes that would launch them into pop consciousness around the world except…in the U.S. “Faron” opens Two Wheels Good, retains some of their jangle, and starts off a brilliant alternative pop album. While Paddy McAloon’s words are often impenetrable, the melodies, arrangements, and production override any lack of lyrical understanding. Even though they weren’t able to conjure a strong follow-up on their subsequent releases, here Prefab Sprout really crafted an ‘80s pop gem that perfectly captures that moment in time.
Joyeux le quatorze juillet!!Today is France’s Independence Day and we here at DFD are celebrating La Fête Nationale with the lead off track from Rush’s 1975 album Caress Of Steel.For those of you used to the more glossy and polished sound from their early ‘80s hits, this rawer, more hard-hitting approach was characteristic of the young band and their early singles, like “Fly By Night,”and albums like 2112.“Bastille Day” was not part of one of their prog rock concept songs that they were known for, but stood on its own, giving drummer/lyricist Neil Pert’s impression of what happened during that fateful time in Paris.
“Ring all the bells, sing and tell the people that be everywhere, that the flower has come.”It’s the first line of the chorus from this beautiful song and a declaration of the arrival of Minnie Riperton onto the musical scene back in 1970.After singing backup for a number of Chess artists in the ‘60s and singing with the funky rock-soul group Rotary Connection, Minnie debuted her first album Come To My Garden to deaf ears.At the time it barely registered but now is considered her finest work by many critics and fans alike. The album introduces her soft jazz-pop ballads, lush orchestration, and five octave vocal range that in a few years would make her famous.After her monstrous success with “Lovin’ You” in 1975, she revealed to the world that she was battling breast cancer (one of the first artists to go public with her diagnosis) and passed away from the disease on this day back in 1979.
Ahhhh it’s Friday and time for a little butt-shakin’ and rump-waggin’ . Today’s tune-to-make-you-move is from Dallas soul shouter Bobby Patterson.“Quiet! Do Not Disturb” is the song , but also the sign that Bobby puts out when he’s ready to get “busy” because he DOES NOT like to be distracted or interrupted.It’s a funkalicious slice of early ‘70s R&B.Bobby recorded for the Jetstar label in the ‘60s turning out a treasure trove of regional hits.In the early ‘70s, he switched to Paula Records and while he didn’t have any chart success, his tracks continued to be of the same high quality.I highly recommend digging deeper and finding the Jetstar material, as well as the rest of his Paula tracks.They’re a great example of what was going on outside of the Memphis/Philly/Detroit R&B hubs of the time.And if you’re in Dallas these days, he’s a DJ on Soul 730 AM from 9a-12p. Come on and move it with me.
Sandy Denny left us 32 years ago last week. While she had accomplished so much in her almost 15 years of performing and recording, it pains to think what she might have done next or how would her amazing voice have sounded as it deepened with age and experience.For those who aren’t familiar with the British folk-rock icon, you may know her as the female voice in Led Zeppelin’s “Battle Of Evermore”, or the author of “Who Knows Where The Time Goes”, covered by Judy Collins and a host of others.Artistically, she is most adored as the female vocalist and songwriter for the groundbreaking British folk rock band Fairport Convention where she cemented her status as one of the premier vocalists in England at the time. Leaving Fairport after their landmark Liege & Leaf release, she embarked on a solo career that explored her songwriting, as opposed to the more traditional route that Fairport was pursuing.Sandy’s rich alto, impeccable phrasing and stellar songwriting are just part of the joy of exploring her catalog.
Besides his scorching electric fretwork and his deft touch on the acoustic, guitarist and songwriter Richard Thompson’s appeal to me has always been his narrative story songs.Continuing the darkness that infects his more musical workouts like “Calvary Cross” or “Wall Of Death”, Thompson’s mainly acoustic story songs tend to have some bittersweet element or ending, making the beautiful melodies all the more sad. While “Galway To Graceland” tackles mental illness and the iconic “Black Vincent 1952” ends tragically, “Beeswing” spins a tale of romance and expectation that doesn’t end well.It’s not the Goth subject matter that brings me in, but his ability to couch such great melodies and clever lyrics into something that isn’t all sunshine-y. Please give a listen and explore more.He’s not all doom and gloom and the adventurous listener will be justly rewarded by the treasure they find in Richard Thompson.
