Merry X-mas from the Devil...!

The records:



The devil aka the clown caught in his natural enviroment x-mas morning...



our little tree...




The lady:

So the lady bought me some new (used) vinyl for x-mas, made me eggs and beans with an english muffin and let me have a few hours to play with some of my new gifts...
some of them i bougt for myself and one or 2 were already laying about... she even caught a shot of the elusive devil himself mid action w/ the new camera i bought her for x-mas... the old one got smashed on the jetty at Barnegat light... long story, don't ask... anywho, just something i threw togther x-mas morn while enjoying a good english breaky... Merry X-mas from the devil... special thnx to some ass from north Pennsy soon to be Cana-DUH... and the lovely JJB! Enjoy!

Can - Mary, Mary, So Contrary
Syd Barrett - Rats
Captain Beefheart - Big Eyed Beans From Venus
Butthole Surfers - I Saw An X-Ray Of A Girl Passing Gas
Luv Machine - Witches Wand
Batus! A-Go! Go!
Big Black - Kerosene
Johnny Rivers - Poor Side Of Town
The Hypnotics - Rock Me Baby
Warhorse - St. Louis
German Oak - The Third Reich

Merry X-mas from the Devil...! Mix

Bobby Blue - Ride With Me Baby

“Ride With Me" was song by rock band Steppenwolf featured on their album For Ladies Only. It was originally performed by Mars Bonfire on his self-titled album with a length over six minutes and under the title "Ride With Me, Baby". The song peaked at 52 on The Billboard Hot 100. The tune was covered by The Alice Cooper Band in the film, Diary of a Mad Housewife and obviously covered here by Bobby Blue.

Who is Bobby Blue? Hell if I know… Do you…???

Bobby Blue - Ride With Me Baby

Procession - One Day In Every Week

If you have to pick one day in every week it might as well be Friday...

I know nothing about this band, but i do know that this has a very David Bowie vibe, at least to my ears. And that is good enough for me.

Here is what i found out via the web:

Procession was a jazz-tinged rock band formed in Melbourne in October 1967. The group is most notable for including English guitarist Mick Rogers who later joined Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Drummer Craig Collinge was a member of British proto-punk band Third World War.

Happy Friday & enjoy the weekend!

Procession - One Day In Every Week

Bobby Scott - Chain Gang

Bobby Scott (1937, Mt. Pleasant, New York – 1990) was an American musician, record producer, and songwriter.

Scott was a pianist, vibraphonist, and singer, and could also play the accordion, cello, clarinet, and double bass. He studied under Edvard Moritz at the La Follette School of Music at the age of eight, and was working professionally at 11. In 1952 he began touring with Louis Prima, and also performed with Gene Krupa and Tony Scott in the 1950s. In 1956 he hit the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with the song "Chain Gang", peaking at #13. (This is not the same song as Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang".) As a bandleader, he did sessions for Verve, ABC-Paramount, Bethlehem, and Musicmasters. As a songwriter, he won a Grammy award for Best Instrumental Composition for the song "A Taste of Honey". In addition to "A Taste of Honey", Scott also co-wrote the song "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". In the 1960s he became a music teacher and studied again under Moritz, but occasionally recorded as well, including a Nat King Cole tribute album released in the 1980s. He also arranged for jazz and easy listening musicians such as Les and Larry Elgart.

Don't know what it is about this song but i realy dig it...


Bobby Scott - Chain Gang

Rockin R's - Nameless - Heat

Just some mid week rock with the Rockin R's on Tempus (TR-1507) from 1959!

I already had their 1st 45 Crazy Baby/The Beat and just uncovered this white label promo of their 2nd 45. I i dig this one almost as much as the 1st one!



The following is taken from the Rockabilly hall Of Fame

Those two cats with the thousand dollar Jimmy Carter smiles strummin' their way to infamy on their platter's front cover are Ron Volz and Ron Wernsman, kingpins supreme of the legendary Rockin' R's rock 'n' roll group. Now it's important when sizin' up these hombres' whole wazoo to flip back over to the other side of this cardboard and dig their surroundings, 'cause it was in those environs - the Wernsman family basement way out in Peoria, Illinois suburb of Metamora - that the R's first lit their fuse in late 1957 with their special brand of subterranean swing.

