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OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - THE RED ROCKERS

wjd8260 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:24:00 +0100

Happy Friday, VIPs.Just a reminder to you that I'll be taking to the highway this coming Saturday, 11 July. The blogs for the next two weeks will reflect something travel related or wherever it is that I am that day or whatever is I'm doing. I have a few ideas in mind already. It'll be fun.

On to today's Obscure Song of the Day...

The Red Rockers were a New Wave band from New Orleans, Louisiana. They formed in 1979 and disbanded in 1985. They are best known for their 1983 hit single "China." They toured the United States opening for The Cars, Men at Work, U2, Joan Jett, The Go-Go's.

Lead singer John Thomas Griffith now plays guitar and sings in the band Cowboy Mouth, which he co-founded in 1990 with Paul Sanchez and Fred LeBlanc. Bassist Darren Hill currently has a management company called Ten Pin Management and he manages The New York Dolls, Paul Westerberg and others.

"Condition Red," The Red Rockers' first full length album, was released in 1981 on 415 Records. It was recorded at the famed Automatt studio in San Francisco. The Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafra sings background vocals on "Folsom Prison Blues." The song "Dead Heroes" was included on Rodney Bingenheimer's punk compilation album, "The Best Of Rodney On The ROQ."

From that debut album, "Condition Red," here are The Red Rockers with "Guns Of Revolution"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFMNxXtJxQ8

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - SUZANNE VEGA

wjd8260 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:23:00 +0100

Warm greetings for a happy Thursday, my friends. Here's to hoping that the remainder of your week is quick and painless and that your weekend is carefree and fun.

Suzanne Vega was the first major figure in the bumper crop of female singer/songwriters who rose to prominence during the late '80s and '90s. Her hushed, restrained folk-pop and highly literate lyrics (inspired chiefly by Leonard Cohen, as well as Lou Reed and Bob Dylan) laid the initial musical groundwork for what later became the trademark sound of Lilith Fair (a tour on which she was a regular). Moreover, her left-field hit single "Luka" helped convince record companies that folk-styled singer/songwriters were not a thing of the past after all, paving the way for breakthroughs by Tracy Chapman, Michelle Shocked, Shawn Colvin, Edie Brickell, the Indigo Girls, Sinéad O'Connor, and a host of others on through the '90s. Vega's early commercial success helped open doors for a wealth of talent, and even if she couldn't sustain the level of popularity she reached in 1987 with "Luka" and the platinum "Solitude Standing," she maintained a strong and dedicated cult following. Her association with — and marriage to — experimental producer Mitchell Froom during the '90s resulted in two intriguing but uneven albums; however, following their painful divorce, Vega returned in 2001 with her first album in five years, "Songs in Red and Gray," which was greeted with her strongest reviews in a decade.

Vega graduated from college in 1982 and held down several low-level day jobs while quickly becoming the Greenwich Village folk scene's brightest hope. Record companies were reluctant to take a chance on a singer/songwriter steeped in folk music, however, since they saw little chance of any commercial returns. After three years of rejections, Vega and her managers Ron Fierstein and Steve Addabbo finally convinced A&M (which had turned her down twice) to give her a shot, and she signed a contract in 1983. Former Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye was brought in to co-produce the debut with Addabbo and lend it a smoother, more contemporary flavor.

Titled simply "Suzanne Vega," it was released in 1985 to much critical applause. Thanks in part to the single "Marlene on the Wall," the album was a genuine hit in Britain, where it eventually went platinum; while it didn't duplicate that success in America, the album's sales of 200,000 strong still came as a shock to A&M (and Vega). For the 1987 follow-up, Vega overcame writer's block to craft an eclectic batch of new material, as well as drawing upon a backlog of songs that hadn't fit the debut. Again produced by Kaye and Addabbo, "Solitude Standing" was Vega's finest achievement; the richness and variety of its compositions were complemented by the lusher full-band arrangements and more accessible (albeit less folky) production. The album's lead single, "Luka," was a haunting first-person account of child abuse, whose terse (and fictional) lyrics struck a chord with American radio listeners. As a result, the album was an instant hit on both sides of the Atlantic; it debuted at #2 in the U.K., and went gold within three months in the U.S., peaking at #11 and eventually going platinum. "Luka" hit #3 on the American pop charts — unheard of for a singer/songwriter in the '80s prior to Vega — and was nominated for three Grammys. As record companies rushed to fill a market niche they hadn't known existed (and uncovering some major talents in the process), Vega spent almost a year on the road touring in support of the record. Exhausted, she returned to New York to take some time off. When the time came to record her third album in 1989, Vega decided to co-produce it herself with her keyboardist/boyfriend Anton Sanko (longtime bassist Michael Visceglia also had input). Vega began to experiment with her lyrics, pushing beyond the narrative story-songs that dominated her first two records, and had minimalist composer Philip Glass contribute a string arrangement. The result, "Days of Open Hand," was released in 1990, yet didn't produce another hit single and was somewhat lost in the shuffle of new female singer/songwriters. Though it did sell respectably, reviews were somewhat mixed.

Vega then began looking for ways to open up her musical approach. She hooked up with producer Mitchell Froom, best known for his work on latter-day albums by Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson, and Crowded House. Froom applied his trademark approach — dissonant arrangements, clanging percussion — to Vega's new 1992 album, and while "99.9 F°" didn't reinvent her as a dance artist (as some expected), the synth-centered sound of the record was unlike any of her previous work. Froom and Vega began dating several months after the record's completion, and they wound up marrying; their daughter, Ruby, was born in 1994, and Vega naturally took some time off from music. She returned in 1996 with "Nine Objects of Desire," again with Froom in the producer's chair, though his approach was somewhat less radical this time out; in terms of Vega's subject matter, there was a newfound physical sensuality borne of her marriage and childbirth experiences.

