Tuesday, June 30, 2009

ROCK Sex: "Don't Gimme Me No Lip Child" - Dave Berry > Sex Pistols



ROCK Sex quickies locks lips on the quick tip.

_______________


Here's some rough UK Northern Soul from Dave Berry for the Mod scene:

DAVE BERRY -"Don't Gimme Me No Lip Child" (1964)


(The song chugs on that classic Jimmy Reed rhythm, used in so many songs that I've made a Music Playlist of them.)



And absorbing a lot of classic garage singles from the jukebox at Malcolm McClaren's 'SEX' shoppe, here's our Punk bastards:

SEX PISTOLS -"Don't Gimme Me No Lip Child" (1976)



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

THE BRITISH INVASION!, with Music Player!

DON'T TREAD ON ME: The Original Punk of 1960s Garage Rock, with Music Player!


"Porpoise Song" - Carole King > The Monkees > Lola Dutronic > Django Django

The Kinks > Sex Pistols > The Kinks


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


ROCK Sex: "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone" - Paul Revere > The Monkees > Sex Pistols



ROCK Sex finds the kinks in the chain links.

_______________

Who first recorded "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone"?

It was Sex Pistols, of course. No, wait, you say, it was The Monkees. Nope, they were covering it, too. The missing link in the song chain was Paul Revere And The Raiders.

PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS -"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" (1966)



The song was written by hitmakers Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who quickly thereafter recorded it with their bread-and-butter, The Monkees, whose television show was massive and was a forerunner of MTV and music videos:

THE MONKEES -"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" (1966)



But here's the UK Garage Rock band THE FLIES doing a slower, heavier take on the standard that Black Sabbath might love:

THE FLIES -"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" (1966)



Here's the all-female band The Pivots, who later became The Feminine Complex.

THE PIVOTS -"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" (1966)



Then of course here's the miscreants, putting the boot in to kick some life back into everything:

SEX PISTOLS -"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" (1976)




Now a standard, the song has been covered by countless artists including The Trashmen, Johnny Thunders, Minor Threat, The Untouchables, and Les Thugs (France).



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

THE BRITISH INVASION!, with Music Player!

DON'T TREAD ON ME: The Original Punk of 1960s Garage Rock, with Music Player!


"Porpoise Song" - Carole King > The Monkees > Lola Dutronic > Django Django

"Don't Gimme Me No Lip Child" - Dave Berry > Sex Pistols

The Kinks > Sex Pistols > The Kinks


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


Monday, June 29, 2009

ROCK Sex quickie: 'Spaghetti Western' > Gnarls Barkley



ROCK Sex is quick on the finger flick.

_______________


Here's a great track from the soundtrack of the Italian Western, PREPARATI LA BARA! (a.k.a., Django, Prepare a Coffin), in the fine style of Ennio Morricone and the Italian Western sound:

GIANFRANCO AND GIAN PIERO REVERBERI -"Nel Cimitero Di Tucson" (1968)


And, here's Danger Mouse and CeeLo Green using the melody from that score as a basis for this monster hit:

GNARLS BARKLEY -"Crazy" (2006)



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

How SPAGHETTI WESTERNS Revolutionized Rock Music!, with 3 Music Players!

Cool Italian Western Rock Bands!

"Pastures Of Plenty" - Woody Guthrie > Ennio Morricone > A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS

"APACHE", HipHop's Sacred Secret Beat! - Bongo Band > Bambaataa > EVERYONE EVER


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist


ROCK Sex: Don McLean > Lori Lieberman > Roberta Flack > The Fugees



ROCK Sex leads you through all the ins and outs.

Creativity is one person who sparks another person who sparks another. This has no boundaries and unites us. Here's a music relay chain that proves it using the classic "Killing Me Softly".

_______________


Folk singer Don McLean had a massive breakthrough in 1971 with his epic "American Pie". This song sold hugely because it chronicled the pop history and emotional arc of its generation.

On a microcosmic level, another song from that album would have the same effect more stealthily. Here's Don's confessional break-up song, "Empty Chairs", done in a reflective Renaissance folk style:

DON McLEAN -"Empty Chairs" (1971)



Folk compatriot Lori Lieberman was so personally moved by seeing him perform this that she wrote a song called "Killing Me Softly With His Blues". After she described how deeply the song had touched her to Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox, they wrote the lyrics for what she first recorded in 1972:

LORI LIEBERMAN -"Killing Me Softly" (1972)



Soul singer Roberta Flack loved all forms of music; she had previously broken big with a cover of Ewan MacColl's folk song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", which she put a brilliant spin on. She brought similar magic to this song, such as in the angelic chorales, which became a classic standard forever associated with her:

ROBERTA FLACK -"Killing Me Softly" (1973)



The HipHop group The Fugees were a musical double-threat with multi-instrumentalist Wyclef Jean and vocalist Lauryn Hill. Lauryn's voice was often compared to the timber of Roberta's, and it should have been no surprise when the group blew up with their update:

THE FUGEES -"Killing Me Softly" (1996)




"Telling my whole life with his words/
Killing me softly with his song"



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

ROCK Orgy: "American Pie"

"Indian Rope Man": Richie Havens > Julie Driscoll + Brian Auger > Bob Marley

LADIES FIRST: "I Go To Sleep" - (The Kinks) > Peggy Lee > Cher > The Pretenders


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


Saturday, June 27, 2009

ROCK Sex: "Wordy Rappinghood" - Tom Tom Club > Chicks On Speed



ROCK Sex quickies are in one ear and then the other.