"Mr. Wernsman was just the greatest guy," sez Volz. "Five nights a week he let every kid in town down to his basement for a party. Packed every night. We had a lotta tuff gangs in town and they'd come by, too. All Mr. Wernsman asked was that they check their weapons at the door - "GUNS AND KNIVES UNDER THE FLOWERPOTS, FELLAS!' There was virtually nobody playin' rock & roll in town, so Ron & I got things goin' with our guitars." With sprite fingered Volz pickin' leads over Wernsman's rhythm, they became the Rockin' R's when they grabbed Ted Minar offa Mr. W's basement couch to pound the skins. The trio blasted the hits of the day (leanin' heavy on Berry, Vincent, Little Richard & the Everlys) to the lucky legions in that finely wallpapered basement.

Outta these cellar bashes come the earliest recordings on their LP - a roarin' version (well, half a version) of "Whole Lotta Shakin'" taped at an R's party and a handfulla rehearsal swingers like the Sparkletones-styled shuffler "Gonna Snatch Me A Satellite" (actually a wise retitling of the Couplings' hokey pop toon "Young Doves Calling") and a boffo step onna gas kicker of "You Send Me."

As word of these beat wild teens spread through town, the combo picked up a lotta work at hops & parties. Local wheeler dealer Steve Clark interested the trio in waxin' for the newly hatched Tempus label and promptly trotted the threesome into yet another Peoria storm cellar (do you detect a pattern developing here?) to cut their coolest original "Crazy Baby."

But it was while the Rockin' R's were warmin' up with some non-vocal racket that Tempus hit paydirt. "The weird thing," sez Volz, "is we just started horsin' around while he was settin' up. He taped a little bit, called it 'The Beat' and it became the biggest hit we had!"

To whoop up the act a bit, the Rockin' R's took on a forth member, local sax boy Rick Bressick. Now Bressick was no threat to Lee Allen but he helped plant an important seed in the combo's collective noggin, namely that a sax would help 'em compete with a lotta the tuff fuller combos that were THE deal in '58. This short lived ineup made several appearances on the Paul Beard Show, a local TV variety program hosted by car dealer Beard, whose hackneyed approach to rock & roll makes Steve Allen seem like the Mad Daddy. In addition to their own TV spots, some of which are paraded on the platter, the band reluctantly backed a horrid hometown chickadee Judy Noll, the Linda McCartney of Peoria.

Meanwhile, back in the charts, "The Beat" spread like crazy locally, goin' on to top many midwest hit parades and ultimately made a national holler with strong placing in both Billboard & Cashbox, earnin' the boys the surefire girl-getter, namely a spot on American Bandstand. Six months after "The Beat" charted, the Rockin' R's pumped out "Heat"/"Nameless", another strong two-sider for Tempus, sportin' a marked upswing in the sound thanks in no small part to Bressick's replacement on sax, Art Bill. The R's literally yanked Bill right offa the stage of a strip joint called the Clover Club and this, the group's most durable lineup, toured purdy much non-stop, landin' dream gigs with their idols Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent amongst others. Sez Volz, "After the first record hit, everything started happening real fast. We were so young and willin' to do anything on stage - climb on equipment, climb on each other, hang from the celling, anything! Our whole outlook got outta hand but man, we loved it!"

Instead of lettin' the guys follow the cool path they were rockin' out, Tempus tried to market Volz as a teen idol. After a couple poppy sides it was agreed this brainstorm wasn't doin' anyone a whole lotta good and the Rockin' R's duly bounced back with the scorchin' "Mustang," jumblin' the looseness of "The Beat" with the ballsy drive of "Nameless." It was a fantastic disc but Tempus steadily became untracked with a string of non-R's money dran flops and the label went kaput. It seemed the guys wre starin' some long green inna face by steppin' up to the big time Vee Jay label but the effortless cellar swing that was the Rockin' R's trademark suffered in the process, what with rigid studio confines, reshuffled personnel (Wernsman even conceded and switched to the taboo bass) and just plain weariness. The Rockin' R's ultimately crapped out in "62, plumb outta gas accordig to Volz.