All was not well for long, however; Froom began seeing "Ally McBeal" singer Vonda Shepard, and he and Vega split up in 1998. In 1999, Vega released the best-of retrospective "Tried and True," taking stock of her past career (she had also split with longtime manager Ron Fierstein). She also published her first book, "The Passionate Eye," a collection of poems, lyrics, essays, journalistic pieces, and the like. Vega began playing shows with bassist Michael Visceglia again, and worked on material addressing the breakup of her marriage. "Songs in Red and Gray" was released in the fall of 2001 and marked a return to the more direct sound of "Suzanne Vega" and "Solitude Standing." It also garnered her best reviews since those records. "Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega" arrived in 2003, followed by the "Live at Montreux 2004" DVD/CD in 2006 and the all-new "Beauty & Crime" in 2007.

From the 1986 "Pretty in Pink" soundtrack, here is Suzanne Vega with "Left of Center"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZNCnfS5SeY

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - THE MacKENZIE BROTHERS WITH GEDDY LEE

wjd8260 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:03:00 +0100

Hello and a pleasant Wednesday to you. Also, I'd like to wish a very Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends, eh?

In honour of the day, today I present to you a special Canadian Obscure Song of the Day....

Bob and Doug McKenzie are a pair of fictional Canadian brothers who hosted "The Great White North," a sketch which was introduced on "SCTV" for the show's third season when it moved to CBC Television in 1980. Bob is played by Rick Moranis and Doug is played by Dave Thomas.

"The Great White North" (originally known as "Kanadian Korner") was a panel show that played upon Canadian stereotypes. Bob and Doug, two dimwitted beer-swilling brothers wearing heavy winter clothing and toques, would comment on various elements of Canadian life and culture, frequently employing the interjection "Eh?" and derisively calling each other a "hoser." Among the topics discussed were snow routes, the Canadian-built robot arm on the Space Shuttle, the inappropriateness of bedtime stories about dog fights, flat tires, and "why there aren't enough parking spaces at take-out doughnut shops."

The sketch was conceived when "SCTV" moved to the CBC television network. Each episode to be broadcast on that network was two minutes longer than those syndicated to the United States. The CBC network heads asked the show's producers to add specifically and identifiably Canadian content for those two minutes. Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas thought that this was a ridiculous request, since the show had been taped in Canada, with a mostly Canadian cast and crew, for two years. The request inspired them to create a parody that would incorporate every aspect of the humorous stereotype of Canadians.

The segments were videotaped at the end of a day's shooting, with just Thomas and Moranis and a single camera operator. The sketches were for the most part improvised on the set, and after doing several such ad-libbed bits, they would then select the best ones for use on the program.

To their shock, the comedians found that this filler material had become the most popular part of the show. They rode the crest of a fad that produced two comedy albums and a movie, "Strange Brew." The first album is noted for the song "Take Off" which featured fellow Canadian Geddy Lee of the rock group Rush chorusing between the McKenzies' banter. (The record even made the Top 20 on the US record charts.) On their album, "The Great White North" they sing their own improvised version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," which is frequently played on the radio around the holidays in both Canada and the United States. The popularity eventually faded, but the act is still fondly remembered by Canadians as an affectionate self-parody.

The sketch's signature "Coo Roo coo coo coo coo coo coo" theme, according to Dave Thomas in an interview on "CBC News: The Hour," is based on the flute music used in Canadian television nature vignettes, such as "Hinterland Who's Who."

In Dave Thomas's behind-the-scenes book on "SCTV" he reports that he and Moranis disliked the characters because they felt the network forced the characters on them and that they, as actors, were overly identified with beer drinking. However, when interviewed with his real-life brother, Ian, on CBC Radio One's "Sounds Like Canada," Dave Thomas stated he felt no ill will towards the Doug McKenzie character at all. During the interview, Thomas credited the McKenzie Brothers as a successful comedic creation of which he was quite proud.

So, my hosehead friends from the Great White North of Canada - and, of course, you too, Constant Reader - don your toque, pass the back bacon and Molsons and enjoy The MacKenzie Brothers with Geddy Lee of Rush and "Take Off"....

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9gmsYlQ-lM

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - THE CULT

wjd8260 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:44:00 +0100

Happy Tuesday all. Another day is off to a flying start. Let's hope it's a quick and virtually painless one. The weekend just cannot come soon enough!!

Following a succession of name and stylistic changes, the Cult emerged in 1984 as one of England's leading heavy metal revivalists. Picking up the pseudo-mysticism and Native American obsessions of the Doors, the guitar-orchestrations of Led Zeppelin, and the three-chord crunch of AC/DC, while adding touches of post-punk goth rock, the Cult gained a dedicated following in their native Britain with mid-'80s singles like "She Sells Sanctuary" before breaking into the American metal market in the late '80s with "Love Removal Machine." Though the group managed one Top Ten in America with 1989's "Sonic Temple," the band was plagued with off-stage tensions and problems that prevented them from retaining their popularity. The Cult split in 1995 following a pair of unsuccessful records, but returned on an occasional basis for new records -- always anchored by vocalist Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy.

The origins of the Cult lie in the Southern Death Cult, a goth rock outfit formed by vocalist Ian Astbury in 1981. Due to his father's work, Astbury moved frequently during his youth. He eventually settled in Bradford, Yorkshire, where he met a group comprised of David Burrows (guitar), Barry Jepson (bass), and Haq Quereshi (drums). Ian joined the group as their lead vocalist (performing with the last name of "Lindsay," which was his mother's maiden name) and had the group renamed the Southern Death Cult. At only their fifth concert, the band was attracting audiences of 2,000. In December 1982, the Southern Death Cult released their first single -- the double A-side "Moya"/"Fatman" -- and the following month, they supported Bauhaus on tour. Though the group's future was looking bright, Astbury pulled the plug on the band because he was frustrated with the positive articles he was receiving in the press. The remaining three members joined Getting the Fear, which eventually became Into a Circle. In the late '80s, Quereshi became a member of Fun^Da^Mental. All of the Southern Death Cult recordings were eventually released in 1986.

