Greetings, fellow seekers —
It’s been too long. My contemplative journey through the bins and baskets of our Capital’s thrift stores has taken me to places unseen, unearthing treasures that have left even my vinyl guru, E. Pluribus Gergley, scratching his head in wonderment. In truth, my recent aimless wanderings have resulted in far more interesting music than I could reasonably post in one collection; hence, I am dividing the lot, in no particular order of style or quality, in batches of five songs apiece. I hope you enjoy them. Please remember, as always, that the value of the Thrifty Music experience has less to do with obscurity, or even quality, than you might think. The Thrifty Music experience is meant to open our eyes to new sounds, discovered at random, in the garbage cans of our civilization.
Here, then, is this week’s collection:
“Your Little Sister”, The Marvelows
One of a number of simple pleasures found in a 25-cent box at the local Goodwill, this number has a lot going for it: a jaunty groove, a sly lyric, a great studio sound (I love the hugeness of the bongo roll at the top of the tune), and that irrepressibly catchy falsetto refrain. Lovers of trivia might be interested to know that The Marvelows were the same bunch that recorded the doo-wop smash “I Do”, popularized for my generation by the J. Geils Band. Plus, their lead singer had an eye-patch!
“I Need Somebody”, ? and the Mysterians
Here’s a band that just exudes rock and roll guts. Or maybe the word I’m looking for is confidence. Or maybe naivete. Idiocy? Either way, they’ve got no reservations about taking a dorky organ riff, serving it up about 500 times, adding some very effective yelping from lead weirdo “?,” and leaving you, the listener, to figure it out. Some things I really like about this song (the follow-up to “96 Tears”): the fact that there’s no rhythmic foundation to the segues between verses. The band just hits three descending chords, then waits for the keyboard player — who was obviously in a hurry — to get back to that riff, then, boom! They come back in. I also like the major bass flub about two thirds of the way through. T.B. Player is obviously “in the zone” and doesn’t realize the band has stopped again.
“Shimmy Shimmy Watusi”, The Buttons
Gosh, I love this song! I think right off the bat, there’s a downright lovable lack of sophistication in the vocal performance. It’s amateurish in a really good way, like we’re finally hearing a “girl group” actually comprised of “girls.” I mean, just listen to that almost tuneless introduction: “weeee went to a paaaarty… everybody was theeerrrre…” — and then the band kicks in with a humpin’ groove, as The Buttons start to shake their rumps and jostle their poofy 1961 hairdos, singing “they… did… the… SHIMMY-SHIMMY-SHIMMY-WATUSSSSI!” Brilliant! And I ell-oh-vee-ee LOVE that strange “yeah-ee, yeah-ee” that they throw in after the second refrain in each chorus. Wonderful. I could listen to this song all day.
“Too Hurt to Cry”, Candi Staton
If I were to choose the most important “discovery” I’ve made over the last year and a half of thrifting for music, it would probably be Candi Staton. Like most everybody else, I’d heard her one giant disco-era single, “Young Hearts” (though I probably couldn’t have told you who sang it), but darn it, every single 45 I turn up, from every era of this lady’s career, is a winner. The last time E. Pluribus sat me down for a hard dose of vinyl reality, he leaned over, stared at me contemptuously through his monocle, jabbed his cigarette at my chest and said, “Here’s some hard truth, BOY; see if you can get this through your thick skull: most bands never had more than one decent song in them! That’s why these singles are so important! You may an idiot savant at finding them, but don’t be fooled — most of what’s out there is CRAP!” … and then he was off, his silk dragon robe fluttering down the hallway to his dark, opium-stained study. Well, far be it from me to doubt E Pluribus’ word, but Candi puts the lie to his “wisdom.” What a voice! And the songs written for her — all of them, it seems — were just dynamite.
“Finders Keepers”, Chairmen Of the Board
Another winner from this band. There’s a lot to like here — for starters, the fawnky clavinet; and the horns; and the weird theremin/trombone solo — but for me, the icing on the cake is the percussion that kicks in after each chorus. But what the heck is it? What are they playing? It sounds like they’re just beating on shit with sticks, or stomping their feet on the ground, or something. And what kind of groove is that, anyway? It’s like a funkyfried zydeco or something. So cool!