Today is the 40th anniversary of Yes’ first album, Yes. The band had a seemingly disparate array of influences from classical, jazz, church choral vocals, The Who, The Everly Brothers to the Beatles. “The Beatles were the reason for everything in those far days YES..1969..everyone wanted to be a Beatle.” reflected vocalist Jon Anderson on this first album. All these strands wove together a vibrant and colorful fabric that would set the stage for one of the biggest and influential progressive rock bands of the era. On todays song choice, Anderson remembered “I wrote “Sweetness” just before we went into the studio to record our first album. I had just had a daughter, Deborah, and was totally in love with the idea of ‘love’.
John Prine has a keen eye and a sharp pen. The man has this incredible knack for spinning a tale, cutting to the emotional bone of the story, then wrapping that narrative in a great tune. Be they witty, poignant, or simply straightforward, his songs rarely miss the mark and always stop and make you listen. “Please Don’t Bury Me” punningly tackles the issue of dying and post-mortem plans in such a way that no matter what your own personal wishes may be, you stop, listen, and laugh. He takes the reality and turns it on it’s ear and makes us think about it. As Bob Dylan said, “Nobody but Prine could write like that.” Happy (Saturday) Birthday John Prine.
If the Ramones were the first Punk band, then the New York Dolls were definitely their mother. The Dolls collected the detritus of Rock and Roll songs and parts, mashed it together and created that swaggery, skanky stamp that marked their creations. Kind of an f-ed up, moldy Mr. Potato Head, but with lipstick. The Petri dish of a scene they created in New York helped form dozens of the classic ‘70s CBGBs bands. After 2 albums, the band festered and died amidst personnel and chronic substance abuse issues. 28 years later, the 2 living members, David Johansen, and Sylvain Sylvain, recorded again. Their latest album, Cause I Sez So, produced by Todd Rundgren who produced their first record, spawned a re-recording of their original “Trash” which can be found on a vinyl 45 – along with a rare live version as the b-side - as part of Record Store Day tomorrow.
Work is a four-letter word on this Labor Day. The boyfriend in Cilla’s song had it right when she sang about him in this 1968 B-side. Cilla was the second most-famous entertainer to come out of Liverpool, and her association with Beatle manager Brian Epstein was the key to her success. He molded and shaped her while his PR squad guaranteed that everyone in Britain knew who she was. Their efforts worked, and she became one of the best-known pop performers in the U.K., as well as a television star. Because of her relationship with Epstein, she was the first to cover a number of Beatles songs, in addition to having Ringo and George write songs for her. This tune was reintroduced 20 years later to a new audience via Damn Fine Day curator Johnny Marr’s band The Smiths on their “Girlfriend In A Coma” single.
“Feel” is the opening shot from an album that should have set the world on fire by a band that should have been huge stars. Big Star, tragically, was one of those shoulda-coulda bands that truly got screwed by circumstance. A four-piece out of Memphis with a big jones for the power pop of The Beatles, they rose from the depths of obscurity-in-their-time to being one of the most revered and influential cult acts of the ’70s by a whole host of mainstream and alternative musicians today. Alex Chilton (who was in The Box Tops before Big Star) and Chris Bell were the Lennon-McCartney of the group, writing and singing their achingly beautiful, but painful, songs of love, lost love, and adolescence. As part of Record Store Day tomorrow, Rhino is releasing an alternate mix of “Feel” on limited-edition 7-inch vinyl in anticipation of the Big Star boxed set coming out later in the month.
Les Paul was more than a man who designed one of the first solid-body guitars. Multitrack recording—the very method of how musicians record their songs—was invented by him. He was a pop star in the ’50s, with his wife Mary Ford, and had such #1 hits as “How High The Moon” and “Vaya Con Dios.” Mary and Les had an early TV show where Les played his signature guitar and other electronic gadgets he invented. In 1947 Capitol released “Lover,” which showcased to the world his multitrack recording ideas, as well as his other innovative recording techniques and electronic gadgets. We all owe Les Paul —who died early this morning at age 94—a huge debt of gratitude for revolutionizing music on so many levels. His vision was the bedrock that our favorite musicians and producers stood on to create their greatness, and thus our favorite recordings.