Following the disbandment of the Southern Death Cult, Astbury shortened the name of the group to Death Cult and recruited guitarist Billy Duffy -- who had previously played with Morrissey in the pre-Smiths band the Nosebleeds, as well as Theatre of Hate -- and drummer Ray Mondo and bassist Jamie Stewart, who had previously played with Ritual. Death Cult released an eponymous EP in the summer of 1983. On the EP, Astbury reverted back to his given name. Later in the year, Mondo was replaced by Nigel Preston, who had previously played with Billy Duffy in Theatre of Hate. Coincidentally, Mondo became the drummer for Preston's previous band, Sex Gang Children.

In early 1984, the band shed "Death" from the title, fearing that the word gave them the misleading appearance of being a goth band. Where both Southern Death Cult and Death Cult had been overtly influenced by post-punk, the Cult was a heavy hard rock band with slight psychedelic flourishes. "Dreamtime," the group's first album, was released in the fall of 1984, accompanied by a single "Spiritwalker," which reached #1 in the U.K. in the spring. "Dreamtime" reached #21 on the U.K. charts. In the spring of 1985, Preston left the group. For the group's summer single, "She Sells Sanctuary," the band was joined by Big Country's drummer, Mark Brzezicki. "She Sells Sanctuary" became a major U.K. hit, peaking at #15. During the recording of the group's second album, drummer Les Warner joined the group. "Love," released in the fall of 1985, continued the hard rock direction of its teaser single and became a #4 hit in Britain.

For their third album, the Cult shuffled its lineup -- Stewart moved to rhythm guitar, while former Zodiac Mindwarp bassist Kid Chaos joined the lineup -- and hired Rick Rubin as producer and the result, "Electric," was their hardest, heaviest record to date. The first single from the album, "Love Removal Machine," became a #18 hit in the spring of 1987, while the album itself reached number four in the U.K. upon its April release. Later that year, "Electric" gained the Cult a fan base in America, and the album cracked the U.S. Top 40.

In 1988, the group fired Chaos and Warner. They opted to go without a bassist, but replaced Warner with Matt Sorum. The new lineup released "Sonic Temple," which would prove to be the band's most successful album. The hit single "Fire Woman" helped propel the album into the American Top Ten, and within no time the Cult was seen hanging out with the likes of Mötley Crüe and Aerosmith, as well as supporting Metallica on the Damaged Justice tour. Though the group was experiencing its best sales, it was fraying behind the scenes, due to infighting and substance abuse. By the time they recorded their follow-up to "Sonic Temple," Sorum had left to join Guns n' Roses and Stewart had quit. They were replaced by drummer Mickey Curry and bassist Charlie Drayton. The resulting album, "Ceremony," was released in the fall of 1991 to weak reviews and disappointing sales.

Following the release of "Ceremony," the group took a break for the next three years. In 1993, the band released the U.K.-only hits compilation "Pure Cult," which debuted at #1. By summer 1993, the Cult had a new rhythm section, featuring former Mission bassist Craig Adams and drummer Scott Garrett. This lineup recorded "The Cult," which was released in late 1994 to poor reviews and sales. In spring 1995, the Cult disbanded, with Ian Astbury forming the Holy Barbarians later in the year. Billy Duffy briefly played with Miles Hunt's Vent 414 before leaving to pursue a solo project. In 2000, the band's catalog was remastered and reissued, and "Pure Cult" was released in the U.S. (despite a similar compilation, "High Octane Cult," having appeared four years earlier). It was followed by "Rare Cult," a six-disc box set of rarities.

A new Cult with Matt Sorum and Martyn LeNoble joining Astbury and Duffy made their debut in June 1999 at the Tibetan Freedom Festival. This band produced the 2001 album "Beyond Good and Evil" before the Cult was retired again, as Astbury joined former Doors members Robbie Krieger and Ray Manzarek in the Doors of the 21st Century (later renamed Riders on the Storm). In 2007, it was announced that Astbury had left the band to rejoin Duffy in a new version of the Cult, with Chris Wyse on bass and John Tempesta on drums. They signed to Roadrunner and released "Born into This" later that year.

From their 1985 album, "Love," here is The Cult with "Rain"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy0jSGxmWYo

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - THE J. GEILS BAND

wjd8260 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:40:00 +0100

Happy Monday, VIPs. Time to get up and get a move on. Today's selection is guaranteed to help. If you're still sitting down by the time this song is done, there's something wrong. This one is a toe-tapper if there ever was one.

The J. Geils Band was one of the most popular touring rock & roll bands in America during the '70s. Where their contemporaries were influenced by the heavy boogie of British blues-rock and the ear-splitting sonic adventures of psychedelia, the J. Geils Band was a bar band pure and simple, churning out greasy covers of obscure R&B, doo wop, and soul tunes, cutting them with a healthy dose of Stonesy swagger. While their muscular sound and the hyper jive of frontman Peter Wolf packed arenas across America, it only rarely earned them hit singles. Seth Justman, the group's main songwriter, could turn out catchy R&B-based rockers like "Give It to Me" and "Must of Got Lost," but these hits never led to stardom, primarily because the group had trouble capturing the energy of its live sound in the studio. In the early '80s, the group tempered its driving rock with some pop, and the makeover paid off with the massive hit single "Centerfold," which stayed at number one for six weeks. By the time the band prepared to record a follow-up, tensions between Justman and Wolf had grown considerably, resulting in Wolf's departure, which quickly led to the band's demise. After working for years to reach to top of the charts, the J. Geils Band couldn't stay there once they finally achieved their goal.