_______________

Here's TOM TOM CLUB giving us the lowdown on the downlow:

TOM TOM CLUB -"Wordy Rappinghood" (1981)



And here's CHICKS ON SPEED relaying the message:

CHICKS ON SPEED -"Wordy Rappinghood" (2004)




© Tym Stevens



See Also:

ROCK Orgy: "Genius of Love"

"Take Me To the River" - Al Green > Bryan Ferry > Talking Heads

"Slippery People" -Talking Heads > The Staple Singers

"Radio Head" - Talking Heads > Tito Lariva > Radiohead

"Warning Sign" - Talking Heads > Local Natives

"Crosseyed And Painless" - Fela > Talking Heads > Brazilian Girls > Angelique Kidjo


"APACHE", HipHop's Sacred Secret Beat! - Bongo Band > Bambaataa > EVERYONE EVER

"Amen Break" - How 6 Seconds From 1969 Propel All Modern Music


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist


Read:
• • Love Goes To Buildings On Fire: Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever, by Will Hermes

• • Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980–1983, by Tim Lawrence

• • Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984, by Simon Reynolds


ROCK Orgy: "Genius of Love"



ROCK Sex Orgies are songs where everybody gets rewarded.

_______________

Here's another example of a song giving a giant shout-out to other musicians.

The rhythm section of Talking Heads, bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz, had more to say with their side project, TOM TOM CLUB. "Genius Of Love", their celebration of funk, soul, reggae, and dance heroes became a surprise dance hit in 1981 with massive influence.

Listen for the call-outs to James Brown, Bob Marley, Smokey Robinson, Hamilton Bohannon, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Sly and Robbie, and Kurtis Blow.

"Clinton's musicians such as Bootsy Collins/
Raise expectations to a new intention!"

Also beloved is the graffidelic video, based on the album art of James Rizzi.

TOM TOM CLUB -"Genius Of Love" (1981)


_______________



"We met (Grandmaster Flash) and he said to us, 'You know this is a very cool beat. You're going to be hearing a lot of this.' I said 'Oh really?' He said 'Oh definitely.'"
-Chris Franz


The song was a perfect synthesis of the early '80s New York scene, where Disco, Punk, HipHop, Dub, and noizey Jazz were intertwined in the dance clubs, vinyl stores, art galleries, and indie films. Naturally it had an immediate impact in HipHop where responses were swift.

Here's are the first two HipHop responses made:

DR. JECKYLL AND MR. HYDE -"Genius Rap" (1981)


GRANDMASTER FLASH & THE FURIOUS FIVE -"It's Nasty (Genius Of Love)" (1981)



From there it became one of the most sampled songs of all time, popping up in tracks by The X-Ecutioners, Redman, Cam'Ron, 2nd II None, Fresh Kid Ice, Tupac Shakur, Mark Morrison, Busta Rhymes, Ant Banks, P.M. Dawn, Annie, Menajahtwa, and Eric Sermon. It also dreamt up Mariah Carey's huge hit "Fantasy".

"Genius of Love" is a shout-out song that got plenty of amen corners itself!


"There's no beginning and there is no end/
Time isn't present in that dimension..."



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

"Wordy Rappinghood" - Tom Tom Club > Chicks On Speed

"Take Me To the River" - Al Green > Bryan Ferry > Talking Heads

"Slippery People" -Talking Heads > The Staple Singers

"Radio Head" - Talking Heads > Tito Lariva > Radiohead

"Warning Sign" - Talking Heads > Local Natives

"Crosseyed And Painless" - Fela > Talking Heads > Brazilian Girls > Angelique Kidjo


"APACHE", HipHop's Sacred Secret Beat! - Bongo Band > Bambaataa > EVERYONE EVER

"Amen Break" - How 6 Seconds From 1969 Propel All Modern Music


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist


Read:
• • Love Goes To Buildings On Fire: Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever, by Will Hermes

• • Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980–1983, by Tim Lawrence

• • Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984, by Simon Reynolds


Friday, June 26, 2009

ROCK Sex: "Mah Na Mah Na" - Piero Umiliani > The Muppets



ROCK Sex brings you another tryst in pop culture.

Did the famous Muppets song "Mah Na Mah Na" actually come from a porno movie? Let's find out...

_______________


In the pantheon of great Italian soundtrack composers of the '60s, Piero Umiliani was the hepcat who threw lots of Jazz and Soul and Electronics into his groovy scores.

