Greetings, seekers of the rare, the unusual, and the remarkably cheap! Join me as I shirk my household chores to bring you another edition of Thrifty Music — the ongoing series where I share musical pieces of flotsam and jetsam, salvaged from thrift stores, junk shops, and flea markets across the Washington, DC metroplex.

This week, I have five fine tracks to share with you, acquired on average for about a quarter. To begin with, a fine, fine, groovy blues track by Jimmy McCracklin called “Steppin’ Up In Class”. I don’t know much about Mr. McCracklin, but I do know that this kind of mid-60s urban blues — backed by a loping, Memphis-style groove and wrapped around a sleazy guitar riff — hits me where it hurts. How can you not bob your head with this tune groovin’ in the background?

Next up, a prime example of excellence in Extremely White Music: “Let’s Call It a Day Girl” by the very inaccurately named Razor’s Edge. You may scoff, but I really, really dig this song. It’s got all the Kentonite structural flips and twists I crave, some nifty backup vocals, a melody you won’t be able to shake once you’ve heard it, and check out those inappropriately thunderous drum fills at the end!

Now, a song that really caught me by surprise: “The Day I Found Myself”, by Honey Cone. You may remember Honey Cone from their smash early ’70s hit “Want Ads.” That tune set a sort of template for these chicks: uptempo, funky, tuneful, hot-pants, afro, etc. So when I slapped this single down on the porta-play, I was taken aback. Super old-school, like something recorded in 1964! But, boy, what a great little tune — the lyric is memorable, the arrangement is sweet, and the chorus goes on for miles and miles. Good stuff!

To finish off: a two-fer from The Persuaders. In fact, I’m giving you the A-side and the B-side of their “Thin Line (Between Love and Hate)” single. Why am I feeling so generous? Well, it occurred to me that you Pretenders fans might have never heard the original of this tune. But, perhaps more important, I was really struck by the thematic consistency between sides A and B of this platter. Side A is, of course, the remarkable “Thin Line (Between Love and Hate)” — as sung by the Persuaders in the first person, which is interesting. But even more remarkable is the flip side, “Thigh Spy” — which is also sung in the first person. Here’s the deal, though: it’s clear to me that the guy singing on side A about how much his wife puts up with from him (until she lands him in the hospital) is the same guy singing “I’m a thigh spy, I peep to see, girls wearing mini-skirts, showin’ those legs to me!” And that’s not all he says about himself and his voyeuristic tendencies. It’s as frank a confession as the one he delivers on the plug side of this single, albeit a more carnal one. Anyhow, the song rocks, and in my mind, this is definitely sung by the same character who gets put in the hospital by a wife who’s finally had enough.

In any case, folks, enjoy. As always, I eagerly await your thoughts and impressions surrounding these fine songs — none of which deserved to be discarded, and all of which I was all too happy to rescue and put to good use.

Your friend and colleague,

HVB