That's purdy much the musical end in the proverbial nutshell, but there's a whole lot more to the Rockin' R's tale (like the time Wernsman put his ass thru a jukebox and they hada tape his bloody cheeks together to finish a show!) which Bob Paton & Steve Rager spilled out in fine detail in KICKS#6. So now after alla those moons their LP is the very first collection of toons by (as goofball MC Paul Beard intoned) "the rock & rollers from Metamora," a little ruff but plenty wingding worthy (guns & knives under the flowerpots, of course). So get with the Rockin' R's, muchachos, and go CRAZY BABY!!

BILLY MILLER

Rockin R's - Nameless
Rockin R's - Heat

The Devotions - Rip Van Winkle & Johnny Cymbal - Mr. Bass Man

Formed in 1960 in Astoria, New York, USA, the Devotions were a doo-wop group best known for their 1964 novelty recording ‘Rip Van Winkle’. The group included Ray Sanchez, who sang bass-lead, Bob Weisbrod, Bob Hovorka and brothers Frank and Joe Pardo. With their manager, the group auditioned in 1960 for a small record label, Delta, whose owner, Bernie Zimming, was not impressed with their sound. The group wrote ‘Rip Van Winkle’ that day and Zimming liked it. However, it did not sell, but two years later, when the larger Roulette Records acquired Delta, it was released again. It still did not reach the charts, and the group disbanded. In 1964, however, Roulette included the song as part of a Golden Goodies album series and it attracted more attention. Roulette issued the single for a third time and this time it made the US Top 40. A new Devotions group was assembled including three original members, but when further singles flopped, they disbanded in 1965.


The Devotions - Rip Van Winkle


Johnny Cymbal (February 3, 1945 - March 16, 1993) was a Scottish born American songwriter, singer, and record producer who had numerous hit records, including his signature song, "Mr. Bass Man".

During a career that spanned four decades, from the time he was 15 until he died in 1993, Johnny Cymbal made a meaningful impact on popular music worldwide as a songwriter, singer, performer and record producer. During those years, in addition to his rock and roll anthem, "Mr. Bass Man", he was responsible for hit records including: "Teenage Heaven", "Cinnamon", "Mary In The Morning", "Rock Me Baby" and "I'm Drinking Canada Dry".

In 1963, with his smash hit "Mr. Bass Man" all over the top of the charts from the United States to Asia, Johnny Cymbal was recognized as a teen star. While continuing to record, he toured the U.S., Europe and Japan performing as both a solo headlining act and in rock and roll package shows. Later, as a songwriter and record producer, he found success in New York City, Los Angeles, and Nashville.

Read more Here:

Johnny Cymbal - Mr. Bass Man


I'm sending these two out to my internet blog pal Jon over at Poetry Is For Assholes for trying to help me out w/ The Holy Modal Rounders.

It's a long story that started w/ Sheriff and the Ravels, went to the Holy Modal Rounders and ended here... (or did it?)

... Enjoy the tunes!

Gene The Hat - (Pass) The Bug Pt. 1 & Pt. 2

Pass the Bug huh?

I wonder what kind of bug they was passing here?

Roaches perhaps?

Sure sounds like they was having fun....

Gene The Hat - (Pass) The Bug Pt. 1

Gene The Hat - (Pass) The Bug Pt. 2

Bob Riley - Wanda Jean - The Midnight Line

Happy Thanksgiving people!

And in the spirit of giving i give to you a pretty rare one here from 1958. Bob Riley gives a soft little lovey number with Wanda Jean but the money here is The Midnight Line, a real rocker! Looks like the Midnight Line has been comped a few times and Mr. Riley had a few other 45's but other than that not much i know about Mr. Riley. I think i might take some time off in the coming weeks, so I'll see you when i see you...

Bob Riley - Wanda Jean
Bob Riley - The Midnight Line

Nappy Brown - Little By Little - I'm Getting Lonesome

Napoleon Brown Culp (October 12, 1929 – September 20, 2008), better known by his stage name Nappy Brown, was an American R & B singer.