In 1968 he did the music for SWEDEN, HEAVEN OR HELL ("Svezia, Inferno e Paradiso"). This was a tabloid-style documentary in the popular 'Mondo' genre, which titillated audiences with scandalous subjects using a journalistic lens and distinctly moralistic narration. The film toured the sexier sides of Sweden like wife-swapping, lesbian clubs, and adult films. These shockumentaries were built on 'sleaze and tease' while wearing the mantle of removed disapproval, a schizoid hypocrisy that sold tickets while evading legal censure. (Insert joke about the media or politics here.)

The memorable vocal for "Mah Na Mah Na" was sung by Alessandro Alessandroni and his wife Giulia. 'Sandro' is famous as the whistler and surf guitarist for Italian Westerns, like THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY and ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. He also led the choral group that sings all the manic chants in those films, and composed many great scores of his own.

When Sandro goes off on scat tangents, he's actually doing other melodic themes from the film score. He also "interpolates melodies from "Swedish Rhapsody"(Midsummer Vigil) by Hugo Alfvén, "Santa Lucia", "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", the jazz standard "Lullaby of Birdland" (Charlie Parker), and others." [quote: Wikipedia]

PIERO UMILIANI -"Mah Na Mah Na" (the original) (1968)


Piero also made less-famous variations of the theme...

PIERO UMILIANI -"Samba Mah Na" (1968)


PIERO UMILIANI -"Mah Na Cowboy" (1971)



_______________


Jim Henson must've discovered it pretty soon afterward because he did a Muppet skit on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969 using the song. It popped up again on "Sesame Street" in 1969, and "The Muppet Show" in 1976. It became a Top 10 single in England in 1977 after they recorded it.


THE MUPPETS -"Mah Na Mah Na" (1976)



Here's a Disco cover, with a nice break beat at 1:33...

LIPSTIQUE -"Mah Na Mah Na" (1978)



Lately it has been covered by the group Cake for a cable kids show in this rollicking version:

CAKE -"Mah Na Mah Na"




So when you tell this story, and you will, be kind: "Mah Na Mah Na" doesn't come from a porno movie, just a shockumentary. Then point people to that ultrahip Piero Umiliani...



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

How SPAGHETTI WESTERNS Revolutionized Rock Music! , with 3 Music Players

"Soul Makossa" - Manu Dibango > Trovaioli > Michael Jackson

"Misirlou!" -The Deep History of Dick Dale's Surf Classic

"Sour Times" - Lalo Schifrin > Portishead


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


Tuesday, June 23, 2009

ROCK Orgy: "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" -Joe Turner > Bill Haley > The Platters > Louis Prima



ROCK Sex is all about spurring each other to action.

I've given many examples of how one act inspires another. One more variation of this is the Response Song or Answer Song, where a dialogue breaks out in the advent of a hit. Sometimes folks are covering the song, arguing with the song, riding its popularity, or poking fun at it. This one has all of those.

_______________


Big Joe Turner is a king of the late '40s/early '50s Jump Blues that helped set the stage for Rock'n'Roll. Besides being the originator of "Honey Hush" and "Corrina Corrina", he broke out this crucial killer:

BIG JOE TURNER -"Shake, Rattle, And Roll" (1954)



During the same period, a Western Boogie bandleader had integrated more and more Rhythm'n'Blues into his country swing. Bill Haley And The Comets helped set the stage for Rockabilly, and Bill paid tribute to Joe with this cover:

BILL HALEY AND THE COMETS -"Shake, Rattle, And Roll" (1954)


(It should be noted that Joe's original version has a few raunchy sexual entendres that both he and Bill had to smooth over for public performance.)


The song has a decidedly macho tone, which begged for a woman's response. The Platters recorded a flipside where the great Zola Taylor stepped up and said her piece:

"You got nerve to tell me, 'Rattle those pots and pans'/
Get in the kitchen yourself and do the best with your own two hands!"


THE PLATTERS -"Bark, Battle, And Ball" (1955)



That bopping hipster Louis Prima, with help from Keely Smith and Sam Butera, mopped up the dance floor with this response. (This was later covered by Brian Setzer.):

LOUIS PRIMA -"Jump, Jive, And Wail" (1956)



With everybody getting in on it, Joe must've felt he had some more to say about it, hence this cool addition. (This was later covered by The Blues Brothers on their first album):

BIG JOE TURNER -"Flip, Flop, And Fly" (1955)



After all that shaking and wailing, it's time for a break. Here's Rockabilly swingers Sid King And The Five Strings trying to get a breath:

SID KING AND THE FIVE STRINGS -"Sag, Drag, And Fall" (1955)



Phew!


© Tym Stevens



See Also:

Revolution 1950s: The Big Damn Bang of Rock'n'Roll!

MUSIC 101: The 1950s, with Music Player!

JIMMY REED: The Groover of Rock, From Motown To Sesame Street, with 2 Music Players!

LADIES FIRST: "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton > Elvis > Jimi Hendrix


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


Monday, June 22, 2009

ROCK Sex: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - The Rolling Stones > Ananda Shankar



ROCK Sex quickies give you a slippery hand-off.

