Showing posts with label Rubén Blades. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rubén Blades. Show all posts

Sunday, December 19, 2010

North Fork Sound Top 20 - December 19th 2010

Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart) (R.I.P.)
photo: Alex Waterhouse-Hayward


1. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: Well
2. John Powhida International Airport: Daddy's The Man
3. Hamell On Trial: Hail
4. The Persuaders: Some Guys Have All The Luck
5. John Phillips: She's Just 14
6. Happy Talk Band: Pacific Coast Time
7. Hank Williams III: I'm A Long Gone Daddy
8. John Lee Hooker: Dimples
9. The Yayhoos: Never Give An Inch
10. Keith Richards: The Harder They Come
11. Suicide: Hey Lord

12. Angelo Badalamenti: Freshly Squeezed

13. The Humblebums: Why Don't They Come Back To Dunoon?
15. Soul Brothers Six: Some Kind Of Wonderful
16. Diana Jones: Pony
17. The Upsetters: Dollar In The Teeth
18. Tim Buckley: Move With Me
19. Dr. John & The Lower 911: Feel Good Music

20. Red Simpson: Sleeper Five By Two

North Fork Sound Alb O' The Week
Vincent Quatroche: Singing Mr. Cedric

North Fork Sound Legend Of The Month
Rubén Blades

Last Week's Listener Favourites
801: Tomorrow Never Knows
Aretha Franklin w/Keith Richards: Jumpin' Jack Flash
Bettye LaVette: My Man-He's A Lovin' Man
Bo Diddley
w/Keith Richards & The Shirelles: Bo Diddley Is Crazy
Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez: When I Work My Thang On You
Cottonhead (Mary Birdsong)
Cottonhead: Fuck Me
The Creatures: Pinned Down
Dillinger: The Table Gonna Turn
The Dirty Strangers
The Dirty Strangers: She's A Real Botticelli
Elvis Presley: Talk About The Good Times
The Mothers Of Invention: Cheap Thrills
George Jones & Keith Richards: Say It's Not You
Gillian Welch: Good Til Now
Gretchen Wilson: Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)
Ian McLagan
w/Keith Richards: Truly
Jimmy Ricks & The Ravens: Daddy Rolling Stone
Johnny Depp & Come: Madroad Driving

LCD Soundsystem: 45:33 (i)
Lindisfarne: Winter Song
Luna: Sideshow By The Seashore
Marianne Faithfull w/Keith Richards: Sing Me Back Home
Marvin Gaye: Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
Pink Floyd: Arnold Layne
Rodney Crowell: Britney's Got The Blues
The Rolling Stones: Dance Little Sister
Roxy Music: Editions Of You
Roy Lee Johnson: When A Guitar Plays The Blues
Sandy Denny & The Strawbs: How Everyone But Sam Was A Hypocrite
Scott McClatchy: Perfect Thing

Seasick Steve: Just Because I Can (CSX)

The Small Faces: The Universal
Terry Anderson: One Good Heart
Wanda Jackson
Wanda Jackson: Nervous Breakdown
Wanda Jackson: Rip It Up
Wanda Jackson: Thunder On The Mountain
The White Stripes: Rated X
Tho Who: Baby Don't You Do It
The Wild Tchoupitoulas: Here Dey Come
Wingless Angels: Rivers Of Babylon

happy holidays, 'forkers...
next week: the year's best music

Sunday, December 12, 2010

North Fork Sound Top 20 - December 12th 2010

Wingless Angels
1. Wingless Angels: Bright Soul
2. Los Lobos: Patria
3. Gillian Welch: Good Til Now
4. Kid Rock: I Know How
5. The Phobics: 2am
6. Alexis Korner: Get Off Of My Cloud
7. Afrocubism: Mali Cuba
8. David Ruffin: Walk Away From Love
9. Cottonhead: Fuck Me
10. Ed Harcourt: The Devil Came Down The Chimney
11. Howard Tate: You Don't Know Nothing About Love
12.
Billie Jo Spears: Stepchild
13. Junior Parker: Taxman
14. Terry Anderson: One Good Heart

15. Julie London: Come On A My House
16. Roy Harper: When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease
17. Bettye LaVette: My Man - He's A Lovin' Man
18. Ry Cooder: He'll Have To Go
19. Kate Rusby: Village Green Preservation Society

20. Dillinger: The Table Gonna Turn

North Fork Sound Alb O' The Week

Wanda Jackson: The Party Ain't Over

North Fork Sound Legend Of The Month
Rubén Blades
(w/Tommy LiPuma)
SIR Studios, 25th St, NYC
photo: ht