Anyhow, as always, I leave you with a few questions, for which you may find answers in the tunes I’ve supplied. Please ponder the following:
1. In general, are you a falsetto-friendly rock and roller? Can you yourself do the falsetto thang? Have you ever tried, only to be met with slack-jawed stares, hooting, or jeering from your friends and/or bandmates?
2. What’s the downright “dumbest” song you’ll go to the mat for?
3. Leaving The Supremes out of the running, are there any “girl groups” that you’d consider buying an album from? Weren’t they all the single-iest of the “singles bands”?
4. Are you more of a Northern or Southern soul guy or gal when it comes to chick singers? Why?
5. Would you actually cut a rug to this Chairmen of the Board single? Assuming you tight-asses were actually lubed up sufficiently with booze or your drug of choice, I mean. Do you find it “danceable”?
I look forward to your responses.
HVB
It’s about time we get a new thrifty music. Thanks. Does it get any geekier than the ? and the Mysterians tune? Yes, the Buttons tune. Cheers!
1. I am not falsetto friendly.
2. The entire ‘Animals’ lp by Pink Floyd is dumber than Waters would like to imagine, but I’ll go to the mat for it.
3. I can do without an entire album by any girl group, unless Sleater-Kinney counts.
4. Just heard some piece on a New Orleans singer, Barbara Lee (I think that was her name), last night. Sounded really good. Anyone know who I’m talking about? She was described as the ‘Female Elvis’ in her time. I don’t get hung up on the Southern-Northern thing, though.
5. The Chairmen song sounds *a lot* like the ? one.
Townsman Meanstom,
Thanks for that catch on the Chairman of the Board song. I just corrected the file. NOW you can hear what Townsman Hrrundi is cutting a rug over!
Meanstom, are you thinking of Brenda Lee? She’s the only one I can think of that might have been called the female Elvis, but she wasn’t from New Orleans.
I heard this singer on American Routes. Just looked up the show on the web, and it was Barbara Lynn. At least I got her initials right. It says she’s from Beaumont, TX. The episode had a Gulf Coast theme. Here’s a link to it: http://www.americanroutes.org/thisweek.html
Anyone know about Barbara Lynn?
Yeah, that was my other guess. I love Barbara Lynn. Her big hit was If You Lose Me You’ll Lose a Good Thing. She was a discovery of the legendary Huey Meaux, who was behind the early Sir Douglas Quintet recordings. His label was called Crazy Cajun, and he worked that west LA/east TX territory.
I discovered her by chance in the cutout LP bin ages ago, but the CD compilation of the good stuff that I have is called The Best of Barbara Lynn: The Atlantic Years. Unfortunately it looks like it’s out of print (Amazon lists used copies for $99.99 and $129.99!). Btw there’s a CD called The Crazy Cajun Recordings, which I can’t vouch for. I think the later`Atlantic stuff is the shit.
You’ve got to watch out because she did some re-recording of her classic stuff, and I got burned a few times before I found the aforementioned CD. Also beware that she came out of retirement in the 90s and has issued a few albums since then that are far from horrible, but they’re not what you want.
If you (or anyone) is interested, I can make you a copy of that good compilation.
Big Steve, wasn’t Wanda Jackson touted as the female Elvis when they were an item?
Thanks for your commentary, Townsman Meanstom. (You’re near-palindromic, in a Lennon/Goon Show kind of way!) Upcoming Thrifty Music installments should also please and delight your palate for the interesting, the out-of-the-way and the obscure. Just today, I ran across two Mandrill singles, which I’m betting Mr. Mod is dying to hear.
Townsman BigSteve: you should know that a scratchy old Barbara Lynn single (“This Is the Thanks I Get”) was considered for this installment, but fell short. If you know this song, and feel it deserves as much Thrifty Respect as, say, ? and the Mysterians, tell us why, and I’ll be sure to post it immediately. Like Mr. Happer says to Mack in the Greatest Movie Of All Time, “Local Hero”: I want reports!
HVB
By the way, I forgot to mention another reason why you all should love this Chairmen Of the Board single: the guy who wrote it (in fact, the guy who wrote all their material) is named “General Johnson.” How cool is that? (He’s the confident-looking dude in the front of the photo.)