_______________


Here's those devilish lads before someone calls the cops:

THE ROLLING STONES -"Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1968)


And here's Ravi Shankar's countercultural nephew, extending the bacchanalia to India:

ANANDA SHANKAR -"Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1970)




© Tym Stevens



See Also:

HERE IN PURPLE VELVET NOW: The Psychedelic Revolution, with 2 Music Players!

"Exile On GRRL Street", Or How THE STONES Can Tribute Riot Grrrls Tributing Them!

Rolling Stones > The Clash > Garbage

"Use Me" - Bill Withers > Grace Jones > Jagger/ Kravitz > D'Angelo

"PHYSICAL GRAFFITI" - Led Zeppelin > Branford Marsalis > Rolling Stones


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


ROCK Orgy: "American Pie"



ROCK Sex posts are about how everybody has a part to offer to the whole.

_______________


Sometimes a song is a bit of an orgy of pop celebration. Meaning that it celebrates and refers to many other songs and artists in One Big Shout-Out!

Folk singer Don McLean's "American Pie" is a classic example. It's an emotional narrative spanning Rock'n'Roll from 1955 to 1970. Though the song was a full 8 minutes+, it was a huge hit because it chronicled the arc of the counterculture generation. It was also a lyrical mystery that pop fans loved to decipher.

The song's chronological narrative refers in symbolist terms to many great songs and events in the formation and arc of Rock'n'Roll.

Being a broad narrative it's open to interpretation. McLean seems to be contrasting innocent beginnings with hedonistic endings, more partial to early Rock'n'Roll and Folk, but less so to Psychedelia and lifestyle excesses. Conservatives can fold it into that shopworn narrative of dismissing the '60s generation using Altamont as an arbitrary capstone. Progressives can revel in the anarchic currents that ebb and flow amongst its creative players. Music fans can dig it for its metatext, its melody, and its sheer celebration.

Slice your own interpretation...

DON McLEAN -"American Pie" (1971)




____________________


The Roots of
American Pie



Here are songs that "American Pie" is referring to (specifically or generally) in its lyrical journey.

"Singin', 'This'll be the day that I die...'"

n 1959, Buddy Holly was killed in a plane crash, along with rockers Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. This event had a profound effect on Don McLean as a youth.

BUDDY HOLLY And The Crickets -"That'll Be the Day" (1957)


"Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye..."

Country legend Tex Ritter was the father of actor John Ritter, and grandfather to actors Jason and Tyler Ritter.

TEX RITTER -"Rye Whiskey" (1948)


"Did you write the book of love?"

THE MONOTONES -"The Book of Love" (1958)


"With a pink carnation and a pickup truck..."

MARTY ROBBINS -"A White Sports Coat and a Pink Carnation" (1957)


"And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone..."

Blues giant Muddy Waters interpolated the 1920s classic "Catfish Blues" as "Rollin' Stone (Catfish Blues)", which then inspired the name for The Rolling Stones.

MUDDY WATERS -"Rollin' Stone (Catfish Blues)" (1950)


"Helter skelter in a summer swelter"

Helter Skelter is a name used for spiraling British fairground slides. The Beatles' roaring song became a template for Heavy Metal, and was misunderstood by Charles Manson as a rallying cry when orchestrating his murder campaign.

THE BEATLES -"Helter Skelter" (1968)


"With the jester on the sidelines in a cast..."

With his outsider pespective and barbed lyrics, Bob Dylan was the court Jester of the counterculture. In 1966, he had a motorcycle crash that laid him up and change his perspectives on how to go forward. An insightful overview of this can be seen in Martin Scorsese's documentary, "No Direction Home" (2005).

BOB DYLAN -"Highway 61 Revisited" (1966)


"The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast..."


The Byrds combined Bob Dylan with The Beatles to create the Folk Rock movement.

THE BYRDS -"Eight Miles High" (1967)


"While sergeants played a marching tune..."

Stepping beyond formula, The Beatles opened up the full range of sonic possibility of Rock with their 1967 masterpiece.

THE BEATLES -"SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND" (1967)


"Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space..."


The counterculture, ridiculed as a fad by the scared mainstream media (still), had the ultimate coming out party with the 1969 Woodstock Festival, with half-a-million people of all persuasions declaring their undeniable presence and unleashing a spiritual nation that continues unabated (still).

CROSBY STILLS NASH And Young -"WOODSTOCK" (1970)


"Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is the Devil's only friend..."


In the spirit of the recent Woodstock, The Rolling Stones held a 1970 concert at Altamont Speedway in California. The naive mistake of choosing the Hells Angels motorcycle gang as security led to the stabbing death of a fan.

In its eternal zealosy to dismiss the progress and impact of the counterculture, the corporate media consistently sells the false narrative that this incident was its end. No.

THE ROLLING STONES -"Jumping Jack Flash" (1968)


"I met a girl who sang the blues..."

JANIS JOPLIN -"Kozmic Blues" (1969)


"The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast..."


The counterculture embraced varying forms of spirituality, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. The latter led to Gospel hits like "Oh Happy Day" and "Spirit In The Dark"; and Gospel-inspired anthems of the turn of the decade, such as "Let It Be", "Bridge Over Troubled Water"; and "Loves Me Like A Rock", and musicals like "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Godspell".