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want The Smiths
Label: Warner Bros.
Released: 1984
For people who were in high school in the ’80s, John Hughes was one of our mentors. We looked to his movies for crazy characters and situations with which we could identify in all our awkwardness and alienation. For some, he was also like the older brother who introduced us to a treasure trove of music we’d never heard of: OMD, Simple Minds, Psychedelic Furs, The Smiths, and others. “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” by The Smiths was used in Pretty In Pink. As it plays, Duckie is on his bed, throwing playing cards into a hat as Blaine and Andie have a roll in the hay. The lyrics told the story. John Hughes—who passed away suddenly yesterday—crystallized a moment in time in many of our lives, and we thank him for that collective memory.
With the release of his first solo album, Morrissey had a lot to prove—mainly that he could be a compelling artist outside of The Smiths without Johnny Marr. In that respect, he was very successful with his first single, “Suedehead,” which charted higher in the U.K. than any of The Smiths’ singles. The sound of solo Morrissey isn’t that far removed from the last Smiths records, with his sardonic humor and slow, almost heavy vocal delivery. “I Know Very Well How I Got My Name” found the light of day as the B-side on the 7-inch single for “Suedehead.” Morrissey, once again, assumes the oh-woe-is-me role, reflecting on a long-lost love, set to a sparse acoustic guitar with minimal arrangement from some strings and another guitar. It surfaces digitally for the first time as part of Rhino’s Digital 45 series, digital reissues of the original 45 rpm singles (A and B sides).
Sugar Ray sprang from the beaches of Orange County in Southern California about 15 years ago, mixing pop, funk, a bit of hip-hop, metal, and alternative rock. Top 40 chart success came fairly regularly in the late ’90s and up until 2001, with such pop hits as “Every Morning,” “Fly,” “Someday,” and “When It’s Over.” The band’s been less visible in recent years, but today they return with a brand-new album, Music For Cougars, released on Pulse Recordings. Our selection du jour, “Rivers,” is the rare B-side from their 1997 hit “Fly,” and it also comes out today on an EP of “Fly” rarities. While the band may be described as candy-coated crunch or surfer music for the ’90s, I think some of their songs will survive the years as a fond reminder of some of the better pop music from its time.
Coming from the sessions of his 1976 album In The Pocket, “I Can Dream Of You” is classic mellow James Taylor à la “Fire And Rain” or “Carolina In My Mind.”Maybe that’s why it was relegated to B-side status. The rest of the album attempts to stay musically current for its time. Upbeat, full-band songs, hints of a disco beat here and there, and even a cowrite with Stevie Wonder—adding a bit of white funk to the album’s palette—make this record quite diverse. Maybe a reflective ballad didn’t work in the mix with all of that. Nevertheless, “I Can Dream Of You” fits effortlessly into the JT canon of adult contemporary ballads and resurfaces here after 30-plus years of obscurity as the B-side to “Shower The People.” It is part of Rhino’s Digital 45 series, digital reissues of the original 45-RPM singles (A and B sides).
Taking cues from the laid-back California country rock of the 1970s, the close harmony of the Everly and Louvin Brothers, mid-western roots rock, and Big Star poppiness, The Jayhawks were a very visible presence in the Alternative Country movement of the ’90s. Mark Olson and Gary Louris’ impeccable songwriting propelled their music onto the charts and radio but the little-heard “I’d Run Away” is one of the true gems of’ their catalog. It crystallized The Jayhawks’ strengths: the mid-tempo jangle, beautiful harmonies, great melodies, and Gary Louris’ soulful vocal (with a rather hooky violin counter melody thrown in for good measure). Unfortunately Mark Olsen left after this record to work more with his then-wife Victoria Williams. Louris and company soldiered on and had several more successful records and charting songs, but none as beautiful as this one.