I’m not done with this Chairmen single yet. I simply can’t believe there isn’t a single music nerd out there who doesn’t find the backing track — clavinet, theremin, trombones, clogs, hitting on shit with sticks — as interesting as I do. Oh, well. I guess there’s always the latest Beatles thread to keep us occupied. Right now, it’s… let’s see… yes, the Beatles as food. The Beatles as food, everyone! Let’s hear what you’ve got to say!
Townsman Hrrundi wrote:
Ain’t that the truth!
As for the Chairmen tune, I like it, but it’s no surprise to me why you love it so: it sounds like a Stevie Wonder b-side! The arrangement is a lot of fun, but its not anything I haven’t heard before with a better song a top it. This is NOT to say I don’t dig it, but that’s why I haven’t gone apesh*t over it. I like those first two Thrifty cuts best.
As for your questions, which we should rally around and answer candidly…
I frequently love the falsetto, especially when done by Eddie Kendricks and Smokey Robinson. Del Shannon’s “Runaway” never fails to amaze me. Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock” and “Benny and the Jets” are two workingman’s efforts worth trying to match while I hear them in the car.
The Beach Boys’ “Kokomo”.
None come to mind worth buying an entire album by. I would think a Roches albums doesn’t count.
Considering that most Northern soul is second-rate soul from wherever in the US, I’ll go with the Southern variety. The Southern women usually have a stronger presence – less producer-driven drivel.
Yeah, I could get down with it, provided the 4×4 was first dislodged from my butt.
hbv, just a quickie response … it’s late. I’ll post some comments and answer the questions tomorrow, but….
I didn’t mean to hijack your thread. Barbara Lynn’s This Is the Thanks I Get is a good track, not one of my favorites by her, though you gotta love it when a song gets away with a single unvarying chord progression. What’s the b-side? Also beware that that’s one of the songs she recut for her ’93 comeback album So Good. And the version there is Not So Good. I assume you have the original. What label?
Thanks for posting the ? song. It was well worth the wait! It sounds a little like music to watch clown cars by, but it’s fun and certainly not pretentious. The Marvelows song is really great. What a shame it didn’t make them rich. I can pass on the others. The Chairmen of the Board do sound like a second rate Stevie Wonder, but I thought Billy Preston was all the second rate Stevie we needed.
1. In general, are you a falsetto-friendly rock and roller? Can you yourself do the falsetto thang? Have you ever tried, only to be met with slack-jawed stares, hooting, or jeering from your friends and/or bandmates?
I like it. Worried About You is one of my favorite Stones songs. I can kind of do it, but it just sounds like me but higher, so that’s really a horrible sound.
2. What’s the downright “dumbest” song you’ll go to the mat for?
There’s lots of them. I think Louie Louie, Wild Thing and Wooly Bully are three of the greatest songs ever. Pure awesomeness.
3. Leaving The Supremes out of the running, are there any “girl groups” that you’d consider buying an album from? Weren’t they all the single-iest of the “singles bands”?
I hate that stuff from the early 60’s. I’m okay with the Motown, but I think that’s very different from The Poni Tails or groups like that. Those groups were where guitars went to die.
4. Are you more of a Northern or Southern soul guy or gal when it comes to chick singers? Why?
I’m an equal opportunity channel switcher for both. Apparently I have no soul.
5. Would you actually cut a rug to this Chairmen of the Board single? Assuming you tight-asses were actually lubed up sufficiently with booze or your drug of choice, I mean. Do you find it “danceable”?
Sure. If I’m sufficiently lubed, I’ll try just about anything. But that would probably have to be an open bar for that level of lube.
Thanks again, I’m looking forward to more!
Man, I’ll bite on that Chairmen of the Board song, it’s great. The backing track’s like some kind of “Dancing Machine”/“Outa-Space” hybrid, and the whole thing ends up playing like a disco Joe Tex. I’d only previously known them for “Give Me Just a Little More Time” and “Pay To the Piper,” the latter of which I love – did they do anything else like this and Piper?
I also enjoy how – in that photo at least – General Johnson looks like an Evil Smokey Robinson. Plural name or not, I think it’s pretty clear who was running the board meetings. It’s as if Smokey was leading some kind of secret dual life where he was also the head of a crime syndicate, like Yaphet Kotto in Live And Let Die. Or Dan Aykroyd in Doctor Detroit, if you prefer.