THE BYRDS -"Jesus Is Just Alright" (1969)


NORMAN GREENBAUM -"Spirit In The Sky" (1969)


PACIFIC GAS And ELECTRIC -"Are You Ready" (1970)


MELANIE -"Candles In The Rain" (1970)



"And they were singin'..."


© Tym Stevens



See Also:

Revolution 1950s: The Big Damn Bang of Rock'n'Roll! -Buddy Holly

1950s Rock, B: The '70s Disciples https://tymstevens.blogspot.com/2015/04/1950s-rock-b-70s-disciples.html • 1950s Rock, B: The '70s Disciples, with Music Player!


"Killing Me Softly": Don McLean > Lori Lieberman > Roberta Flack > The Fugees

Cool Ethereal Folk: VASHTI BUNYAN


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


Sunday, June 21, 2009

ROCK Sex: "Walk On By" - Dionne Warwick > Isaac Hayes > The Stranglers > Hooverphonic > Mono > Pete Rock



ROCK Sex dishes the dirt on the clandestine liaisons of music.

Some songs are so resonant that they reverberate beyond any time or style. "Walk On By" is one of those.

_______________


The original was the breakthrough hit for diva Dionne Warwick and her write-hand man Burt Bacharach:

DIONNE WARWICK -"Walk On By" (1964)



Covered immediately by everyone, it took a radical left turn when Isaac Hayes turned it into a 12-minute funk-rock masterpiece. It's my unhumble opinion that the epic build of strings and psychedelic guitar is one of the greatest intros in Pop history:

ISAAC HAYES -"Walk On By" (1969, long version)



Later it came full circle when Dionne and Isaac performed it together on their live album:

DIONNE WARWICK & ISAAC HAYES -"Walk On By" (1977, live)



The Punk band The Stranglers put some fuzzy edge back into it:

THE STRANGLERS -"Walk On By" (1978)



And El Michels Affair brought back the hot buttered Funk to it.

EL MICHELS AFFAIR -"Walk On By" (2006)





The fantastic beat of Isaac Hayes' version became a sampler's paradise, crossing the intersections of TripHop and HipHop.

Here's the Belgian alchemists Hooverphonic with their debut hit:

HOOVERPHONIC -"2 Wicky" (1996)



Taking a subtler tact, the British duo Mono played to the cinematic qualities of TripHop by synching it with the moody keys and guitar of Roy Budd's GET CARTER soundtrack, as seen this creepy David Lynch-ian video:

MONO -"Silicone" (1997)



The beat has figured in samples by Compton's Most Wanted (1991), Notorious B.I.G. (1994), Slick Rick, DJ Shadow (1996), MF Doom (1999), The Wu Tang Clan (2000), Ludacris (2003), J Dilla (2006, using The Undisputed Truth's version), and Pete Rock:

PETE ROCK -"Walk On By" (2001)



And Dionne's version has been homaged in songs by Ashanti(2002), Alisha Keys (2003), and Joss Stone (2007).



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

SHAKE AND FINGER POP! Soul Music and the Interior Truth, with Music Player!

FUNK, The True History: The 1960s, with 3 Music Players!

"Time Is Tight!" - Booker T > The Clash > Elvis Costello > Squeeze

"I Thank You" - Sam And Dave > ZZ Top

"Sour Times" - Lalo Schifrin > Portishead


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


Saturday, June 20, 2009

ROCK Sex: "Sweet Dreams" - Squeeze > Eurythmics



ROCK Sex quickies are all about tit for tat.

_______________

Pop wizards Squeeze recorded this synth-wave classic, featuring the chorus line "because dreams are made of this":

SQUEEZE -"Take Me, I'm Yours" (1978)


Whereupon Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart were sparked to brilliance uniquely their own:

EURYTHMICS -"Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This" (1983)


"Sweet Dreams" has been covered in various styles by Sylvie Vartan ("Déprime"), Marilyn Manson, Yo La Tengo, Nouvelle Vague, Ministry, and Tracy Bonham; and sampled by Blondie, De La Soul, Nas, Tricky, and Faith Evans.

It's become such a cultural touchpoint that Eurythmics referred to it themselves in their reunion song, "17 Again".

EURYTHMICS -"17 Again" (1999)




© Tym Stevens



See Also:

"Time Is Tight!" - Booker T > The Clash > Elvis Costello > Squeeze

Kraftwerk > Trouble Funk > Afrika Bambaataa > New Order

"Don't Bring Me Down" -The Animals, The Beatles, Neil Young, WAR, McCartney, ELO


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


ROCK Sex: Herbie Hancock > Mongo Santamaria > Herbie Hancock



ROCK Sex is all about scratching each other's back; 'you do me, I'll do you'.

Previously I gave examples of how one song can take on new life under different artists, and also how an artist inspires another artist who re-inspires the first artist. Well, today is an example of both.

