Lyn Stanley: “London Calling: A Toast To Julie London” (2019) CD Review

I was turned onto Lyn Stanley’s talent a few years ago when she released Interludes, her voice and style immediately impressing and delighting me. Then in 2017 she put out a couple of albums of standards and beloved tunes, The Moonlight Sessions Volume One and The Moonlight Sessions Volume Two. For her new album, she has chosen to explore the work of another singer, Julie London. London Calling: A Toast To Julie London features material that was recorded by Julie London, songs London recorded the first versions of, plus songs she covered. As I’ve come to expect from Lyn Stanley, this is a wonderful album. This music provides a welcome respite from the current horrors and tensions permeating our country.

The disc opens with a fun, playful, and sweet rendition of “Goody Goody,” just the sort of track to momentarily push away our cares. Julie London included this song on her 1958 LP Julie Is Her Name Volume Two. By then, several other artists had already released versions, including Frankie Lymon. I love how Lyn Stanley approaches this song, and the track features some nice work on bass and piano. It’s followed by “Call Me Irresponsible,” song that London included on The End Of The World. Lyn Stanley’s version interestingly opens with some cool, lively percussion, signaling this rendition is certainly not going to drag. By her delivery of lines like “Call me unpredictable/Tell me I’m impractical,” it is clear she takes some relish in being so, which is great. More wonderful work on piano also stands out on this track. Then we get an excellent take on “Bye Bye Blackbird.” I love the way this one is presented, with Lyn’s voice supported just by Chuck Berghofer’s wonderful work on bass. There is even a bass solo. But it is Lyn’s vocal performance that makes this track something seriously special. She gives some absolutely delightful and surprising readings of certain lines, such as “Singing low” and “So is he.” And just before the end, Berghofer delivers a little nod to “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” (he played bass on the original Nancy Sinatra track).

Lyn Stanley gives us an unusual take on “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” a song that has been recorded by many artists over the years, including Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, but not by Julie London (Lyn indicates this by referring to it as a bonus track on the CD’s track list). I’ve never heard a version like this one before, with some prominent percussion and nice touches on piano, and an interesting vocal delivery. That’s followed by “Cry Me A River.”  The first version of “Cry Me A River” that I ever heard was that by Joe Cocker, and so I’ve compared all other renditions to that one, something I shouldn’t do, since there are no versions like that one by Cocker. The first version of this song that was released was that by Julie London. It was included on her debut LP, Julie Is Her Name, released in 1955. This version by Lyn Stanley has a rather sultry vocal delivery, backed by some good work on guitar, an approach similar to that taken by Julie London. Lyn Stanley then delivers one of the most popular songs of all time, “As Time Goes By.” While my favorite film is Harold And Maude, probably the best film ever made is Casablanca, which features this song. Julie London included “As Time Goes By” on her 1965 album Our Fair Lady. This new version by Lyn Stanley features some excellent work on guitar.

I’ve said it many times, you can never go wrong with Gershwin. Lyn Stanley proves that again here, with a phenomenal and completely engaging rendition of “Summertime,” which is cool right from its start. Lyn gives us an absolutely wonderful vocal performance. And check out that fantastic and expressive work on guitar. Plus, this track features some cool work on bass and piano. This is one of my personal favorites from this release. And guess what? We are treated to a second version of this song at the end of the album. That second version finds Lyn’s vocals supported by just Mike Garson on piano. Though quite different, this too is engaging, almost haunting.

I think it was Sha Na Na that turned me onto “Blue Moon.” And before you think to chastise me for that, keep in mind I was like five or six years old. Julie London included the song on her Julie Is Her Name Volume Two album. As you would expect, Lyn Stanley’s rendition is much closer to that by Julie London than to the version by Sha Na Na. This is a wonderful, beautiful rendition, featuring more good work on guitar. Lyn also presents an unusual rendition of “Light My Fire” on this album. Yes, Julie London covered The Doors’ “Light My Fire.” She included it on her Yummy, Yummy, Yummy album. Lyn Stanley gives the song an interesting spin, with that Latin flavor and rhythm. That’s followed by a gorgeous rendition of “Sway,” a song that Julie London included on Latin In A Satin Mood. Lyn gives us a slow, sexy and moving rendition. When she sings “Hold me close,” you’ll feel that this track is almost holding you. There is something so intimate about this recording, you’ll feel Lyn could suddenly brush your cheek if she so chose. What a vocal performance! Lyn then becomes more playful with “Go Slow,” which she combines with “Nice Girls Don’t Stay For Breakfast” (songs that appeared on two different Julie London albums, released a decade apart). This is a humorous and perfect combination of songs. “Nice girls don’t stay for breakfast/And I’m a nice girl/You know that I am.” Oh, the way she dips into her lower registers for “You know that I am” tells us just exactly what she really means there. I love that bass line. Plus, there is some nice stuff on keys. This one is over too soon.