I think it actually might be almost too busy to be danceable for anyone not being paid to do so professionally. I kinda feel like the only dancers who could really handle this would have at least two or three other guys dressed identically out on the floor with them. This is the kind of song you wouldn’t walk out on the floor to dance to, you’d have to already be in mid-strut, possibly with some collar adjustment going on right before the drums kick in. That said, it’d be perfect for a ‘70s crime movie double-cross montage. Said movie would use a lot of wipes for transitions, and there would be crooked cops involved.
Alexmagic wrote:
That’s a tremendous call!
I’m loving the Chairmen of the Board song, laughing at the ? song. The Candi Staton is great by anyone’s standards but hers. And I LOVE the fact that the Buttons had the (ahem) balls to do a song with nothing but a chorus! I hate obligatory verses almost as much as obligatory bridges. Some hooks CAN be repeated for three minutes, so why not just do it?
1. Falsetto is what it’s all about. Without it, your listeners start crowding the plate.
I’m not much of a singer (though I’m better than I was in college), but in one old band I did some falsetto ooo-ooos. And in my very last band, I for some reason could nail the backing falsetto in some cover we were doing, but after doing it live a few times, the singer said, good-naturedly, “You can’t do that anymore. I can’t handle it.” “What do you mean? Is it out of tune?” She said, “No, it’s in tune. I just – I don’t know; I can’t handle it.”
I continued doing it. She learned to handle it.
2. You know it’s gonna be the Ace of Spades. The Ace of Spades.
3. Not that I know of.
4. Northern. I like producer-driven drivel.
5. I don’t flail. Cajun and zydeco, I’ll go.
Hey, Alexmagic: if you want to hear another awesome slice of Chairmen B-side magic, check out Thrifty Music, Vol. 2, where we get a chance to hear their fuzz-bass masterpiece, “Morning Glory.” You’ll find it here:
https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/index.php?p=340&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#more340
Thanks, one and all, for your comments! BigSteve, I’m goi ng to hunt through the stack-o-wax here in the living room to find out what else is on that Barbara Lynn single. I remember it didn’t do much for me. The fact that “This Is the Thanks I Get” made it to the finals means I liked it pretty good. But these songs have to be *strong* to make it into the hallowed Hall!
Ah, the Chairmen Of The Board…I’ve been a fan of theirs since I was a yon’ teen in the Delaware Valley. Back in the pre-CD era I spent too much money buying singles and LPs of their stuff (hey, E. Plur, want to buy them?).
Now everything has been issued on CD. All of their H-D-H era stuff was re-issued back in 1999 in England on two-fers, along with solo cuts by General Johnson, Danny Woods, and other chairmen; I think this are all OOP now. For the last few decades they’ve been releasing stuff on their own label out of North Carolina. It’s really good stuff that sounds pretty much like it was written and recorded back during their heyday.
There are a couple of comps still avaiable, including a really cheap Ten Best disc that you can get at amazon (go thru the link on RTH).
Hrrundi,
Isn’t it funny how some of our finest old farts of the vinyl age have yet to check in on this week’s Thrifty Music? I’m thinking of the likes of E Pluribus, Andyr, et al. I’m sure you would agree that their answers would be most helpful.
Whoops, that last comment was meant for private correspondence. Sorry.
Who needs ’em? Their responses, as anticipated by me, follow below:
Here’s Andy’s input:
The first one and Buttons have an oldeys feel. ? is cool, the Chairman is to busy.
Andyr
And Plurb’s:
Hrundi:
Know that I see no need to keep up with this Thrifty Music crap. A turd is a turd, no mater how little money it cost you. The Marvelows did nothing for me, and that Mysterians song is just stupid. Candi Staton is the epitome of the grade-B journeywoman soul “diva,” and even for *her* this song is boring. Boring! The Chairmen number isn’t bad, but, as usual, your Kentonite analysis completey misses the point. Go back to your ELO, Prince and ZZ Top albums where you know what you’re talking about, sort of.
Yours,
E.
You anticipate wisely, my friend. Nice misspellings on Andyr’s behalf, as well. It’s a good thing we’re taking this discussion offlist. Andyr will also gripe about someone’s vocals, implying that he would have sung the song more to his liking.
What’s up with E, anyhow? Is he in one of his rare “If you ain’t got nothing nice to say, say nothing at all” modes, or is just busy rooting through the basements of suspected serial killers in search of primo Barry and the Remains 45s?
In general, are you a falsetto-friendly rock and roller? Can you yourself do the falsetto thang? Have you ever tried, only to be met with slack-jawed stares, hooting, or jeering from your friends and/or bandmates?
I like falsetto, as long as it doesn’t get too screechy, which Prince is occasionally guilty of. I have no falsetto at all. I’m a baritone, and an E is about as high as I can go reliably. I put it down to my high testosterone level.
2. What’s the downright “dumbest” song you’ll go to the mat for?
Doo Wah Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Doo.
3. Leaving The Supremes out of the running, are there any “girl groups” that you’d consider buying an album from? Weren’t they all the single-iest of the “singles bands”?
The 5678’s.
4. Are you more of a Northern or Southern soul guy or gal when it comes to chick singers? Why?
Southern. Northerners don’t really have fully developed souls.
5. Would you actually cut a rug to this Chairmen of the Board single? Assuming you tight-asses were actually lubed up sufficiently with booze or your drug of choice, I mean. Do you find it “danceable”?
Yes, definitely. But this record made me ‘wonder’ — who invented the funky clavinet? Was it Stevie, or was it spontaneously invented simultaneously in a variety of musical locations? Does anyone have a definitive answer?
BigSteve asked:
I too want to know.
Sure. I like the falsetto quite a bit. Curtis Mayfield, Feargal Sharkey and Sting (in the Police) are some of my favorite practioners.
I can sing fairly high, but not THAT high. I tried singing along to “Teenage Kicks” the other day, but was forced to stop by Anne, who insisted (and rightfully so) that I just didn’t have the vocal ability to sing that song and that it really put a strain on my voice.
The Replacements “Fuck School” or “Tommy Got His Tonsils Out”
Do The Pipettes count? I downloaded their full-length a while back and my verdict (not surprisingly) is that they work a lot better as a singles band.
It’s all about Southern soul for me. Generally speaking, I prefer Stax over Motown (though I like both) and it’s important to note that some artists like Sam Cooke who moved up north originally came from the deep south (in Cooke’s case, he was from Mississippi). With that said, when I tend to think of the greatest FEMALE soul singers (Aretha, Gladys Knight), I tend to think of Detroit, so perhaps I have to go with Northern (in terms of geography, not the British definition of obscuro soul singles) here.
I’ll get back to you when I give it a listen (sorry I’m really late to the party here).
fritz,
i’m not usually a participant in your “thrift store find” threads because by the time i get around to listening to the songs youv’e uploaded, the thread is dead. I’m a fan of these threads, though.
and that’s nearly the case here, but here are answers to your questions, for what it’s worth:
1. falsetto? “emotional rescue” falsetto? “kiss” falsetto? sure. my own falsetto is a weird extension of the higher registers of my voice, so i can use it to hit higher notes without it sounding like i’ve switched gears. but if i ever want that falsetto thing, no, it’s a really bad idea. i just sound like the teen-aged ninja nerd.
2. i hear extremely sinister, spooky overtones in “ob-li-di oh-bli-dah” which noone else seems to hear. and i will go to the mat for that dumbass song every day of the week.
3. by “girl group” are we limiting ourselves to the “proper” girl group era, or are we talking about any group comprised of women? just get me back to my mr. airplane records, please!
4. i don’t care about northern or southern. there are brilliant and sucky practitioners on either side of the line.
5. fritz, do you dance? have you been seen in public dancing? i’m just curious.
i LOVE to dance. and i don’t need drugs or alcohol. just a good groove. yes, this song would help me work it.
couple of comments on the tunes:
“Your little Sister” sounds like an attempt to put lyrics to the instrumental version of the Ramsey Lewis Trio’s “Walkin’ on the Water”, which nails the groove to the wall. This is a great song for a thrift store find! I like the key change after the chorus. Nice.
I don’t know why, but I always thought that “I need Somebody” was pretty much in common parlance. I’m very familiar with this song. It’s one of the only other “?” song I know. Some paisley’d out girl gave me a mix tape with this on it during my freshman year of college, but i know i’ve heard it other places, too. nice groove with nowhere to go but home.
Same with “Shimmy”. I’ve heard this bunches. But where? Fritz, i think the vocals are far more sophisticated than you realize. but they pull them off so effortlessly, that they sound unaffected and simple.
stanton: man, you’re fucking killing your stylus! but you can still hear what a cool drum sound the engineer got on this one. that first drum fill is GREAT. and it’s the perfect example of what’s missing in today’s approach to engineering: engineers immediately turn the mid-range down, especially when dialing up their drums. everything has nice clear highs and deep dark low frequencies, and that’s all well and good. but when you listen to the drums on this song you see that mid-range is what gives a drum kit its character. it’s not easy to handle mid-range the right way, but the payoff is high if you work with it. her voice is great. but she’s singing about tragedy, and whoever arranged this has chosen to give the song this loose, free and easy vibe that SO doesn’t match the sentiments of the song. that piano riff gives a casual air to the proceedings and sabotages her excellent emotive efforts. it confuses my cerebral cortex. too bad. go ahead fritz, tell me i’m full of shit and the entire universe feels other than i do. then i’ll restate that this is my personal reaction to the song, and that you are entitled to yours, which is no more universal than mine. isn’t that how we’ve been doing it for the past three years?
finder’s keepers: dang, this is further proof that “superstition” is the groove that launched a thousand other grooves in the early 70s. GREAT breathy vocal.
and, people, THE CLAVINETTE NEEDS TO MAKE A COMEBACK. that’s all i have to say.
thanks for unearthing these gems, rock archaeologist stolzenbach!!! GREAT stuff!!!!
Professor —
1. ‘Round these parts, you may respectfully call me “Hrrundi.” I dunno from who this “Stolzenbach” character is.
2. I do dance, but I’m a bit of a fascist about the songs I’ll shake my ass to. This one, for me, would not qualify, much as I like it.
3. I can see how you might have heard the Mysterians number before, but The Buttons? I doubt it, my good man. I’m told by E Pluribus that it’s among the most obscure girl group offerings. It certainly wasn’t a hit, to the best of my knowledge. Where’s Linkerson when you need some fact checking?
4. General Johnson, “breathy”? Huh? Dusty Springfield singing “The Look Of Love” is breathy. Eric Matthews is breathy. Break out the Q-Tips, professor — something is obviously stuck in your ears!
Thanks for your detailed response — it’s feedback like this that makes me want to keep on a-searchin’!
Reading saturn’s comment on Finders Keepers vis-a-vis Superstition sent me researching to see when these two cuts came out. The liner notes to Talking Book have an original release date of October 27, 1972 and Superstition debuted on the charts on November 18, 1972. Finder’s Keeper hit the charts on June 9, 1973. The liner notes to Skin I’m In (the album the single came from) says the sessions for the album were “probably taped in late 1972”. So, Finder’s likely does have Superstion as an influence.
But the real reason I’m bothering with this posting is something else I came across in the liner notes to Skin I’m In (and, for the pince-nez crowd, it’s actually the liner notes to the 1999 reissue on the Sequel label out of the UK, a two-fer of the Chairmen’s third and fourth album, Bittersweet and Skin I’m In).
The back label indicates “Skin I’m In is effectively a ‘great lost album’ by members of funk pranksters Parliament”. The liner notes give this further detail: “The album was co-produced by Jeffrey Bowen and the combined musicianship of Funkadelic’s Billy ‘Bass’ Nelson, Tiki Fullwood (drums), Eddie Hazel (guitar), and Bernie Worrell (keyboards”. The notes also mention that “Bowen had been responsible for the early Parliament productions while still contracted to Motown, where he had debuted with The Temptations’ In A Mellow Mood set”.
sorry about the name check, man. why is this such a big deal? people call me by my “rth” name and my regular name on here. who cares?
if i say i’ve heard that buttons song, then i’ve heard it. i knew every change before it arrived. my best guess is that my record collecting cousin, who has been at it for years, about 10 yrs my senior, and a soul fanatic, has it, really liked it, and inundated me with it in my pre-teens when he was the only family member i’d hang out with at family gatherings.