_______________

Herbie Hanckock was a jolt of new life on the Jazz scene in the early '60s, and he scored an immediate hit from his 1962 debut album penning this hip-swaying classic:

HERBIE HANCOCK -"Watermelon Man" (1962)



Afro-Cuban percussionist MONGO SANTAMARIA was quick to pick up on the Latin Jazz tinge and expand it fully on his classic cover hit. It soon became a standard with great versions by Quincy Jones, Manfred Mann, Maynard Ferguson, and The J.B.'s to follow.

MONGO SANTAMARIA -"Watermelon Man" (1962)



Big Mama Thornton, famed for the original "Hound Dog", made this Blues stride out of it, complete with funny monologue:

BIG MAMA THORNTON -"Watermelon Man" (1970)



Herbie re-invented himself in the early '70s as an afro-futurist, blending tribal instruments with space-age electronics. In similar phoenix fashion he reforged his own classic:

HERBIE HANCOCK & THE HEADHUNTERS -"Watermelon Man" (1973)



You got my back, I got yours.


© Tym Stevens



See Also:

Cool Funk Roots: PEREZ PRADO's Mambo

"Oye Como Va!" - Tito Puente > Santana > Kinky


"Rikki Don't Lose That Number" - Horace Silver > Earth Wind & Fire > Steely Dan > Stevie Wonder > Madlib

"PHYSICAL GRAFFITI" - Led Zeppelin > Branford Marsalis > Rolling Stones

"How High The Moon" - Les Paul and Mary Ford > Sarah Vaughan > Charlie Parker > Miles Davis > John Coltrane


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


Friday, June 19, 2009

ROCK Sex: Bill Monroe > Elvis Presley > The Marcels



For you new folks, ROCK Sex is my euphemism for how culture is not static but fluid, not exclusive but inclusive of each person's new take.

An example of this progression is how a song takes on new life in different hands.

Today I'm using two songs with similar names to make the point...

_______________


Bluegrass artist BILL MONROE wrote and recorded the waltz "Blue Moon of Kentucky" in 1947...

BILL MONROE -"Blue Moon Of Kentucky" (1947)



His Mississippi acolyte put some new rocking zest in it on the flipside of his first single in 1954...

ELVIS PRESLEY -"Blue Moon Of Kentucky" (1954)





That phrase must have boded well for Elvis because he then did an interpretation of "Blue Moon", a 1930s Rogers & Hart standard that many people had covered, bringing a particularly eerie and intimate confessional quality to it:

ELVIS PRESLEY -"Blue Moon" (1956)



The Doo Wop group THE MARCELS had a hit with it all over again with their inspired and upbeat revamp. Many people don't even realize it's the same song!

THE MARCELS -"Blue Moon" (1961)



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

MUSIC 101: The 1950s, with Music Player!

Revolution 1950s: The Big Damn Bang of Rock'n'Roll!


"Mystery Train" - Carter Family > Jr. Parker > Elvis Presley > Jim Jarmusch

"Jailhouse Rock" - Elvis Presley > Dean Carter

LADIES FIRST: "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton > Elvis > Jimi Hendrix


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


Thursday, June 18, 2009

ROCK Sex: Shocking Blue > Nirvana



Another ROCK Sex quickie, you know you want it...

_______________

Here's the original "Love Buzz" by the Netherlands' finest, SHOCKING BLUE...

SHOCKING BLUE -"Love Buzz" (1969)



And here's Kurt and the boys with more of that luv fuzz...

NIRVANA -"Love Buzz" (1988)



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

WOMEN OF ROCK: The 1960s, with 2 Music Players!

NIRVANA - "Our little group has always been, and always will until the end"


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


ROCK Sex: The Temptations > Love and Rockets



Another ROCK Sex quickie, get in, get out...

_______________


Here's The Tempatations in social protest mode, taking on the chronic problems, listing solutions, and giving a last shout-out to The Beatles...

THE TEMPTATIONS -"Ball Of Confusion" (1970)



And, following the break-up of goth-merchants Bauhaus, here's LOVE AND ROCKETS throwing their two cents in about the 'Reagonomics' era...

LOVE AND ROCKETS -"Ball Of Confusion" (1985)




© Tym Stevens



See Also:

MY SOUL HAS BEEN PSYCHEDELICIZED: The Afro-delic Dimension of Psychedelia, with 2 Music Players!

"Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie > Bauhaus


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


ROCK Sex: Chuck Berry > Bob Dylan > Ultravox > Elvis Costello



ROCK Sex likes to explore all those secret hook-ups. Here's an example of a rhythm idea linking together different artists.

_______________

The idea came from jumping rope. Chuck Berry heard young girls chanting fast to the rhythm of rope-jumping and made this classic burner...

CHUCK BERRY -"Too Much Monkey Business" (1956)



The lyrics were delivered so fast, adults probably missed what a subversive protest song it is. But the kids didn't.

The song was covered by The Beatles, The Yardbirds, The Hollies, The Kinks twice, Elvis Presley, and countless Garage bands. (I love the version by The Trappers, who chanted it in native Swedish). But breaking up the boys club as is my wont, here's Liverpool's all-female hellions, THE LIVERBIRDS, putting some extra resonance into the lyrics...