CD Track List

1. Goody Goody
2. Call Me Irresponsible
3. Bye Bye Blackbird
4. Heard It Through The Grapevine
5. How About Me?
6. Cry Me A River
7. As Time Goes By
8. Summertime – Band Version
9. It’s Impossible
10. Blue Moon
11. I’ve Got A Crush On You
12. Light My Fire
13. Sway
14. Go Slow/Nice Girls Don’t Stay For Breakfast
15. You The Night And The Music
16. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye
17. Summertime – Piano Vocal

London Calling: A Toast To Julie London was released on February 15, 2019.

Zemog El Gallo Bueno: “YoYouMeTú Trilogy Vol. 3” (2018) CD Review

I like a lot of different music, and some of the music I like is really different. Such is the case with a group called Zemog El Gallo Bueno. The group’s latest release, YoYouMeTú Trilogy Vol. 3, is a delicious jazzy exploration of our various realities (our relationships and interactions with each other and with ourselves; our identity, both personal and worldly), with plenty of great grooves, and with lyrics sung in both Spanish and English. Some serious topics are addressed here, but they are explored with a certain amount of joy and warmth and humor, and by talented and undaunted musicians. Most of the album’s tracks were written by vocalist and guitarist Abraham Gomez-Delgado.

This disc opens with “Matteo El Limonero 2,” which feels like a dawn, the band waking up, warming up. There is a gentle beauty to this brief instrumental track, which was composed by Matthew Bauder. That’s followed by “Americae,” an intriguing tune. If you’re into jam band music, you are going to find a lot to enjoy here. And if you’re into artists like Frank Zappa, this will probably hold some appeal too. If you like your music to take you places, even challenge you a bit, you are going to love this album. Though the track features a good groove, the lyrics are delivered in a way that works in contrast to that, the vocalists deliberately dragging the words out, giving them a strange intonation. “We think this but feel that/Wish away our wishes/It’s in front of us/No, it’s not/The cycle is so vicious.”

“The Balance Imbalance Dance” is a delightful, jazzy track that then suddenly steps off into outer space for a moment, like a Mexican restaurant at the edge of the solar system. And it is a dance; hell, someone even cuts in at one point. That’s followed by “Chains,” which was written by Chris Stromquist and Abraham Gomez-Delgado. There is something deliciously twisted about this one, its sound, particularly in the vocals at certain parts. “I am gone, I am gone/Way inside, my only way to hide/I am gone, I am gone.” This track also features nice stuff on horns. I am totally into this.

“YoYouMeTu,” the album’s title track (and I suppose the title track of the entire trilogy of albums), delivers a combination of folk and jazz sounds with a strong percussive base. It establishes and develops the rhythm, the vocals not coming in for nearly two minutes. And if you were listening without having seen the track list, you might think they were singing, “Yo, you, me too.” It goes in an unexpected direction vocally toward the end. That’s followed by “Quiero Correr,” one of my personal favorite tracks. I love the quirky sound of this one from the start, like an alien had joined a jazz band, and is grooving at some delightful club where folks of all sorts mingle and dance. And I fucking love the horn on this one. Fantastic, and a whole lot of fun!

As its title seems to promise, there is something sexy about “Sexy Carnitas: A Telenova,” with a sadness to the vocal delivery. There is some excellent playing on this track. And that horn, the way it rises up, is wonderful. “Agua A Peso” establishes a beat, the percussion driving this track. The vocals have a raw, immediate feel, like this is all taking place on a street somewhere and three or four dozen people are dancing in the street. It has the sound and feel of a live track, though apparently was recorded in the studio. There is applause at the end, so…? The disc then concludes with “Pianola,” which has a kind of pleasant, cheerful folk vibe that I can’t help but enjoy, and a joy and passion to the vocal delivery.