Nappy Brown was among the biggest stars in R&B, frequently touring with the legendary revues of Alan Freed. His songs, along with those of his peers and contemporaries (such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino), were among the first wave of African-American pop music to become noticed and popular with white audiences.

In addition to Brown's influence on blues music, and 1950s R&B and pop, Brown's powerful and protean voice, combined with his distinctive emotive style, is widely viewed as a key link in the development of Soul music.

This jam was released in 1956.

Every time i listen to some Nappy i feel the need to go out and find more of his records that i don't own. Hope you feel the same way...?

Nappy Brown - Little By Little

Nappy Brown - I'm Getting Lonesome

The Devils Music: 2 Growler Supercase Devil Dick Mix Vol. 9

breaking away from the 50's & 60's doo wop and R&B I've been posting over the last few weeks, i got myself 2 full growlers of Iron Hill beer, 1 a porter, the other a dark Belgian beer, plus boredom & a super friends record case full of 70's rock = the 2 Growler Supercase Mix.

Enjoy!

PS. I'd also like to dedicate this to my lovely lady friend JJB, who so graciously supplied the beer and some of the records!!!

Status Quo - Paper Plane
Steppenwolf - Faster Than The Speed Of Life
Crabby Appleton - Go Back
Bloodrock - Kool Aid Kids
Rare Bird - Hammerhead
Soup - Many Lovers Dance Insider Your Head
Mahogany Rush - Look Outside
Trapeze - Touch My Life
Jo Jo Gune - Turn The Boy Loose
Bang - Lions, Christians
May Blitz - Fire Queen
White Witch - Illusion - It's So Nice To Be Stoned

The Devils Music: 2 Growler Supercase Devil Dick Mix Vol. 9

Wilbert Harrison - Little School Girl - Since I Fell For You

Going to keep in the 50's & 60's doo-wop, rock and R&B style o' things with 2 from Wilbert Harrison from 1960 on the Fury label.

Wilbert Harrison (January 5, 1929 – October 26, 1994) was an American singer/pianist/guitarist/harmonica player.

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Harrison had a Billboard No.1 record in 1959 with the song "Kansas City". The song was written in 1951 and was one of the first credited collaborations by the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Harrison recorded "Kansas City" for Harlem music entrepreneur Bobby Robinson, which caused a furor with Herman Lubinsky and Savoy Records.

Harrison recorded for the Fire and Fury record labels, which were owned and operated by Bobby Robinson at his Harlem record shop, Bobby's Happy House of Hits on 125th Street, west of the Apollo Theatre. Harrison's records are especially notable for the presence of the guitarist Wild Jimmy Spruill, whose solo on "Kansas City" is one of the most memorable in the history of rock and roll.

Man, I love this Fury record label...

And dig that organ action on "Since I Fell For You"...

Great stuff, I hope you dig 1/2 as much as me...

Wilbert Harrison - Little School Girl
Wilbert Harrison - Since I Fell For You

Sheriff & The Ravels - Shombalor

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

The Classics - Enie Minie Mo

Formed as the Perennials in 1958 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. The Classics were a one-hit vocal group who made the Top 20 in 1963 with a doo-wop version of the Mills Brothers’ hit ‘Till Then’. The group, all from Brooklyn, comprised Emil Stucchio (9 April 1944; lead vocals), Tony Victor (b. 11 April 1943; first tenor), Johnny Gambale (b. 4 February 1942; second tenor) and Jamie Troy (b. 22 November 1942; bass singer). The quartet all lived in the same street, attended the same high school and by 1958 had developed an act to perform at local events. They changed their name to the Classics at the suggestion of a local club performer. They were introduced to the owner of the small Dart label and recorded three singles for that company, none of which saw significant sales. Switching to the Musicnote label in 1963 they covered the 1944 Mills Brothers ballad and it became a local favourite, eventually peaking at number 20 in the USA. Further singles for Musicnote and other small companies failed and the group disbanded in the mid-60s, without releasing any albums.

This is the flip to the '63 hit and a much cooler tune imho...