as for general johnson’s breathiness, show me some respect and open YOUR ears instead of telling me to clean out mine. after this many years on rth, you should know that i don’t go off half cocked and make inaccurate observations about what i’m hearing. so if i use the word “breathy” to describe his vocals, you should go back and listen with fresh ears of your own for what i might have meant. i would do the same for you.
the man was clearly on fire on this track, panting, gasping, breathing in, then yelping out. and it’s very noticeable even at the beginning of the song before he gets really revved up. the word “breathy” doesn’t always have to mean soft and whispery.
and by the way,
if i wasn’t clear about this earlier: re. the thrift store threads, keep ’em comin’. love ’em. i’ve only ever blown them off in the past because of a lack of time to really give the tunes you post a listen.
also, don’t take umbrage if i ever come off as a “been there / done that” kinda guy when it comes to rooting through the thrift store bins for lost gems. i HAVE been there, and i HAVE done that…oodles of it. it’s a very 1985 – 1997 pursuit for me and most of my friends here in philly. but i was never as good at it as you are, and i know you are most certainly engaged in a noble pursuit. and you have enlightened me on several occasions!
Professor, I respect you so much that I insist on making sure I understand you when you seem to be talking nonsense. You can, of course, ascribe whatever meaning you wish to the term “breathy.” But you run the risk of being misunderstood, as happened here. I guess you meant it in some quasi-literal sense, like “I coud hear General Johnson breathing as he sang; he sure was breathy!” I get you now. It’s weird, but I get you.
AI, major ups to you for that fascinating tidbit of trivia — excellent! But tell me, how good is the CD? I’m very tempted, but I’m also very poor. Every retail purchase has to be a slam-dunk these days.
hrrundi: coolio! we understand each other completely! thanks, man!
remember, guest list if you want it, black cat, aug. 20th. but don’t feel obligated to stop by if it’s out of your way!
Perfesser, as much as I appreciate the guest list offer, I must refuse. I have a standing policy on these things — if a friend of mine is tryig to make money through art, I pay. If they’re just doing shit for funsies, that’s different. But I pay as a matter of course — how else we gonna hep a bruthah out?
Hrrundi, I hesitate to really push General Johnson & COTB. I love them in a way that almost makes me think I’ve got a blind spot about them. Part of it, I think, is that unlike most every other soul group I love, I do have the complete albums for them, as opposed to greatest hits sets for most of the Motown/Stax artists I love.
Consequently, there are some weaker spots on the albums but for me they are rarely worse than good and usually way way better.
Their first two albums are on the two-fer The Chairmen Of The Board/In Session. This disc has many of their hits – Give Me Just A Little More Time, the original version of Patches (GJ wrote this), Tricked & Trapped, Pay To The Puper, Chairman Of The Board, Everything’s Tuesday. Amazon has two used copies of this (http://www.amazon.com/Chairmen-Board-Session/dp/B00002540N/ref=sr_1_26/103-3447501-9569402?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1186168286&sr=1-26) starting at (ouch!) $52.99.
Their third and fourth albums (and last ones for H-D-H) are on the two-fer Bittersweet/Skin I’m In. Amazon has two of these (http://www.amazon.com/Bittersweet-Skin-Im-Chairmen-Board/dp/B00000I9ZD/ref=sr_1_25/103-3447501-9569402?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1186168286&sr=1-25) starting at $14.95.
There was a third set (2 discs) reissued at the same time called Any Other Business. This was a collection of non-LP tracks and solo releases from General Johnson, Danny Woods, and Harrison Kennedy. Amazon has three of these (http://www.amazon.com/Any-Other-Business-Chairman-Board/dp/B00002540X/ref=sr_1_28/103-3447501-9569402?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1186168286&sr=1-28) starting at $27.98.
Perhaps the best way to go is a three disc anthology of their H-D-H years called Finder’s Keepers. Amazon has this (http://www.amazon.com/Finders-Keepers-Anthology-Chairmen-Board/dp/B00006F2XQ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-3447501-9569402?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1186168873&sr=1-1) starting at $18.74. I don’t have this one (no need for it with the other three) but it looks to have quite a good selection and 64 tracks for $18.74 puts the per cost track at thrift store prices.
If you are browsing amazon, you can find a lot of their ’80s and ’90s output starting as low as 81 cents. This stuff is really good as well.
Don’t forget to get to amazon via the RTH link.