CD Track List

1. Matteo El Limonero 2
2. Americae
3. The Balance Imbalance Dance
4. Chains
5. Motivate
6. YoYouMeTu
7. Quiero Correr
8. Parque
9. Sexy Carnitas: A Telenovela
10. Delgados Feliz
11. Wedding Song
12. Agua A Peso
13. Pianola 

YoYouMeTú Trilogy Vol. 3 was released on November 9, 2018.

Grateful Dead: “Road Trips Vol. 4 No. 1: Big Rock Pow Wow ‘69” (2010/2018) CD Review

Road Trips Vol. 4 No. 1: Big Rock Pow Wow ’69 contains the complete sets the Grateful Dead played on May 23rd and May 24th, 1969 at the Seminole Reservation in Hollywood, Florida. However, the order of the tracks on this three-disc set is slightly rearranged, with two songs moved from their rightful place on the first disc to the third disc (so as not to break the flow of the bulk of that set).

Disc 1

The first disc contains most of the set from May 23, 1969. By the way, the reason these shows are short (just one set each night) is that the Grateful Dead was one of several bands on the bill, though was the headlining act both nights. There is a brief introduction – “the best group in the universe,” indeed! And the band kicks off the show with “Hard To Handle,” Pigpen on lead vocals. Good, raw, raucous Dead. Man, it must have been something to see them in the early days. This show was in that period when T.C. was also on keys, and you can hear his touches early on. (I should point out here that some set lists from this show indicate that two other songs preceded “Hard To Handle”: “Dancing In The Streets” and “Casey Jones,” but I have not heard any tapes with those two songs.) “Hard To Handle” is followed by the fourth song of the set (the second and third songs are on the third disc), a nearly nineteen-minute “Dark Star” that gets right into a good psychedelic jam. Wow, with only one set, the band doesn’t take long to get into some delicious weirdness (and actually, the second song of the set is “Morning Dew,” but more on that in a bit). But the band basically seemed to live in that strange realm at that time, so it makes some sense that they wouldn’t have to work their way to it. Probably 1969 was the best year for “Dark Star,” and this is a really good rendition. In these early versions, the band used space and silence really well. Things could get quiet at moments, and then explode in bursts of sound, so the highs were much higher. You know? And the song didn’t yet have the weight, the importance it would soon have among Deadheads, so it all feels really free. The band was seeing where they could go, where the song would take them. And here it takes them to some surprising, unusual places. And, man, as much as the band could use moments of silence, these guys could also get seriously loud, until the sound seems to be inside your head playing out rather than inward. And almost immediately after the second verse, the band shifts into “St. Stephen.” This song, too, would become a favorite of the fans, probably already was at this point. It’s a strange, complex, compelling and powerful number, with some fantastic lyrics by Robert Hunter. “Lady finger, dipped in moonlight/Writing ‘What for?’ across the morning sky/Sunlight splatters dawn with answers/Darkness shrugs and bids the day goodbye.” And this early version has the William Tell section, and T.C.’s work is prominent at moments there. “St. Stephen” leads straight into “The Eleven,” and it all flows and moves so well, as Jerry wanted it, music with no beginning, no end, no starts and stops, but rather a continuous ride into some extraordinary world, where we can let go of all superfluous trappings, of notions of what is supposed to be. The guys deliver some interesting stuff vocally here too. And then pound and hammer their way through any remaining walls. What a force this music is! Then suddenly that fun groove of “Lovelight” emerges. This thirty-minute rendition of “Turn On Your Lovelight” concludes the first disc and first show. Pigpen began the show, and he finishes it, the way only he could. The song feels like the greatest party ever. And, yeah, it has a bit of that hands-in-your-pockets rap, but also a whole lot of jamming. This is Pigpen’s vehicle, no question.