Guitarist J. Geils, bassist Danny Klein, and harpist Magic Dick (born Richard Salwitz) began performing as an acoustic blues trio sometime in the mid-'60s. In 1967, drummer Stephen Jo Bladd and vocalist Peter Wolf joined the group, and the band went electric. Before joining the J. Geils Band, Bladd and Wolf played together in the Boston-based rock revivalist band the Hallucinations. Both musicians shared a love of arcane doo wop, blues, R&B, and rock & roll, and Wolf had become well-known by spinning such obscure singles as a jive-talking WBCN DJ called Woofuh Goofuh. Wolf and Bladd's specialized tastes became a central force in the newly revamped J. Geils Band, whose members positioned themselves as tough '50s greasers in opposition to the colorful psychedelic rockers who dominated the East Coast in the late '60s. Soon, the band had earned a sizable local following, including Seth Justman, an organist who was studying at Boston University. Justman joined the band in 1968, and the band continued to tour for the next few years, landing a record contract with Atlantic in 1970.

"The J. Geils Band" was a regional hit upon its early 1970 release, and it earned favorable reviews, especially from Rolling Stone. The group's second album, "The Morning After," appeared later that year and, thanks to the Top 40 hit "Looking for a Love," the album expanded the band's following. However, the J. Geils Band continued to win new fans primarily through their concerts, so it was no surprise that their third album, 1972's "Full House," was a live set. It was followed by "Bloodshot," a record that climbed into the Top Ten on the strength of the Top 40 hit "Give It to Me." Following the relative failure of 1973's "Ladies Invited," the band had another hit with 1974's "Nightmares," which featured the #12 single "Must of Got Lost." While their live shows remained popular throughout the mid-'70s, both "Hot Line" (1975) and the live "Blow Your Face Out" (1976) were significant commercial disappointments. The band revamped its sound and shortened its name to "Geils" for 1977's "Monkey Island." While the album received good reviews, the record failed to bring the group increased sales.

In 1978, the J. Geils Band left Atlantic Records for EMI, releasing "Sanctuary" later that year. "Sanctuary" slowly gained a following, becoming their first gold album since "Bloodshot." "Love Stinks" (1980) expanded the group's following even more, peaking at number 18 in the charts and setting the stage for 1981's "Freeze Frame," the band's high watermark. Supported by the infectious single "Centerfold" — which featured a memorable video that received heavy MTV airplay — and boasting a sleek, radio-ready sound, "Freeze Frame" climbed to number one. "Centerfold" shot to the top of the charts late in 1981, spending six weeks at number one; its follow-up, "Freeze-Frame," was nearly as successful, reaching number four in the spring of 1982. The live album "Showtime!" became a gold album shortly after its late 1982 release.

While the band was experiencing the greatest commercial success of its career, relationships between the members, particularly writing partners Justman and Wolf, were volatile. When the group refused to record material Wolf had written with Don Covay and Michael Jonzun, he left the band in the middle of a 1983 recording session. Justman assumed lead vocals, and the group released "You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd" in late 1984, several months after Wolf's successful solo debut, "Lights Out." The J. Geils Band's record was a failure, and the band broke up in 1985. Magic Dick and J. Geils reunited in 1993 to form a contemporary blues band that has released two CDs, "Bluestime" and "Little Car Blues."

With their 1982 remake of the Marvelow's classic, "I Do!," from their album, "Showtime!," here are the J. Geils Band....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAWliSDurFY

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - THE JEFF HEALEY BAND

wjd8260 — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:56:00 +0100

Good morning, my friends. I trust you're enjoying your Sunday morning. Taking things easy...feet up...soothing cuppa. The way things are meant to be on a Sunday morning. I hope today's selection adds to that.

What makes Jeff Healey different from other blues-rockers is also what keeps some listeners from accepting him as anything other than a novelty — the fact that the blind guitarist plays his Fender Stratocaster on his lap, not standing up. With the guitar in his lap, Healey can make unique bends and hammer-ons, making his licks different and more elastic than most of the competition. Unfortunately, his material leans toward standard AOR blues-rock, which rarely lets him cut loose, but when he does, his instrumental prowess can be shocking.

Healey lost his sight at the age of one, after developing eye cancer. He began playing guitar when he was three years old and began performing with his band Blues Direction at the age of 17. Healey formed the Jeff Healey Trio in 1985, adding bassist Joe Rockman and drummer Tom Stephen. The trio released one single on their own Forte record label, which led to a contract with Arista Records. The Jeff Healey Trio released their debut album, "See the Light," in 1988 and the guitarist immediately developed a devoted following in blues-rock circles. Featuring the hit single "Angel Eyes," the record went platinum in the U.S. While the Jeff Healey Trio's subsequent records have been popular, none have been as successful as the debut.

As the 21st century dawned, Healey began to change his direction. He taught himself to play the trumpet and began to lean to the kind of traditional 1920s and '30s jazz that had always fascinated him. He released two classic jazz albums, 2002's "Among Friends" and 2004's "Adventures in Jazzland," on his own HealeyOphonic label, and while he continued to do some shows in his old blues-rock style, he increasingly gigged with his jazz combo, the Jazz Wizards. His first album of jazz to see wide release was "It's Tight Like That," which appeared on Stony Plain in 2006. Healey continued in the traditional jazz idiom for both "Among Friends" and "Adventures in Jazzland," released in 2007 on HealeyOphonic. In 2008, a month before the release of his last studio album "Mess of Blues," Healey died from cancer.