The Classics - Enie Minie Mo

Billy Emerson - When It Rains It Pours

You know the devil does the best he can round these musical parts but i am bottom feeder of musical sorts. i don't wheel and deal or sell on ebay, i am true music fan and i really do love music and collecting records. but i am a man of smalls means, which means there a millions records on the devils want list, but i do what i can... and while this 1964 version of Billy "The Kid" Emerson's "When it rains it pours" aint the original 1955 version on Sun records, it is a great version and a version the devil could actually afford to buy... So please enjoy and maybe one day i will sneak into the Red Boys apartment and swipe his OG copy...

As for Mr. Emerson:

William Robert Emerson, known as Billy "The Kid" Emerson (born 21 December 1929), is an African-American R&B and rock and roll singer and songwriter best known for his 1955 song, "Red Hot".

He was born in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and learned the piano, playing in various local bands. Following a spell in one group, dressed as outlaws, he picked up the nickname "Billy The Kid". He joined the Air Force in 1952, and on his discharge met up in Memphis with bandleader Ike Turner, who recruited him into his Kings of Rhythm.

In 1954 he released his first record on the Sun label, "No Teasing Around", following which he left Turner's band and joined a group led by Phineas Newborn. He stayed with Sun as a songwriter, writing and recording "When It Rains It Really Pours", later recorded by Elvis Presley, and "Red Hot", which later became a hit for both Billy Lee Riley and Bob Luman.

In late 1955 he joined Vee-Jay Records in Chicago, making sophisticated records such as "Every Woman I Know (Crazy 'Bout Automobiles)", released a year later but with little commercial success, and soon afterwards moved to Chess Records. However, he continued to have more success as a songwriter, writing for Junior Wells, Willie Mabon, Wynonie Harris and Buddy Guy during the early 1960s, often in conjunction with Willie Dixon.

Billy Emerson - When It Rains It Pours

The Phil Bernardi Band - I Like Jersey Best

it's true...

this stupid ass devil has been all over the world and i have seen a lot of places, and while lots of stuff was pretty amazing, i've always liked coming back to Jersey.
I guess that is because NJ is my home. And while i get get pretty damn sick of the traffic, the cops, the jerk offs, the Bennie's in the summer, the tolls, the jug handles, and well, a ton of other crap i mostly love this cesspool of filth and grime... And while this tune isn't exactly my cup per se, this has a real "Uncle Floyd" vibe going on, I'm sure it had to have been played on his show at some point? Anyone from Jersey will know what I'm talking about with that reference. And anyone who loves the garbage state enough to write and sing a song about her can't be all that bad...

The song was written by Joe Cosgriff and this is the 1st version done by Phil Bernardi. John Pizzarelli would later do it. The Song was actually introduced into legistration in 1981 to have the song named the New Jersey state song. The song passed the Assembly but failed in the Senate when some State Senators realized that much of the song was "Irreverent." To this day NJ is the only state without an official state song! (thank god this didn't make it!)

The Phil Bernardi Band - I Like Jersey Best

Chuck Osbourne - Frankenstein Pt. 1

OK Folks, tomorrow is the big day! And i will end my brief but fulfilling (at least for me) excursion into the haunting land of Halloween/Monster music with my fave monster of them all...

The almighty FRANKENSTEIN!

When i was about 6 years old i begged my Mom to get me a 6 foot Franky with glowing eyes and bolts from the back of a comic book and man was i excited the day that baby came! I hung it up my wall in my room and proudly tried to scare my little sister with it! Man i though i was cool, that was until it was bed time and the monsters eyes would not stop glowing and staring at me!!! Ha! I think i ran for the hill (Mom's bed) but man i sure wish i still had that silly plastic monster...

Anyway, as with my previous couple of tunes this i heavier funky psych jam with some killer ripping guitar work, and some crude vocals, just like the devil digs 'em... 6 feet under! Get it? Digs 'em 6 feet under!?!? oh, never mind...

Chuck Osbourne? Hittsburg USA Records? Hell if i know... Just don't forget this was ANOTHER Super M Production....

Get crude, get funky and let it rip! This one is all killer thriller and no lame filler....

and if this doesn't satisfy all your Franky needs heads over to A Patchwork Of Flesh to fulfill your needs...