THE LIVERBIRDS -"Too Much Monkey Business" (1965)



But then BOB DYLAN ramped up the lyrical fury with his own variant on the chant...

BOB DYLAN -"Subterranean Homesick Blues" (1965)



That opened it up for everyone to jump in...

ULTRAVOX -"Satday In The City Of The Dead" (1977)



Bringing back some of that Dylan scorn is the other Elvis...

ELVIS COSTELLO -"Pump It Up" (1978)




The riff kept skipping new ropes, such as THE ESCAPE CLUB's "Wild Wild West" (1988) and ROGUE TRADERS' "Voodoo Child" (2006).


"Runnin' to-and-fro, hard workin' at the mill/
Never fail, in the mail, here come a rotten bill!/
Don't want your botheration, get away, leave me!"



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

CHUCK BERRY: The Guitar God and His Disciples, with 2 Music Players!

"I Want You!" - The Troggs, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, Cheap Trick, Elvis Costello +

"Time Is Tight!" - Booker T > The Clash > Elvis Costello > Squeeze


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

ROCK Sex: John Barry > Fatboy Slim




ROCK Sex cues you to how one song jumpstarts another.

_______________

John Barry scored his first film with the driving theme for BEAT GIRL. The signature surf guitar and dynamic horns earned him the job to do the theme of a movie spy called Bond the following year.

JOHN BARRY -"Beat Girl" (1961)


"BEAT GIRL Opening Cridits" (1961)



Here's the vocal cover version by The Damned...

THE DAMNED -"Beat Girl" (1985)



Big Beat DJ Fatboy Slim sampled the original riff as a crucial piece of his breakthrough hit...

FATBOY SLIM -"The Rockafeller Skank" (1998)



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

JOHN BARRY: The Influence Of The JAMES BOND Sound On Pop Music, with 2 Music Players!

20 Most Badass JAMES BOND Women!

Shock Waves: How SURF MUSIC Saved Rock'n'Roll!, with 2 Music Players!


"Walk On By" - Dionne Warwick > Isaac Hayes > The Stranglers > Hooverphonic > Mono > Pete Rock

"Sour Times" - Lalo Schifrin > Portishead


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


ROCK Sex: Beach Boys > Gary Numan



ROCK Sex cues you to how one song jumpstarts another.

_______________


Listen to the metallic echo beat that counts in this song by The Beach Boys...

THE BEACH BOYS -"Do It Again" (1968)


...and then listen to what New Wave pioneer Gary Numan did with it...

GARY NUMAN -"Metal" (1979)



Now listen to how that crunchy rhythm takes on new textures in these very different songs...

AIR -"Remember" (1998)


VERBENA -"Submissionary" (1999)



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

Shock Waves: How SURF MUSIC Saved Rock'n'Roll!, with 2 Music Players!

BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 3 Music Players!

Chuck Berry > Beach Boys > Plastic Bertrand > The Damned


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


ROCK Sex: Kraftwerk > Trouble Funk > Afrika Bambaataa > New Order




ROCK Sex is about how the liquid nature of culture involves everyone.

Today's example is how the relay baton of a musical idea moves easily between supposedly different music movements.


IN the mid-'70s, German progressive rock groups were challenging the structures and rhythms of Rock. Here's the pioneers Can, during their transition from noize jazz toward funk, churning a hupnotic sitar figure into a locomotive rhythm.

CAN -"Transcendental Express" (1975)



Following a train of thought, the german progressive group Kraftwerk had the masterstroke idea of becoming robots, making robotic music for the future. As 'anti-Rock' as this seemed, it was one of the most influential strategies and unending sonic revolutions in Rock history. Countless musical doors were opened by this move...

KRAFTWERK -"Trans Europe Express" (1977)



The Washington D.C. scene in the early '80s was dominated by GoGo, a heavily percussive funk with horns and synths. The prime band Trouble Funk intersected with Kraftwerk on this anthemic cover...

TROUBLE FUNK -"Trouble Funk Express" (1981)



The New York music scene between 1975 and 1982 was a hotbed of colliding styles -including the original Punk, HipHop, NoWave, PunkFunk, Salsoul, World Dub, Disco, Mutant Disco, and Noize Jazz. One of the originators of HipHop, Afrika Bambaataa ushered in Electro (which he called Electro Funk) with his merging of Rap and Kraftwerk...

AFRIKA BAMBAATAA And The Soulsonic Force -"Planet Rock" (1982)



When the postpunk band Joy Division suffered the loss of their leader, the remaining members became New Order, trading Manchester, England's grey factories for the excitement of the New York scene. They worked with rising 12" remix producer Arthur Baker on this classic track which extends the palette of the fusion of Kraftwerk and Electro Funk ...

NEW ORDER -"Blue Monday" (1983)



There are tributaries from this linking to New Wave, Darkwave, Coldwave, Industrial, Synth Funk, GoGo Funk, Techno, Rave, Jungle, and Electronica. But water is water...bask in it all.