From his 1988 album, "See the Light," here is the Jeff Healey Band with "Angel Eyes"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRov2XscQJc

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - ROCKWELL

wjd8260 — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:09:00 +0100

Hello friends. Sadly, the world of music changed on Thursday. There's no need for me to recount the passing of Michael Jackson or what he gave to both the world of music and the world in which we live. His influence has created and launched so many of the popular artists we enjoy these days. That influence will no doubt continue to be a driving force in popular music for many years to come.

Since we all heard the news of Jackson's passing, radio stations around the world have been playing countless songs in tribute to the King of Pop. I will not post a number by Jackson here as I feel to do so on a blog dedicated to obscure music would be inappropriate. Always in the limelight, Michael Jackson was anything but obscure. Besides, is there really any song he ever recorded that we haven't heard? There aren't many, if any at all, would be my guess. Instead, today's blog is features a song that bears not only Jackson's very distinctive style but also his backing vocals.

Born Kennedy William Gordy, Rockwell is the son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. He changed his name so as to avoid charges of nepotism, wanting to make it in the music business on his talent alone. He signed to Motown as a solo artist without his father's knowledge, taking his name from his high school band. His first single, the Michael Jackson-esque "Somebody's Watching Me," which featured backing vocals from both Michael and Jermaine Jackson, shot into the Top Ten, hit #1 on the R&B charts, and went gold. Only then did he reveal his true identity. This, however, was his peak of success; the follow-up single fizzled, as did his next album.

Here then is the title track from Rockwell's 1984 album, "Somebody's Watching Me"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu1RP34FLXU

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - PRIMITIVE RADIO GODS

wjd8260 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:12:00 +0100

Here we are once again...another week has come and gone. Time to get geared up for a wild and carefree weekend. Play today low-key, conserving your energy, so that you can let go and make tomorrow night one to remember for a long time!!

The Primitive Radio Gods' smashing chart debut "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand" was an unforgettable radio mainstay and MTV favorite during the summer of 1996. It quickly defined the band as another alterna-rock innovator integrating catchy hooks and a hip-hop/new wave mix. The debut album "Rocket" went gold, and earned the band top spots across the album and singles charts as well. Not too bad for frontman Chris O'Connor. This was a rock & roll fantasy come true for this air traffic controller, whose side gig, the I-Rails, had been struggling for ten years prior. However, the hype surrounding the PRG quickly faded. Music industry politics played into the scheme and before the new millennium dawned, and the band's sophomore effort was scrapped and the band was dropped from Columbia. Another quickie deal from Hi-Fi/Sire Records came to the rescue, but that too failed when contractual differences and a shift in bandmates created more chaos for the PRG. A whirlwind time, more than three years since their debut, and the band played on. In early 2000, PRG resurfaced with a complete roster including Jim Sparks, Tim Laurterio, and Luke McAuliffe. A deal with What Are Records? marked the second coming of this stereotyped one-hit wonder, and the long awaited follow-up, "White Hot Peach," was issued in early 2001.

Today's selection, "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand," appeared on the band's debut album, "Rocket," in June 1996, and became a popular radio hit over the next few months.

Its chorus consists of a sample from the 1964 B. B. King song "How Blue Can You Get?": "I've been downhearted baby, ever since the day we met." It became popular after being featured in the Jim Carey film "The Cable Guy" and soon after peaked at #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Without further adieu...it's Primitive Radio Gods with their 1996 hit, "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LKVZ4NTfUc

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - THE ONLY ONES

wjd8260 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:31:00 +0100

Happy Thursday gang!! With my mind firmly entrenched in "get ready for holiday mode".... Sooner started, sooner done, eh? Let's get right to things then.

Led by the raffish and slightly scuzzy romance-obsessed Peter Perrett, the Only Ones were one of the punk era's most underrated bands. Not as confrontational as the Sex Pistols, as politically indulgent as the Clash, or as stripped-down as the Ramones, the Only Ones played not-so-fast guitar rock that sounded deeply indebted to the New York Dolls and other mid-'70s proto-punks. Singing his intelligently crafted pop songs in a semi-tuneful whine of a voice and backed by a band that effectively combined youthful exuberance with gracefully aging veterans (non-punk drummer Mike Kellie had done time with early-'70s clod-rockers Spooky Tooth, bassist Alan Mair was nearly 40), Perrett was an astute chronicler of the vagaries of modern, dysfunctional love. Despite a career that lasted from 1978-1981 and one certifiable "hit" song to their credit (the brilliant "Another Girl, Another Planet"), the Only Ones became the archetypal contenders that never broke big, despite assurances from fans and critics that they couldn't miss.

Although they split up in 1981 after only three records, the Only Ones, due in large part to "Another Girl, Another Planet," became more influential than one would have guessed. Listen to Paul Westerberg and you'll hear more than a little Peter Perrett (in fact, the Replacements covered "Another Girl"); look at the number of Only Ones releases over the past decade (a half-dozen at least) and you soon realize that a significant cult surrounding the band grew after their breakup. Ironically, it was the posthumous release of the sessions for John Peel's BBC show that, more than any of the proper studio releases, accurately displayed the muscle and smarts of this fine band. There have been many rumors surrounding Perrett's life after the Only Ones, many of them involving an alleged heroin addiction. Perrett did continue to record and release solo projects during the '80s, including a project known as the One in the mid-'90s.

From their 1978 debut self-titled album, here are The Only Ones with "Another Girl, Another Planet"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rppct2qE_ys

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - IAN DURY AND THE BLOCKHEADS

wjd8260 — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:18:00 +0100

Welcome back, my friends, to the Obscure Song of the Day. Today's selection is another one of those that's not exactly obscure, per se, but you probably haven't heard it in a while, so it's well worth another listen.

Rock & roll has always been populated by fringe figures, cult artists that managed to develop a fanatical following because of their outsized quirks, but few cult rockers have ever been quite as weird, or beloved, as Ian Dury. As the leader of the underappreciated and ill-fated pub-rockers Kilburn & the High Roads, Dury cut a striking figure — he remained handicapped from a childhood bout with polio, yet stalked the stage with dynamic charisma, spitting out music-hall numbers and rockers in his thick Cockney accent. Dury was 28 at the time he formed Kilburn, and once they disbanded, conventional wisdom would have suggested that he was far too old to become a pop star, but conventional wisdom never played much of a role in Dury's career. Signing with the fledgling indie label Stiff in 1978, Dury developed a strange fusion of music-hall, punk rock and disco that brought him to stardom in his native England. Driven by a warped sense of humor and a pulsating beat, singles like "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick," "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" and "Reasons to Be Cheerful (Part 3)" became Top Ten hits in the U.K., yet Dury's most distinctive qualities — his dry wit and wordplay, thick Cockney brogue, and fascination with music-hall — kept him from gaining popularity outside of England. After his second album, Dury's style became formulaic, and he faded away in the early '80s, turning to an acting career instead.

At the age of seven, Ian Dury was stricken with polio. After spending two years in hospital, he attended a school for the physically handicapped. Following high school, he attended to the Royal College of Art, and after his graduation, he taught painting at the Canterbury Art College. In 1970, when he was 28 years old, Dury formed his first band, Kilburn & the High Roads. The Kilburns played simple,'50s rock & roll, occasionally making a detour into jazz. Over the next three years, they became a fixture on England's pub-rock circuit. By 1973, their following was large enough that Dury could quit his teaching job. Several British critics became dedicated fans, and one of them, Charlie Gillett, became their manager. Gillett helped the band sign to the Warner subsidiary Raft, and the group recorded an album for the label in 1974. Warner refused to release the album, and after some struggling, the Kilburns broke away from Raft and signed with the Pye subsidiary Dawn in 1975. Dawn released "Handsome" in 1975, but by that point, the pub-rock scene was in decline, and the album was ignored. Kilburn & the High Roads disbanded by the end of the year.

Following the dissolution of the Kilburns, Dury continued to work with the band's pianist/guitarist, Chaz Jankel. By 1977, Dury had secured a contract with Stiff Records, and he recorded his debut with Jankel and a variety of pub-rock veterans — including former Kilburn Davey Payne — and session musicians. Stiff had Dury play the 1977 package tour "Live Stiffs" in order to support his debut album "New Boots and Panties!!," so he and Jankel assembled the Blockheads, recruiting guitarist John Turnbull, pianist Mickey Gallagher, bassist Norman Watt Roy and drummer Charley Charles. Dury and the Blockheads became a very popular act shortly after the "Live Stiffs" tour, and "New Boots and Panties!!" became a major hit, staying on the U.K. charts for nearly two years; it would eventually sell over a million copies worldwide. The album's first single, "What A Waste," reached the British Top Ten, while the subsequent non-LP single "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" climbed all the way to number one.

Ian Dury had unexpectedly become a superstar in Britain, and American record companies were suddenly very interested in him. Arista won the rights to distribute Dury's Stiff recordings in the U.S., but despite overwhelmingly positive reviews, "New Boots and Panties!!" stiffed in America, and the label instantly dropped him. Despite his poor U.S. sales, Dury was still riding high in his homeland, with his second album, "Do It Yourself," entering the U.K. charts upon its summer release in 1979. Dury supported the acclaimed album, which saw him delving deeply into disco, with an extensive tour capped off by the release of the single "Reasons to Be Cheerful (Part 3)," which climbed to #3. Once the tour was completed, Jankel left the band and Dury replaced him with Wilko Johnson, former lead guitarist for Dr. Feelgood. With Johnson, Dury released his last Stiff album, "Laughter," which received mixed reviews but respectable sales upon its 1980 release. The following year, he signed with Polydor Records and reunited with Jankel. The pair flew to the Bahamas to record his Polydor debut with reggae superstars Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. The resulting album, "Lord Upminster," received mixed reviews and poor sales upon its 1981 release. The album was notable for the inclusion of the single "Spasticus Autisticus," a song Dury wrote for the United Nations Year of the Disabled, but was rejected.

Following the failure of "Lord Upminster," Dury quietly backed away from a recording career and began to concentrate on acting; 1984's "4000 Weeks Holiday," an album recorded with his new band the Music Students, was his last major record of the '80s. He appeared in several plays and television shows, as well as the Peter Greenaway film "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" and Roman Polanski's movie "Pirates." He also began to write jingles for British commercials. In 1989, he wrote the musical "Apples" with Mickey Gallagher, and he also appeared in the stage production of the play. Dury returned to recording in 1992 with "The Bus Driver's Prayer and Other Stories."

In May 1998, Dury announced that he had be diagnosed with colon cancer in 1995 and that the disease had spread to his liver. He decided to release the information the weekend of his 56th birthday, in hopes of offering encouragement for others battling the disease. For the next year, he battled the disease while keeping a public profile — in the fall of 1999, he was inducted into Q magazine's songwriting hall of fame, and he appeared at the ceremony. Sadly, it was his last public appearance. Dury succumbed to cancer on March 27, 2000. He left behind a truly unique, individual body of work.

WIth their 1978 single release, here are Ian Dury and the Blockheads with "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq4NZEtNTAo

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - ERASURE

wjd8260 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:29:00 +0100

Greetings my friends. I wanted to let you all know that I will be going away on holiday 11 July through the 24th (or so). Before you panic...I will have a laptop with me and will do my best to continue daily postings of the Obscure Song of the Day. I might miss a day here or there, depending on what I'm doing that day and/or how knackered I am at day's end. I think you will enjoy what I have planned for you during that period - travel songs!! *lol* I have a few in mind already that will let you know where I am, what I'm doing, etc. You'll see what I mean in a couple weeks.

On to today's Obscure Song of the Day...

Following the disbandment of the short-lived synth pop group Yazoo, former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke formed Erasure in 1985 with singer Andy Bell. Like Yaz and Depeche Mode, Erasure were a synth-based group, but they had stronger dance inclinations, as well as a sharper, more accessible sense of pop songcraft, than either of Clarke's previous bands. Furthermore, Erasure had the flamboyantly eccentric Andy Bell — one of the first openly gay performers in pop music — as their focal point. Bell's keening, high voice and exaggerated sense of theatrically became the band's defining image. In their native Britain, Erasure were successful from their inception. After a few years, the duo achieved commercial success in America with 1988's "Chains of Love," but they remained, in essence, a cult band on both sides of the Atlantic, cultivating a dedicated fan base over the course of their career.

Before forming Erasure, Clarke was one of the founding members of the groundbreaking synth pop outfit Depeche Mode. He left after recording only one album with the group, choosing to form Yaz with Alison Moyet instead. After Yaz released two albums, Moyet left to pursue a solo career. Clarke participated in a short-lived alliance with vocalist Feargal Sharkey and producer Eric Radcliffe called the Assembly in 1984. Following a single with vocalist Paul Quinn, he decided to form Erasure. Clarke placed an advertisement for vocalists within a British music newspaper and received over 40 demo tapes, from which Bell was selected as his partner.

Released in 1986, Erasure's first album, "Wonderland," received poor reviews and weak sales upon its release. The duo quickly followed the album with "Sometimes," a preview from their forthcoming second album. "Sometimes" reached #2 on the U.K. charts, beginning a string of successful singles that would run into the '90s. "The Circus," the group's second album, was released in the spring of 1987 and peaked at #6 on the U.K. charts. "The Innocents," Erasure's third album, became their first #1 album in Britain upon its release in 1988. The album featured the group's first American hit, "Chains of Love," which reached #12 in the U.S. Its follow-up, "A Little Respect," peaked at #14 in America. At the end of 1988, Erasure released the "Crackers International" EP, which reached #2 in Britain.

Erasure's fourth album, "Wild!," appeared in 1989, and like its predecessor, it reached #1 in the U.K., as did its successor, 1991's "Chorus." Erasure released the "Abba-esque" EP, a tribute to the Swedish pop group ABBA, in 1992. It became their first #1 single in the U.K. Later that year, Erasure released a compilation of their British singles, "Pop! The First 20 Hits." Two years later, the duo released its fifth album, "I Say I Say I Say," which featured the hit single "Always," their first American hit since 1988. Erasure's eponymous sixth album was released in the fall of 1995. It was followed in the spring of 1997 by "Cowboy. Loveboat" surfaced three years later. The all covers "Other People's Songs" appeared in 2003, the same year as the oddly chosen compilation "Hits!." Before the release of 2005's "return to form" album "Nightbird," Bell revealed he was HIV positive and had been since June of 1998. The 2006 album "Union Street" found the duo unplugging and re-recording old album tracks and B-sides with acoustic instruments. A tour with a full band supported the album and was documented on the 2007 live release "On the Road to Nashville." Later in the year the return-to-form album "Light at the End of the World" arrived.

From their 1999 album, "The Innocents," here is Erasure with "Chains of Love"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv79hFjPEiI

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - LEN

wjd8260 — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:09:00 +0100

Hello and happy Monday, friends!! It's tough to get going and stay motivated in the mornings - especially on a Monday - but we VIPs are a hearty breed. Besides, we're one step closer to the weekend.

The alternative pop/dance group Len was formed in Toronto in 1991 by Marc "The Burger Pimp" Costanzo and his sister Sharon, initially to perform punk-pop-style music. However, an outside interest in hip-hop gradually crept into the group's style over the course of the EP and two full-length independent albums they issued from 1992-1996 (including 1996's "Get Your Legs Broke"). As time passed, Len picked up new members, including D Rock, DJ Moves, and Planet Pea. National exposure of the bright, laid-back pop single "Steal My Sunshine" on the soundtrack of the 1999 film "Go" set the stage for Len's debut album, "You Can't Stop the Bum Rush," later that year. The band lost all of its steam by failing to hit during the intervening couple of years, although they did return in 2005 with "Diary of the Madmen."

Today's selection, "Steal My Sunshine," is a song written by Marc Costanzo for Len's third album "You Can't Stop the Bum Rush." It features a sample of Andrea True Connection's 1976 disco single "More, More, More." Inspired by The Human League's 1981 synthpop hit "Don't You Want Me," the song's vocals alternate between Marc and Sharon Costanzo.

The song became a sleeper hit when radio stations began playing it in March 1999, three months before Len planned to release its album. "Steal My Sunshine" received positive reviews from music critics, and its chart success has made Len a one-hit wonder. The song earned a nomination for "Best Single" at the Juno Awards of 2000.

From their 1999 album, "You Can't Stop the Bum Rush," here is Len with "Steal My Sunshine"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOCRPrEAVxU

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - DURAN DURAN

wjd8260 — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:17:00 +0100

Happy Sunday and a very Happy Father's Day to all the fathers in the US. (I'm not sure if it's Father's Day in the rest of the world...) Today's a day when we gents can expect to sit back, relax, and have someone wait on us hand and foot. Ummm... yeah...pretty much like every other day. *lol*

Since it's a day of leisure, I'm not writing a bio today.

Just kidding. Actually, there's just too too much to write about Duran Duran and the band is far too stellar, that you probably know most of it, if not all of it, anyway.

That being said, from their "Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)," here is Duran Duran with "Come Undone"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFbDhbl3QPY

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - SWING OUT SISTER

wjd8260 — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:24:00 +0100

Happy weekend to all my friends!! C'mon...up on your feet!! Time to get those hips swinging and those toes tapping!! It's party time!!

Although Swing Out Sister's music is unashamedly commercial pop, their impeccable indie credentials (keyboardist Andy Connell and drummer Martin Jackson were formerly of A Certain Ratio and Magazine, and singer Corrine Drewery had no professional experience at all before joining), jazz-tinged arrangements, and knack for clever hooks move them closer to the indie dance territory of St. Etienne or late period Everything but the Girl than to the cookie-cutter dance-pop of Kylie Minogue or Paula Abdul.

Connell and Jackson formed Swing Out Sister in their hometown of Manchester, England, in 1985 as a studio-based partnership set to refine the jazzy funk of A Certain Ratio and Magazine's quirky reimaginings of old-fashioned middle-of-the-road pop. Nottingham-born singer Drewery joined the duo just in time for their first single, "Blue Mood," in late 1985. That single didn't do much, but the follow-up, "Breakout," was a Top Ten hit in Great Britain and Japan in the fall of 1986. The trio belatedly completed their debut album, "It's Better to Travel," in 1987. The album's U.S. release scored a pair of hits with "Breakout" and "Twilight World." Jackson demoted himself to a partial contributor on 1989's "Kaleidoscope World," which emphasized the remaining duo's debt to lush '60s pop by hiring the legendary Jim Webb to arrange and conduct the orchestra. Though the singles "You On My Mind" and "Waiting Game" were U.K. hits, the album didn't attract much attention in the U.S. In Japan, however, both albums were big enough hits that a special Japan-only collection of remixes, "Another Non-Stop Sister," was released in late 1989, followed by the similar Swing 3 in 1990, which also collected early B-sides and other rare tracks.

1992's "Get In Touch With Yourself" returned Drewery and Connell (Jackson had by this time bowed out completely) to the U.S. and U.K. charts with their cover of Barbara Acklin's "Am I the Same Girl," a '60s pop hit based on the famous instrumental "Soulful Strut" by Young-Holt Unlimited. The single was even bigger in Japan, where Swing Out Sister was by this time one of the most popular acts in the country. Another remix compilation, "Swing Out Singles," and a live album, "Live at the Jazz Cafe," were released in Japan that year. After 1994's "The Living Return" failed to chart in Great Britain, the U.K. office of Mercury Records put out 1996's "The Best of Swing Out Sister" but failed to release 1997's "Shapes and Patterns," 1999's "Filth and Dreams," or 2001's "Somewhere Deep in the Night" in the duo's native country. This despite Swing Out Sister's continued success in Japan and a devoted cult following in the U.S. and Europe. EMI was the worldwide label for 2004's "Where Our Love Grows." "Live In Tokyo" appeared a year later.

From their 1985 debut album, "It's Better to Travel," here is Swing Out Sister with "Breakout"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXL9AkXzlt8

OBSCURE SONG OF THE DAY - SQUEEZE

wjd8260 — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:20:00 +0100

Happy Friday, VIPs. Hope your week has been a good one and that you'll make the weekend ahead one to remember.

Squeeze is another one of those bands that requires much more space than this blog allows to adequately chronicle. However, here's a very limited "how they started/where they are now" bio....

As one of the most traditional pop bands of the new wave, Squeeze provided one of the links between classic British guitar pop and post-punk. Inspired heavily by the Beatles and the Kinks, Squeeze was the vehicle for the songwriting of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, who were hailed as the heirs to Lennon and McCartney's throne during their heyday in the early '80s. Unlike Lennon and McCartney, the partnership between Difford and Tilbrook was a genuine collaboration, with the former writing the lyrics and the latter providing the music. Squeeze never came close to matching the popularity of the Beatles, but the reason for that is part of their charm. Difford and Tilbrook were wry, subtle songwriters that subscribed to traditional pop songwriting values, but subverted them with literate lyrics and clever musical references. While their native Britain warmed to Squeeze immediately, sending singles like "Take Me I'm Yours" and "Up the Junction" into the Top Ten, the band had a difficult time gaining a foothold in the States. They didn't have a U.S. Top 40 hit until 1987, nearly a decade after their debut album. Even if the group never had a hit in the U.S., Squeeze built a dedicated following that stayed with them into the late '90s, and many of their songs — "Another Nail In My Heart," "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)," "Tempted," "Black Coffee In Bed" — became pop classics of the new wave era, as the platinum status of their compilation "Singles 45's and Under" indicates.

Following the release of "Tempted" in 1981 and poor reviews of their 1982 album, "Sweets From a Stranger," compounded with the stresses of touring, and conflict between band members led Difford and Tilbrook to break up the band later that year, after releasing a final single, "Annie Get Your Gun."

The band reunited to play a one night charity gig in 1985 and remained together, with occasional personnel changes, until 1999. During this period there were a few minor successes but nothing that equalled their earlier success.

In early 2007 it was announced that Difford and Tilbrook would reform Squeeze for a series of shows throughout the latter half of the year, in support of the re-issuing of the band's back catalogue and the release of a new 'best of' album, "Essential Squeeze."

In November 2007, the band released "Five Live: On Tour in America," a live CD consisting of recordings from the American tour. Television appearances and live shows in the U.S. and UK followed throughout 2008. After the success of the 2007/8 tours (and successful sales of re-released Squeeze records and the "Five Live: On Tour in America" album) it was confirmed that the current Squeeze line-up — Chris Difford (guitar/vocals),
Glenn Tilbrook (vocals/guitar), John Bentley (bass), Stephen Large (keyboards) and Simon Hanson (drums) —will record a new album through 2009, where they already have a tour of the States planned.

With their non-album hit, "Annie Get Your Gun," here is Squeeze....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ysQXgISHxU