Chuck Osbourne - Frankenstein Pt. 1

Smokey Jam - Lady Vampire

Alright, i could not find ANYTHING out about this band but Halloween without Vampires, even Lady Vampires is like catching the clap without getting laid...
The label states "Area Band" but what area that was i have no idea but i don't think it was Transylvania...
Being on Weird records doesn't hurt this bad boy, er, girl but the real jewel is the song itself, in 1 minuet and 52 seconds they manage to squeeze in some great spooky organ, great fuzzy guitar leads, smooth and somewhat spooky vocals and some more fuzzy guitar, fuzzy, man i do love the fuzzy... ya know more of a 70's bush man.... and i'm sure being from 1972 there was plenty of bush "round these boys...

wait, is this a family show?

matters... enjoy the fuzz.

Oh yeah, check the date on the record with the one on your calendar today...

It was 27 years ago today, Sargent Pepper's told his.... Uh Oh, Wrong Record! Let me Out Of Here!

Smokey Jam - Lady Vampire

The Rattles - The Witch

I dig this tune immensely... And what would Halloween be like without some Witch action? Throw is some fuzzy wah wah guitar and once again count this devil in!!!

The Rattles began their career in the same Hamburg scene where many Liverpool based UK rock groups got their start. They met The Beatles in 1962 and played alongside them on three occasions in Germany; at Munich, Essen and Hamburg. In 1968 they recorded "The Witch", written by Hildebrandt, which was a hit in Germany. The group was forced to split up owing to army service and other reasons and a new line-up formed, although Hildebrandt remained as songwriter and record producer. They enjoyed sustained success in their own country through the 1960s, and recorded a new version of "The Witch" in 1970 which became their only international hit.

"The Witch" went Top 10 on the UK Singles Chart, in addition to hitting the Top 20 in Austria and on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. By April 1971, it had sold over one million copies, with the Rattles becoming the first German group to ever appear in the U.S. charts.

* Achim Reichel - vocals, guitar
* Herbert Hildebrandt - bass
* Hans Joachim Kreuzfeld - guitar
* Reinhard "Dickie" Tarrach - drums

This was the mid 1960s line-up. By the time of "The Witch" they had all left and successively been replaced by other musicians, with Edna Béjarano now being the lead singer.






The Rattles - The Witch

The Studebaker Bro's - Lie'n In The Grave

Going to switch gears here for the last few days before Halloween.

Most of, if not all of my previous Halloween posts from last year have been 50's or 60's campy novelty type tunes so i thought I'd change it up with a few late 60's early 70's garage and heavy psych type jams just to shake things up around these parts of Hell!

And while this isn't necessarily a real Halloween type tune anytime someone is singing about graves and dust and bones followed up by some ripping FUZZ guitar count this devil IN!!!

As for The Studebaker Bro's or Little Fort records your guess is as good as mine...

The Studebaker Bro's - Lie'n In The Grave

The Tarantulas - Tarantula - Black Widow

What would Halloween be like without some spiders!?!?

Fortunately for us "The Tarantulas" give us these 2 creepy instrumentals from 1960 and now i give them to you... Just in time for the Hell-A-Day!

As for the band:

The Tarantulas first recorded as the Spyders and had some personnel changes before changing their name. Band members included Bobby Tucker, Fred Crook, Dan Rains, Sammy Creason, and Bill English. The Tarantulas' best known song is "Tarantula," and they recorded several other songs including "Like Spellbound" and "Kaw Liga." "Tarantula" was recorded at Fernwood studio in Memphis ca. 1960 and was released as a single (Atlantic-2102 b/w "Black Widow"). This song is included on the CD Fernwood Rock N Roll. After Bill Black passed away in 1965, Bobby Tucker became the lead for the Bill Black Combo and the group, which incorporated other Tarantulas members, recorded until the 1970s.


The Tarantulas - Tarantula

The Tarantulas - Black Widow



The Tarantulas - Tarantula

The Surfmen - The Ghost Hop

What is Halloween without some Ghosts???

Just a little kooky, (some-what) spooky and groovy surf instrumental here to get your weekend started!