Disc 2

Interestingly, the following night the band opens with “Lovelight,” picking up where they left off, because the whole thing was one continuous party anyway, right? And here the band was letting everyone know just that (which perhaps was necessary after that weird introduction, which you need to hear). The band comes out of the gate strong and ready to jam, though this version is a bit shorter, only twenty-seven minutes. After a bit of tuning, the band goes into “Doin’ That Rag,” a song that would be included on Aoxomoxoa a little later that year. It’s kind of an odd, slightly messy version, but still enjoyable. “Tell me the name of the game that you play.” That’s followed by an interesting rendition of “He Was A Friend Of Mine,” a song that is actually titled “Just A Hand To Hold,” as indicated on the back of the CD case. This version begins with a bit of jamming before the vocals come in. But this song for me has always been about the vocals, and they do some nice blending of voices here on the chorus. Some of the work on keys and the groove seem to work in contrast to the lyrics. This version isn’t as sad or heartbreaking as some others I’ve heard. I had a version on tape that could just destroy you. I can’t remember what show that was from. The transition from “He Was A Friend Of Mine” to “China Cat Sunflower” is so smooth, seamless. And there is some impressive, wonderful stuff during this song. And while we are used to “China Cat” going into “I Know You Rider,” here the jam gets crazier, more intense, and the song then segues into “The Eleven.” An interesting journey, to be sure. The band then slides into “Death Don’t Have No Mercy.” Where “He Was A Friend Of Mine” perhaps didn’t have the emotional power it could have, “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” definitely delivers on that level, with Jerry turning in an excellent and passionate vocal performance. And the music finds some great peaks as well. Ah, listen to the ache in Jerry’s voice. Fantastic.

Disc 3

The third disc takes us back to the May 23rd show for a bit, giving us the second and third songs of that set. Actually, it begins with some humorous complaints about the sound from the band (“It stinks, Bear”). Then “Morning Dew” bursts alive with its post-apocalyptic fury and despair. This is a good version, with some fiery peaks and desolate valleys. “I guess it doesn’t matter anyway.” Wild to have this kind of passion so early in the show. The band then goes in a different direction with “Me And My Uncle,” a song that has a slightly heavier sound here than it would later have. We then go back to May 24th for Bob’s famous yellow dog story, told while strings are being changed (the CD liner notes indicate this track is from May 23, but from other recordings I have listened to, that’s incorrect). If you don’t know the joke, well, it’s fitting that “Alligator” follows it. This is a fairly decent version of “Alligator,” and it leads into a drum solo. The solos by Bill and Mickey were always journeys in themselves, and this one interestingly includes some vocals at the end, just before the band moves into a rockin’ “St. Stephen.” This time the band does not do the William Tell part, and instead goes into “Feedback,” which is essentially the “Space” of its day, a strange, monstrous instrumental exploration, sometimes harsh, sometimes frightening. As it drifts off, “And We Bid You Goodnight” emerges beautifully, delivered basically a cappella, with just a touch of percussion. And that’s how the show wraps up.

CD Track List

Disc 1

1. Hard To Handle
2. Dark Star >
3. St. Stephen >
4. The Eleven >
5. Turn On Your Lovelight

Disc 2

1. Introduction
2. Turn On Your Lovelight
3. Doin’ That Rag >
4. He Was A Friend Of Mine (Just A Hand To Hold) >
5. China Cat Sunflower >
6. The Eleven >
7. Death Don’t Have No Mercy 

Disc 3

1. Morning Dew
2. Me And My Uncle
3. Yellow Dog Story
4. Alligator >
5. Drums >
6. St. Stephen >
7. Feedback >
8. We Bid You Goodnight

Road Trips Vol. 4 No 1: Big Rock Pow Wow ’69 was re-released on CD on October 19, 2018 through Real Gone Music.

The Monkees: “An Introduction To The Monkees Vol. 2” (2018) CD Review

It seems odd to me to have a second volume to an introduction. And it’s also fairly late in the game to offer an introduction to The Monkees. Nevertheless, the collector in me had to purchase the new compilation, An Introduction To The Monkees Vol. 2, which contains not only some old favorites, but also the band’s best recent song, “Me & Magdalena.” Plus, after Peter Tork’s passing, I just needed to hear some tracks from the first band I ever loved.

My personal favorite Monkees album is Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., and this compilation opens with a track from it, “Words.” I love this song. Okay, yes, I love nearly every Monkees song, but this one in particular has been one of my favorites since I was a kid, and it’s fun to shout along to it. I’ve always enjoyed the way Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork trade lines in the verses. That’s followed by “Mary, Mary,” a fun song from More Of The Monkees, which was the first record I ever got. Though Micky sings this one, Mike Nesmith wrote it.

In 1986, The Monkees reunited for a special concert tour. A compilation was released that year. Titled Then & Now… The Best Of The Monkees, it contained three new tracks, including “That Was Then, This Is Now,” which was also released as a single. Only two of The Monkees perform on this track: Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork. It’s a cheerful, kind of bouncy tune, with a sound that clearly indicates it as a product of the 1980s. It’s a song that I appreciate a whole lot more now than when it was first released. That’s followed by “The Girl I Knew Somewhere,” which was originally released as the flip side to “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You.” While I love both of those songs, I think “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” is the better track, and am surprised it wasn’t the A side. It is another penned by Mike Nesmith. Also written by Mike Nesmith is “You Told Me,” which was the lead track from Headquarters, the first album to feature the band members playing nearly all the instruments.

The Monkees television show was on every day after school when I was a kid, and I watched it every day. One of the segments I just couldn’t get enough of was “Goin’ Down.” The song is just so fucking cool, and Micky’s vocal performance is impressive. Have you ever tried to sing this one? It’s not easy. The single version of this insanely fun song is included on this compilation. That’s followed by the single version of “Listen To The Band,” a tune that was included on The Monkees Present, and one that gets in my head almost daily. Mike Nesmith wrote this one, and it’s fantastic.

So after the success of both Then & Now… The Best Of The Monkees and the 1986 reunion tour, the band recorded a new studio album, the first in seventeen years. Titled Pool It! (one of the worst album titles ever), it featured the hit “Heart And Soul,” which is included here. This one has really grown on me over the years. That’s followed by a song I completely fell in love with the moment I first heard it, “Me & Magdalena,” a beautiful song from the band’s 2016 release, Good Times! The vocal performances by Mike and Micky are gorgeous and moving. This is one of the best songs the band ever recorded. The compilation then concludes with “Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow),” a seriously catchy song written by Neil Diamond and included on More Of The Monkees.

CD Track List

1. Words
2. Mary, Mary
3. That Was Then, This Is Now
4. The Girl I Knew Somewhere
5. You Told Me
6. Goin’ Down (Single Version)
7. Listen To The Band (Single Version)
8. Heart And Soul
9. Me & Magdalena
10. Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)

An Introduction To The Monkees Vol. 2 was released on October 5, 2018 on Rhino Records.

Record Store Day 2019 Wish List

Record Store Day is coming up again. Have you made your wish list? There are plenty of releases to be excited about. I figured I’d point out a few worth checking out.

• Culture: “The Nighthawk Recordings” – This record contains several unreleased tracks from 1983, with Culture backed by The Wailers. That is sufficient reason to own it. But apparently it is also going to be on color vinyl, which makes it even more attractive. By the way, the other three tracks are from a 1982 compilation, where the band is backed by Roots Radics. This release will also be available on CD the day before Record Store Day. I posted a review of the CD on this blog.
• The Dream Syndicate: “The Days Of Wine And Roses” – This new vinyl edition is apparently expanded, with previously unreleased material, and also includes a bonus 7-inch. Very cool. This record is limited to only 500 copies, which is fucking crazy.
• Grateful Dead: “Sage And Spirit” – I am a big Grateful Dead fan, so I want to own everything. Sage And Spirit is interesting primarily for the cool cover, for the music itself has all been previously released on other albums. Mostly we get studio tracks, including “High Time,” “Unbroken Chain” and “If I Had The World To Give.” The two live tracks are apparently from Europe ’72. I couldn’t find information on how many copies of this LP will be available. 
• Grateful Dead: “The Warfield, San Francisco, CA 10/9/80 & 10/10/80” – In 1980, the Grateful Dead performed a series of concerts at the Warfield where they did three sets instead of the usual two. The first set each night was an acoustic set. This Record Store Day release includes two of those acoustic sets. My favorite song of all time is “Ripple,” and the Dead concluded both sets with that song, which is more than enough reason for me to need to own this release. It is going to be available on both CD and vinyl. I want both.
• Woody Guthrie: “I Don’t Like The Way This World’s A-Treatin’ Me” – Apparently, this release marks the first time Woody Guthrie’s home recording of “I Don’t Like The Way This World’s A-Treatin’ Me” is being released on vinyl. This EP also includes another version of the song, with Jeff Tweedy playing on it. That’s totally cool, but the reason I want this record is that it also contains two new versions of a protest song about Fred Trump (Donald’s scummy daddy). This 10-inch EP is limited to 1,500 copies. 
• John Lennon: “Imagine: Raw Studio Mixes” – Well, there is really no explanation needed. What is needed is a copy of this record in my collection. It’s a double album, and is limited to 5,500 copies.
• The Minus 5: “Stroke Manor” – The story behind the release is incredible. The album was begun by Scott McCaughey after he suffered a stroke and while still in the ICU. A doctor told him he’d never play music again. He was like, fuck that, and made this record. It will be available on both vinyl and CD. The vinyl is limited to either 1,000 or 2,000 copies, depending on which website you’re looking at. The CD will have either 1,000 or 2,500 copies.
• Monty Python: “Life Of Brian” – When I was in high school, I started a Monty Python club, where we just watched Monty Python. This was during school hours, mind you. Anyway, while a lot of folks hold The Holy Grail as their favorite Python film, my favorite is Life Of Brian. It’s bloody brilliant. This Record Store Day release is a double album picture disc. Picture discs are more for looking at than playing, but I feel a deep desire to own this. And apparently there is some archival material included.
• The Police: “Message In A Bottle” – This is a re-issue of the band’s single, but in a special double-single release, if that makes any sense. Basically, there are two 7-inch records, the first of which is the original single and flip side. The second record features two versions of “Message In A Bottle” – the classic rock mix and an instrumental version. Both records are colored vinyl, and I am a sucker for colored vinyl. The colors, by the way, are green and blue, the bottle and the ocean.

Again, these are just a few of the records that will be available on Record Store Day. I’m sure that as I look at the list again, I will find more records that I’d like to add to my collection.

Culture: “The Nighthawk Recordings” (2019) CD Review

In these days of rampant racism and gun violence, when our country is run by a criminal, we are in need of the good grooves and social consciousness of reggae music. Culture is a Jamaican group that formed in the mid-1970s, and put out quite a few records. In 1982, a reggae compilation titled Calling Rastafari was released. The title track and two other tracks on that record were by Culture. Now the new release, The Nighthawk Recordings, collects those three tracks and four previously unreleased tracks, all of which were written by Joseph Hill. At the time of these recordings, Culture was made up of Joseph Hill, Albert Walker and Lloyd Dayes, and on this release they have two different (and incredible) bands backing them: Roots Radics on the first three tracks, and The Wailers on the other four tracks.

The disc opens with “Calling Rastafari,” and immediately its groove raises my spirits. The religious aspect of reggae music has never appealed to me, but has also never kept me from enjoying the tunes. After all, the music has such a positive vibe. “Many will be called, I say/Many will be called, ten thousand/Many will be called/But few shall be chosen/But few shall be chosen.” “Calling Rastafari” is followed by “Dem A Payaka,” which has an incredibly cheerful sound and vibe. I totally dig this song. “Rich man, move your hand and give the youth a chance/Give the poor man a chance to get some help.” The last of the three tracks from Calling Rastafari is “This Time,” and this one too has a vibrant sound, but with a sincere and serious edge. A different version of this song was actually the first to ever be released by Culture, on a 1976 single released in Jamaica. There are a lot of interesting differences between the two versions. For example, the earlier version has the line “No more blood in a Babylon,” whereas in this version the line is “Blood, blood, blood in a Babylon.” Likewise, the line here is “Fire, fire, fire in a Babylon” rather than “No more fire in a Babylon.” And these lines of course hold a lot of appeal: “This time, no other time/This time, we are not waiting any longer.”

The other four tracks on this disc were recorded in 1983, and until now were unreleased. The first of the previously unreleased tracks is “Can They Run,” which has a kind of exciting, cool vibe, and features a horn section, which I love. And lines like “They cheat and they lie to the people every day” are certainly relevant to our current government and the entire Republican Party. “Can they run?/Can they hide?/Can they ever step aside?” We’ll see.  Plus, this track features an interesting and wonderful instrumental section. This is my favorite track on the disc. How was it left unreleased for so long? It is followed by a mostly instrumental version of the same song, so obviously the focus is on the groove. And it is such a great groove. The vocals come in for the last minute or so of the track. Then “Mister Music” too has an incredibly bright, happy vibe, and features more nice work on horns, plus some wonderful touches on percussion. The disc concludes with a different, largely instrumental version of “Mister Music.”

CD Track List

1. Calling Rastafari
2. Dem A Payaka
3. This Time
4. Can They Run
5. Can They Run Version
6. Mister Music
7. Mister Music Version

The Nighthawk Recordings is scheduled to be released on CD on April 12, 2019 through Omnivore Recordings. A limited edition vinyl release is going to be part of Record Store Day on April 13, 2019 (yeah, Record Store Day is earlier this year).

Shake Your Hips: The Excello Records Story (2018) Book Review

In 2017, I was fortunate enough to catch a set by Lazy Lester at the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival. It was a treat to see that phenomenal blues player perform, his set being a highlight of that festival, as well as a highlight of my concert-going experiences that year. He was eighty-three years old. A little over a year later, Lazy Lester was gone. In the 1950s and 1960s, Lazy Lester released several singles on the Excello record label, that label being the subject of the second book in the RPM Series, Shake Your Hips: The Excello Records Story, written by Randy Fox. This volume follows World Domination: The Sub Pop Records Story. Each volume of this series will explore the history of an important record label. This volume delves into the world of Excello, a blues label founded by Ernie Young in Nashville, as well as related labels such as Nashboro and Nasco.

Shake Your Hips gives us a bit of background on the music scene in Nashville in the first half of the twentieth century, as well as some biographical information on Ernie Young, before getting into the origins of Nashboro Record Company, Young’s first label, which focused on gospel. At the time, 1951, there wasn’t much competition in the gospel label realm, and Ernie Young recorded the discs in his record store, at first moving stacks of records and furniture out of the way, and then eventually constructing a permanent studio in the building. When he branched out into rhythm and blues, the Excello label was born. The book contains a lot of information on those early sessions and the artists who recorded for Excello, including Larry Birdsong, Arthur Gunter, Lightnin’ Slim and Lazy Lester. And of course, there is plenty about Slim Harpo, including some interesting details on the recording of “I’m A King Bee,” as well some great information behind his later cover of “Folsom Prison Blues.” Reading about it all makes me want to hunt down those singles (though I’m sure I couldn’t afford them). There are many fascinating stories here, of course, including that of The Marigolds, a group that formed in prison and went through lineup changes when members were paroled (a strange way to lose band members).

A good deal of Ernie Young’s business was done through the mail, with a particular interest coming from folks in the UK, including a young Keith Richards. Randy Fox writes: “Richards was not the only British fan entranced by the sound of swamp. A new generation of British music fans was hungry for American records with the right feel and energy. Hits didn’t matter; did the record move them? In addition to devouring both sides of forty-fives, labels were intensely studied, lists were made of writing and production credits, and the tiniest details were noted” (p. 83). I love the passion described here, that excitement. It’s like when we were kids and getting a new record really meant something. We did study them, poring over the liner notes, wanting to learn as much as possible. Do kids still experience that? I certainly hope so, but I worry that in these times of downloading music, something has been lost. They should read this book. That chapter on the British Invasion includes early examples of covers those bands recorded, such as The Rolling Stones’ version of “I’m A King Bee.” And it was The Kinks’ version of “I’m A Lover, Not A Fighter” that first turned me onto the song originally recorded by Lazy Lester.

The book follows the Excello story beyond the involvement of Ernie Young, with details on the folks who ran the company after his retirement. And there is information on the label’s end. It’s remarkable that a single radio station could affect sales of records so strongly, as was the case with WLAC. The story of the label’s end continues in the book’s epilogue, with information on AVI buying it and making changes that caused key personnel to leave. But also mentioned is the later surge of interest with important re-issues on CD, certainly a bright side, as this music is just too damn good to ever let go out of print. The book contains several pages of photographs, including a trade advertisement for Excello Records.

Shake Your Hips: The Excello Records Story was released on November 20, 2018  through BMG Books. By the way, the book’s title comes from one of Slim Harpo’s singles, “Shake Your Hips,” released in the mid-1960s.