Nobody's quite sure what Sheriff and the Ravels are singing on "Shombalor," although there are references to chicken knees and Nazis along the way... Also, i think Frankenstein stole his wine?
Stone cold classic doo-wop rocker right here.
Sheriff & The Ravels - Shombalor
14 comments:
This record is GENIUS! Wild and crazy the way I like 'em!
Peter Stampfel of the Holy Modal Rounders did a video on the history of this song along with a performance on guitar and banjo. Peter is, as far as I'm concerned, numbered among the gods.
http://www3.timeoutny.com/newyork/thevolume/2009/07/the-three-minute-flipcam-concert-peter-stampfel-and-the-ether-frolic-mob/
Sorry about the long URl. Great, great song.
jon,
i need lessons in all things holy modal rounders....
help?
I'll try. A lot of Rounders history is chaotic and hard to follow. I've been a fan for something close to 40 years and I've never seen them live or been able to sort out the personnel. If you can get ahold of the movie, "Born To Lose" it's a really good start. If it's really urgent or the cause of anguish let know here and I'll give you my email address. I'm grateful for your generous work here. I'd like a chance to pay you back.
not urgent but i am in the dark really. i heard a sing by them on a local college station a few years ago and itmade me what to hear more but what i heard sounded nothing like what i had originally heard and i lost interest and moved on.... but that song... man it was weird.... something about mr. spaceman or something along those lines.... do you know that cut???
thnx 4 tip on teh movie, i will search that out.
Ooops. That's "Bound To Lose" I bought my copy from the director's web site:
http://www.boundtolose.com/
Mr Spaceman was a goof on a popular novelty doo wop tune, Mr Bassman I'm digging deep here but I believe the artist called himself Johnny Cymbal. Most of the Rounders music is drawn from the Harry Smith compilation "The Anthology of American Folk Music."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthology_of_American_Folk_Music
Smith is one of the weirder figures in the history of American culture and the Rounders were his weirdest acolytes. Most folkies were earnestly trying to reproduce the sound of antique records down to the last pop and scratch. The Rounders were drastically amphetaminized beatniks who decided to take those songs and play 'em like they felt 'em. They scandalized the Kingston Trio crowd long before Dylan ever picked up a stratocaster.
I'll have to warn you, like Captain Beefheart, they are not readily accessible. Also, like the Captain, once you get them, you won't be able to stop listening to them. Put it another way, they were punk rock ten years before Woodstock.
thanx man, i know johnny cymbal and have that 45 but his best 45 is a record called the water was red which is a tale of 2 lovers at the beach at night but the chicky babe gets eaten by a shark!!!! i shit you not!
anyway thanx 4 the info, i will start the journey as i love the odd-ball stuff from the likes of beefheart, godz and fugs.... so this should be right up my retarded alley
oh and do you happen to know what album mr spaceman is on???
Cub Koda did a really righteous version of this on his Abba Dabba Dabba record also.
Glad to be of help. Mr. Spaceman is on Holy Modal Rounders I & II.
If you're so inclined I'd be thrilled to hear Mr Bass Man by Johnny Cymbal. That, along with South Street by the Orlons were the songs that made a rock and roll fan out of me when I was around seven. There was an Orlons compilation released recently but I've never tracked down a copy in any format of Mr Bass Man. Other first grade faves were Rip Van Winkle by The Devotions and Book of Love by The Monotones.
I'll try and post a Holy Modal Rounders song this weekend. If you like Mr Spaceman you'll probably enjoy Half A Mind.
funny you should mention rip van winkle by the devotions as i have that one pulled and i was going to post it soon! this will give me some much needed motivation (or i'd like to think) the others i'd have to dig out. I know i have the south street orlons album somewhere as i was listening to it a few weeks ago, but i am woefully unorganized....
:(
i'll keep my eyes and ears open for your post!
cheers!
dd
Went to post "Half A Mind" and discovered that somehow or other it was in Apple's awful "protected" format. I'll have to record it to a cd and then convert the cd version into an mp3 on my hard drive. I'll try and do that today. Sorry for the delay.
Finally, after much delay, a two song Rounders sampler with a Drakkar Sauna bonus.
http://poetryassholes.blogspot.com/2009/11/christmas-with-devil.html
Your left, right, left right
Your left, right, left right
Your left, right, left right
Your left, right, left right
(Oh lady) Shombolar, (Oh lady) Shombolar, (Oh lady)
Checkin’ it out and then I rooting for it, checkin’ on Shombalor
Hey if you wanna move out [or “moon dog”?], do it now
Checkin’ on the countdown, please?
Baby, ja’ the fuck do you need, now?
Diggin’ on the catfish knees? ‘n-a
I love swing-ding,
Rickey-bing you’re a healthy one, hubba!
And it’s known to some that-a jigga-wah
I love pick-’em-up and lay-’em-down
(Oh lady) Shombolar, (Oh lady) Shombolar, (Oh lady)
Checkin’ it out and then I rooting for it, checkin’ on Shombalor
And it’s your Wine-o Buy-No
Free Jack Frankenstein-oh,
Maybe Jackie came to dine, ‘n-a
Diggin’ on he stole my wine, ‘n-a
Asks George “You bing, you bong, you bong?”
Leaves Jimmy Jones, skipped to one, a-hubba
And it’s known to some that-a jigga-wah
I love pick-’em-up and lay-’em-down
(Oh lady) Shombolar, (Oh lady) Shombolar, (Oh lady)
Checkin’ it out and then I rooting for it, checkin’ on Shombalor
Of all the animals in the world,
I’d rather be a bear (Raar!)
Climb the highest mountain,
Just to see you there.
(Oh lady) Shombolar, (Oh lady) Shombolar, (Oh lady)
Checkin’ it out and then I rooting for it, checkin’ on Shombalor
I love fat man mambo,
Baby, do the king of the jungle,
You can only get it from the Congo
And you try to get it deftly
I love left foot stomp and-a right foot drag, ‘n-a
Hey it’s fun to march!
And it’s known to some that-a jigga-wah
I love pick-’em-up and lay-’em-down
(Oh lady) Shombolar, (Oh lady) Shombolar, (Oh lady)
Checkin’ it out and then I rooting for it, checkin’ on Shombalor
Of all the animals in the world,
I’d rather be a bear (Raar!)
Climb the highest mountain,
Just to see you there.
(Oh lady) Shombolar, (Oh lady) Shombolar, (Oh lady)
Checkin’ it out and then I rooting for it, checkin’ on Shombalor
Go left, right, left right [to fade, in a call-response duet with the lead singer
on your left
Post a Comment