The Surfmen consisted of Ray Hunt (lead), Nick Drury (rhythm), Armon Frank (sax), Randall Anglin (bs) & Tim Fitzpatrick (dms). After replacing Drury, Anglin, and Frank with Ed Chiaverini, Ron Griffith, and Joel Willenbring, they changed their name to the Lively Ones in 1962.

I know this is a quick one, but you don't need no slack jawin' from me on this one. Just dig in... Sand and Spooks, oh my!

The Surfmen - The Ghost Hop

Sam The Sham - Haunted House - How Does A Cheating Woman Feel

Trying to get into the "spirit" here of my fave month and fave holiday @ the devil's music with some Halloween classics... last month by this time i had a plethora of spooky and kooky tunes for you all, this month not so much... but here we go with what little time we have left i give you Sam The Sham before the Pharaoh's with his first record. BUT the thing here is that even though this is the start of my Halloween posts, the REAL winner here is the B side and "How Does A Cheating Woman Feel"... It is just a really great song IMHO.

I don't really think i need to give any background on Sam the Sham do i???

Enjoy, and i hope to be back with a few more ghoulish numbers before the month ends...

Sam The Sham - Haunted House
Sam The Sham - How Does A Cheating Woman Feel

Mongo Santamaria - I Can't Get Next To You

This is the jam right here. I know my man DJ Pres ove @ Flea Market Funk posted this one already way back when but this needs to be heard by others other than the funk and soul crew out there so if you haven't heard this wicked Temptations cover done in a funky ass Latin style, man are you in for a treat! This tune just jumps out at you with some seriously tight playing by all involved and really moves.

Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría (April 7, 1917 in Havana, Cuba – February 1, 2003) was an Afro-Cuban Latin jazz percussionist. He is most famous for being the composer of the jazz standard "Afro Blue," recorded by John Coltrane among others. In 1950 he moved to New York where he played with Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Fania All Stars, etc. He was an integral figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms with R&B and soul, paving the way for the boogaloo era of the late 1960s. His 1963 hit rendition of Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

So take a spin and if this don't get your weekend started off with a bang, check your pulse, you may already be dead...


Mongo Santamaria - I Can't Get Next To You

Myth - Stormy Night

Last year this time i was head long into an all Halloween month, this year, not so much... I just didn't have the time to get it all done. However there may still be some sort of a collaboration between me and The Red Boy at some point, but who knows... Stick around and see what happens...

So anyway, here is a record i know nothing about except that it's from Youngstown Ohio and there is possibly some connection to the Heavy Ohio hitters Poobah??? The A side is a nice rocking 60's style rock jam heavy on blues guitar rock. I love when songs are written for no other purpose then to let the axe man just jam it out. That is definitely the case here!

The guitar has a real nice clean reverb sound and the git man, who's name i do not know is just giving it his all, clunkers and all.... just beautiful. The bass man aint to shabby either! i would assume, that they are brothers, the Adams brothers, by the writing credits on the 7 inch but who knows....

So dig into "Myth" and if you know anything about this band from Youngstown Ohio, drop the knowledge!!!!

Myth - Stormy Night

Ribeye Brothers - New Ways To Fail

This is a public service message from the devil:

The Ribeye Brothers, who just happen to be my fave active New Jersey band have a new record out and it would serve you well to go and buy it now!!!!

Visit their Myspace page ASAP! and tell them the devil sent you!

The new album is called "New Ways To Fail" which 1st appeared on this here snazzy 7 inch. Which was either re-recorded or re-mixed for the full length and well worth it!

For those not in the know, this is Big Tim Cronin and John Kleiman of Monster Magnet fame doing some sort of negative, self deprecating, alt country, 60's, pop, psych, mash up that oft sounds like The Monkees on a bad bad trip.... Tim is my fave lyricist of ll time... really great stuff. My kids get a kick out this one too, a sure sign of true genius!

Hop to it sucker and go get the new Ribeye record post haste!!!

and enjoy this lil' taste in the meantime....


Ribeye Brothers - New Ways To Fail

Hot Soup - You Took Me By Surprise

I know things have been a bit slow over here these days but hang in there, i still got plenty of vinyl to share. It's just my computer access has been uber limited these days as my PC took a dive into the great unknown and I've been busy handling real life shit as well... but anyway; here is a cut i really dig to start your weekend. Even the crappy styrene pressing which causes some funky surface noise doesn't really detract as this is a heavy and wicked jam that is heavy on the riff and organ. After i found this 45 i went out and searched and bought the album by Hot Soup and it really is nothing like this shit hot mother.