The Mighty Mocambos crosses tracks with Can's title, a Dick Dale guitar approach, and a horn fanfare of Kraftwerk in this modern instrumental sequel.

THE MIGHTY MOCAMBOS -"Transcendental Express" (2011)



Her's the original song rethought by a legendary Jamaican steel drum ensemble.

THE EBONY STEEL BAND -"Tanzmusik (Jump Up)" (2019)



Here is it is interpreted as a Brazilian dance samba.

Guga Stroeter, Lucio Agra, Renato Soares -"TEE" (2020)


All aboard!

© Tym Stevens



See Also:

DOCTOR WHO Theme - Delia Derbyshire > Gary Glitter > KLF > Human League

"APACHE", HipHop's Sacred Secret Beat! - Bongo Band > Bambaataa > EVERYONE EVER

"Amen Break" - How 6 Seconds From 1969 Propel All Modern Music


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist

Read:
• • Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980–1983, by Tim Lawrence


Tuesday, June 16, 2009

ROCK Sex: The Shangri-Las > The Damned > Joe Jackson



ROCK Sex is about how culture cavorts and entangles.

Here's an example of how a single lyric can pull together unusual bedfellows.


THE SHANGRI-LAS recorded the biker love anthem "Leader of the Pack", which opened with the line "Is she really going out with him?"...

THE SHANGRI-LAS -"Leader Of The Pack" (1965)



Perversely, in the very first recorded British Punk single "New Rose", THE DAMNED opened with a quote of the same line...

THE DAMNED -"New Rose" (1976)



Shortly after, British tunesmith JOE JACKSON turned the phrase into a huge pop hit...

JOE JACKSON -"Is She Really Going Out With Him?" (1979)




"Is she really going out with him?/
"Well, there she is, let's ask her."


© Tym Stevens



See Also:

YOU DON'T OWN ME: The Uprising of the 1960s GIRL GROUPS, with Music Player!

SHE'S A REBEL: Decades Of Songs Influenced By The GIRL GROUPS, with Music Player!

WOMEN OF ROCK: The 1960s, with 2 Music Players!


LADIES FIRST: "Out In the Streets" - The Shangri-Las > Blondie

LADIES FIRST: "Remember (Walking In The Sand)" - The Shangri-Las > The Beatles > Aerosmith > Amy Winehouse


-The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist


Monday, June 15, 2009

ROCK Sex: The Kinks > Sex Pistols > The Kinks



ROCK Sex is about the surprising trysts of culture and what comes from them. Today is an example of how a band inspires another band who re-inspires the first band.

THE KINKS are one of those British Invasion bands -like The Who, The Yardbirds, and The Animals- whose more aggressive riffs predicted the coming shift from pop rock to hard rock. They did it with tough hits like "You Really Got Me", "I Need You", and this one...

THE KINKS -"All Day and All of the Night" (1965)



THE SEX PISTOLS mutated the attitude of '60s Garage Rock into a whole other level with Punk music. You can still spot their influences, such as the reused Kinks riff in this grinder...

SEX PISTOLS -"Submission" (1977)



Inspired by the exhilarating/threatening energy of Punk and New Wave, The Kinks responded with this wry rewrite of their own song...

THE KINKS -"Destroyer" (1981)



Inspiration is cyclical and inclusive. Do as thou wilt, everything is permitted...


© Tym Stevens



See Also:

DON'T TREAD ON ME: The Original Punk of 1960s Garage Rock, with Music Player!

ROCK Sex: Rock Revolution = Busted Amp! - Ike Turner > Burnette Trio > The Kinks > The Beatles

LADIES FIRST: "I Go To Sleep" - (The Kinks) > Peggy Lee > Cher > The Pretenders

"I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone" - Paul Revere > The Monkees > Sex Pistols

"Don't Gimme Me No Lip Child" - Dave Berry > Sex Pistols


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


Sunday, June 14, 2009

ROCK Sex: Rolling Stones > The Clash > Garbage



ROCK Sex is about how everyone's input in music expands it.

Yesterday I gave the example of how a single song, "The Train Kept A-Rollin" can be redefined by each person who relayed it on. But today is an example of how two different songs lead to a third song.

1.
The Rolling Stones did "Stupid Girl"
(I know, I know, don't shoot me for their message)...

The Rolling Stones -"Stupid Girl" (1966)


+ 2.
The Clash later made this song...

The Clash -"Train In Vain" (1979)


= 3.
And Garbage combined the sentiment of the Stones song with the sampled beat of the Clash song for something new in this big hit...

Garbage- "Stupid Girl" (1995)



There are some bands who are wizards at this kind of pop alchemy. Everyone synthesizes their influences, of course, but some take clear markers and make new paths right in front of you; like Garbage, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Portishead, Elastica, Beck, DJ Shadow, or Peaches.



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

"Exile On GRRL Street", Or How THE STONES Can Tribute Riot Grrrls Tributing Them!

"Brand New Cadillac" - Vince Taylor > The Clash > Ziggy Stardust

"Push it real good!" - Beach Boys > Salt-n-Pepa > Garbage


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist