thrifty music

Thrifty Music, Vol. 20.6: Freaking Out!

Apr 132010

Greetings, fans of music that the world inexplicably wants to throw away! Today, I bring you a lovely bit of English psychedelia from the improbably named Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, entitled “The Sun Goes Down.” I have little to share with you about this band, other than the fact that they were not necessarily known as a “psychedelic” band per se — they were more famous for pop hits on the UK charts, such as… such as… hell I don’t know, and don’t care to find out.

But here they are in full, acid-drenched flower, sounding even more like the Dukes Of Stratosphear than the Dukes did… or something. I hope you enjoy this track as much as I did after finding it in the possession of a 70 year-old woman in rural Maryland, who had no use for it. It calls to mind a question, however: for those of you who ever indulged in the use of psychedelic substances — did you have a preferred soundtrack to your visits to the Land Of Little Horses? For those of you (like me) who were always too chicken to indulge: did you ever think there might be a piece of music that would provide a suitable soundtrack? Please share — we’re all friends here; let’s mellow out together.

I look forward to your responses.

HVB

Thrifty Music, Vol. 20.5: Relationship Advice From the Soul Generation

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Apr 082010

From left: Townsmen mockcarr, hrrundivbakshi, Rick Massimo, chickenfrank.

“Super Fine,” The Soul Generation

Greetings, seekers of the rare, the weird and the incredibly cheap! Here’s today’s installment of Thrifty Music for your thoughtful consideration — a dynamic chunk of funk from The Soul Generation entitled “Super Fine.” In it — over one of the slammin’est, most groove-a-licious tracks you’ll ever hear — this four-piece vocal combo (seen above in their flyest of superfly pimp finery) offers you some sound relationship advice, to wit:

If you love a girl
(If you love a girl)
And she’s super fine
(super fine, super fine)
BLOW HER MIND!
(Why don’t you blow it — hey, hey, hey… YEAAHHH! WOOOOO!)

The next line concerns the need to also be sure to “know her sign,” and so forth.

Look, like a lot of tunes from this era, the lyric is a bit silly, but the sheer enthusiasm of the vocal performance — and the way you can really feel the band sink their gold teeth into that mighty, mighty groove — well, it makes for a Great artefact of a bygone musical era, sez me. I just love this song.

But here’s my probing Thrifty Question: I think we’d all agree that if you love a girl, and she’s super fine, you really ought to blow her mind. But is there any other lyric that contains what you’d sincerely consider good relationship advice? I know we make a lot of fun of the loincloth-wearing misogyny of a lot of retardo-rock — but there must be some good bits of advice that rock has to offer, as well. Share your favorites.

I look forward to your responses.

HVB

Thrifty Music, Vol. 20.4: I Am the Last Man Standing with Chuck Woolery!

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Apr 052010

Chuck Woolery, “Soft Velvet Love”

Still on track to make 20 Thrifty Music posts in 40 days — and today’s post allows me to both fulfill my Thrifty Music Anniversary Pledge and be counted as the Last Man Standing on the topic of show biz personalities who got their start as rockers. Why? Because today’s thrifty score is a late-’60s single by Chuck Woolery — yes, that Chuck Woolery — who traveled from his home in Kentucky to the hills of Hollyweird to find fame and fortune as a rock star before he settled into his role as host of innumerable teevee game shows.

Chuck actually scored a top 40 hit in, I think, 1967, with his band, The Avant Garde, entitled “Naturally Stoned” — but this slab of cheese was released after The Avant Garde called it quits. I originally meant to post it as a 100% gag, but I’ve grown to appreciate the Lee Greenwood-esque over-the-top-ness of it, so I offer it to you as a mere 75% gag. In any case, enjoy! And please note:

I AM THE LAST MAN STANDING!

HVB

Thrifty Music, Vol. 20.3: Lamont Dozier and WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Apr 022010

Lamont Dozier, “Breakin’ Out All Over”

Greetings again, fellow Thrifty Music enthusiasts!

You thought I was kidding, didn’t you? 20 Thrifty Music tracks in 40 days? Surely not! I say: surely! And today’s track is a stone winner from 1976 — a bit of proto-disco flava from one third of the legendary Motown songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland: Mr. Lamont Dozier.

I’ll spare you the history lesson about Lamont’s disaffection with the Berry Gordy machine and how stingy they were with the proceeds from the hard work of staff writers and performers — and the long, fascinating saga of the Invictus label and its ultimate failure. This track, “Breakin’ Out All Over,” actually comes from Lamont’s years at ABC, when he tried to parlay his undeniable talent and his Gary Coleman, uh, “good looks” into a career as a solo artist.

Well, as great as much of Lamont’s music was during that era, he never quite gained the solo artist traction he was seeking. But the music — much of which remains out of print — was frequently quite good, and this song is no exception. So, yes, as usual, I’m looking for your impressions of this sweeping, soaring, orchestral soul number.

But more than that, I’m looking for an answer to a question: What would you do if you had a million dollars to spend on bringing a musical dream to life?

You know what I’d do? I’d put together my own Love Unlimited-style Orchestra and tour the larger, fancier concert halls of this great, over-compensated nation. I’d work the music media like hell, getting them to realize that it’s been THIRTY FREAKING YEARS since anybody’s been able to hear the orchestral masterworks of Barry White, Thom Bell, Isaac Hayes, and yes, Lamont Dozier in their proper live setting. I’d sell $80 tickets to the 50-something BMW and Mercedes set, and thrill to the knowledge that I could a) keep a magnificent part of America’s musical heritage alive, while b) actually paying my 40-piece orchestra fairly. And I might put on a few cheap shows, too, at larger clubs in town where the proles could actually get down and dance if they wanted to.

That’s what *I* would do with a million bucks. What would *you* do?

I look forward to your responses.

HVB

Thrifty Music, Vol. 20.2: I Summon Bostonhistorian!

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Mar 312010

Okay, I was gonna save this one for later in the series, but Townsman Bostonhistorian‘s gift for deciphering lyrics has made me shuffle things around a little bit. Here, submitted for your listening “pleasure,” is perhaps the weirdest — if not the creepiest — song I’ve yet to encounter in the many years I’ve been poring over discarded vinyl. Entitled “Dwarf In Heat,” this song requires very careful listening. I think I have an idea what it’s about, but… well, better heads than mine should be put to the task of figuring out what the author — one “R. Farkar” — meant to convey.

So, Bostonhistorian, enlighten us. And the rest of you: give the song a listen, if you dare!

I look forward to your responses.

HVB

Thrifty Music, Vol. 20.1: The Phaetons!

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Mar 292010

Greetings, seekers of the rare, the weird and the unbelievably cheap! I come to you in cheerful mood, realizing that this is the twentieth episode of RTH’s popular Thrifty Music series, in which I share scratched-up slabs of vinyl I find in thrift stores, flea markets, and garbage cans around our nation’s fine capitol.

To mark this auspicious occasion, I’ve decided to post one new track every other day, until we arrive at the commemorative number of 20 — count ’em, TWENTY — new and wonderful songs I’ve rescued from perdition. Today’s track is one of many I found while combing through (no fooling) about 3000 singles I purchased from a little old lady in rural Maryland. It’s a real head-scratcher to me, because — well, why on Earth wasn’t this song a hit? And why on Earth does nobody know who The Phaetons are any more? And why can I not find a single record geek trying to sell this ultra-rarity for an absurd amount of money? It’s totally worth it, as you’ll hear. A true lost gem, in my opinion.

The only image I could find of The Phaetons is shown above. I grabbed it from this page, at which you’ll learn all there is to know — and I man that literally — about this band. But shit! Singles on Warner Brothers! Produced by Jerry Ragavoy, and co-written by “Doc” Pomus! *Great* singles, great songs, great arrangements, and… nothing. Weird.

Anyhow, enjoy the first of two Phaetons numbers I’ll be sharing as the month unfolds: “Three Weeks, Four Days and 15 Hours,” by Long Island’s own… The Phaetons!

I look forward to your comments, and I thank you for your patronage over the years.

HVB

Thrifty Music, Vol. 19: Hit-and-Run With Lou Christie

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Mar 222010

I’m kinda glad we’ve had a specific request for some Lou Christie lately. I was unsure about how –or whether — the two singles I found recently on a scouring trip would hold up amongst the real thrifty gems I have in store for you. So, for now, I’m just going to pop these tunes up here, and let the chips fall where they may. I for one like these songs, but… well, then again…

Here’s my big probing thrifty question: you may know that Lou Christie is the guy doing all the falsetto stuff in these songs. Remarkable! But, I ask: Is anybody doing the male falsetto thing anymore? Seems to me that even in the urban/R&B category, there are precious few artists singing like little girls anymore. And I’ll add: I had no idea what Lou Christie looked like when I found that YouTube clip of Christie sporting the chest-wig and open vest Look. Has the day passed when a man could look so *manly* and still sing like a woman?

Anyhow, here are two obscure Lou Christie tracks for you to enjoy:

Lou Christie, “Guitars and Bongos”

Lou Christie, “Du Ronda”

HVB

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