So enjoy this great jam from 1969 on Rama Rama - Remember Records.

As for the band, they were from Florida (Miami?) and Mario Castellano of the Pods went on to sing and play lead guitar with Hot Soup. Their organ player was Willie Akridge, who I see was born on October 21, 1947, in Dothan, Alabama. Akridge was a one time member of the Mar-Teks. Frank Carillo, who recorded for Atlantic in the late 70s, was also in the group. If you need anymore info You try and google "Hot Soup" and tell me what you come up with...

P.S. - Yesterday was my birthday, why didn't you send me something nice???

Hot Soup - You Took Me By Surprise

Three Degrees - Collage

The Three Degrees are a female Philadelphia soul and disco vocal musical group, formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although always fronted by a three person line-up, there have been a number of personnel changes, and a total of twelve women have represented the group so far. The original members were Fayette Pinkney, Shirley Porter and Linda Turner. They are best known for their million selling 1974 hit song, "When Will I See You Again".

They were formed around 1963 in Philadelphia. They were discovered by producer and songwriter, Richard Barrett. Barrett was responsible for groups of the 1950s such as The Chantels, Little Anthony and the Imperials, and The ValentinesBarrett recorded the original line-up on their first song entitled, "Gee Baby (I'm Sorry)", for Swan Records. Turner and Porter both left the group and were replaced by Helen Scott and a variety of other ladies before Janet Harmon joined in the mid 1960s. Barrett also began managing and producing Sheila Ferguson who was a high school friend of Scott. Barrett also signed Ferguson to Swan Records in 1965. The Three Degrees released a number of singles such as "I'm Gonna Need You" and a cover version of "Maybe" with Scott taking the lead vocals.

By 1966, with many performances lined up, Scott decided to leave the group to start a family. Ferguson filled in for Scott and would remain in the group for 20 years. Ferguson sang backup on all the group's Swan recordings as did the Three Degrees for her solo singles. By 1967, Harmon left and was eventually replaced by Valerie Holiday. Barrett signed them to recording contracts over the next three years with Warner Bros., Metromedia, and Neptune record labels; the latter of which which was owned by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff who would work with group five years later. Their close harmony singing made them a popular nightclub act but that hit record still eluded them.

By 1970, they were signed to Roulette Records and they released their first album, Maybe. The title song took them to #4 on the U.S. R&B charts. Other singles like "I Do Take You" and "You're The Fool" followed, as did their second album, So Much Love. This success landed them a cameo appearance in the 1971 film, The French Connection, filmed during one of their appearances at the Copacabana nightclub in New York.

In 1973, with their contract with Roulette ending, Barrett signed them to Philadelphia International Records under Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, where they were to have their greatest successes. They also made an appearance on the television series Sanford and Son, singing their song "I Didn't Know." The first song they recorded there was with the studio band MFSB, entitled "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" which was the theme song for Soul Train. In total, The Three Degrees recorded four albums for the Roulette label.

The first album spawned three hits. "Dirty Ol' Man" went gold in the Netherlands and Belgium. The second single was "Year Of Decision" which made it to the Top 20 in the UK Singles Chart. Their third single "When Will I See You Again" was the one that broke the trio into the mainstream. It topped the UK Chart and reached no.2 in the US, earning the trio a gold record.

That is the wiki low-down; my low-down is that this song reminds my of my younger days driving around in the car with my Mom while she sang along with the A.M.radio. And this is a real song of the times, iot couldn'y have been recorded at any other time than the late 60's or early 70's, in this case smack dab in teh middle, 1970.
A song that mixes in soul with pop and with slight psychedlic edge... Enjoy.

And before anyone gives me shit about the sound quality, this was dug at a flea market and cost me 50 cents... If you like the song go buy some mp3's or whatever and get off my back.... I'm sure some of these ladies are still alive and could use your cracker ass green backs!

Three Degrees - Collage