Last Week's Listener Favourites
Brinsley Schwarz: The Version (Hypocrite)
Dirk Hamilton: Los Gatos
Doug Powell: The Uninvisible Man
Gene Casey
Plainview, NY - 11/20/10
photo: ht
Gene Casey & The Lone Sharks: It Should Rain
Georgie Fame: Do The Dog
Geraint Watkins: Champion
Glenna Bell
Glenna Bell: The Cougar Anthem
Glenna Bell: The Southern Gothic Wedding Waltz
The Georgia Satellites: Six Years Gone
The Honeydogs: The Kiss
James Brown: Cold Sweat Pts 1&2
Jerry Lee Lewis: Let's Talk About Us
Junior Byles: The Long Way
Levon Helm: It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
Pizzicato Five: Strawberry Sleighride
Porcupine Tree: Bonnie The Cat
The Pretty Things
The Pretty Things: She's A Lover
Amy Winehouse
London, UK 6/18/07
photo: ht
Amy Winehouse: It's My Party
Robert Plant With Lil' Band O' Gold: It Keeps Rainin'
Roland White: If I Should Wander Back Tonight
Rubén Blades y Seis Del Solar: Cuentas Del Alma
The Saints: (This) Perfect Day

Trombone Shorty: Show Me Something Beautiful

Sunday, December 5, 2010

North Fork Sound Top 20 - December 5th 2010

22 Pistepirkko
1. 22 Pistepirkko: I Knew
2. Geraint Watkins: Champion
3. Elvis Costello: All These Strangers
4. The Feelies: Deep Fascination
5. Matt & Kim: Silver Tiles
6. Chas & Dave: Woortcha!
7. Café Tacuba: El Borrego
8. Sir Douglas Quintet: It Didn't Even Bring Me Down
9. Doug Powell: The Uninvisible Man
10. Quincy Jones feat. Three 6 Mafia & David Banner: Hikky-Burr
11.
Levon Helm: It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
12. William Burroughs & Tomandandy: Old Western Movies

13. Emil O'Connor: Some Of Your Lovin'
14.
Will Hoge: Hard To Love
15. Scotty: Draw Your Brakes
16. Larry Williams: She Said 'Yeah'
17. Cerberus Shoal: Hymn
18. John Dee Holeman: Big Boss Man
19. Egg: Wind Quartet 2

20. Mike Sheridan & The Nightriders: Don't Turn Your Back On Me

North Fork Sound Alb O' The Week

Glenna Bell: Perfectly Legal - Songs Of Sex, Love And Murder

North Fork Sound Legend Of The Month
Rubén Blades
Montecito, CA
photo: ht

Last Week's Listener Favourites
The Arabians: Dog Wild
Bernard Fowler & The Laddins: Soulfingertips
Big Jack Reynolds: Little Dog
Billy Bragg & Wilco: She Came Along To Me
Billy Bragg: Help Save The Youth Of America
Billy Bragg: Tank Park Salute
Bobby Darin: Mack The Knife
Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band: Tropical Hot Dog Night
The Cramps: Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?
Dave Edmunds: The Claw
Dungen: Brallor
The Flamin' Groovies: Yeah My Baby
Georgie Fame: Do The Dog
J Roddy Walston & The Business: Sally Bangs
James Hunter: Hand It Over
John Lydon
W. 23rd St, NYC
photo: ht
John Lydon: Dog
Jon Cleary: Burnt Mouth Boogie
Karen Dalton: Same Old Man
Kid Rock w/Zac Brown: Flyin' High
Marianne Nowottny
photo: ht

Marianne Nowottny: Dog Of Ivory
Mark Granfield: Spook Dogs
Marvin Gaye: I'll Be Doggone
The Mighty Hannibal
The Mighty Hannibal: Jerkin' The Dog
Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Mansion On The Hill (live)
Peter C Johnson: I'm A Dog
The Pretty Things: Miss Faye Regrets
The Pretty Things: She Was Tall, She Was High
The Pulsars: Cast Iron Dog
The Replacements
The Replacements: Jungle Rock
The Resentments: Too Much Monkey Business
Ronnie Self: Ain't I'm A Dog
Sara Hickman: Like A Collar On A Dog
The Sex Patels: The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum
Shelby Lynne: Old Dog
Shorty Long: Devil With The Blue Dress
Sister Sledge: He's The Greatest Dancer
The Slickers: Johnny Too Bad
Spencer Davis Group: Stevie's Groove
Ted Nugent: Dog Eat Dog
Winston Scotland: Skanky Dog
The Wolfmen: Love Is A Dog

and don't forget,
'PURE w/howard thompson' is broadcast, streamed and archived on WPKN Bridgeport, CT 89.5fm and www.wpkn.org

Next show: Friday December 10th, noon - 3pm (ET)


Sunday, April 25, 2010

North Fork Sound Top 20 - April 25 '10

Solomon Burke
1. Solomon Burke: Dreams
2. Barry Ryan: Eloise
3. Shelby Lynne: Alibi

4. Ronnie Dawson: Bad Habit Or Two
5. Sonnie Landreth: Pedal To The Metal
6. Sly & Robbie w/Beres Hammond, Annette Brisset: There For You
7. Pat Metheny: Soul Search
8. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: I'll Still Be True
9. Ellen Foley: Young Lust
10. Drugstore: Say Hello
11. Neu!: Hallogallo
12. Altai Hangai: Altain Magtaal
13. ESG: You're No Good
14. Martin Newell: Miss Van Houten's Coffee Shop
15. Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan: I'll Change My Style

16. Ronnie Jordan: So What
17. Bette Williams: If She's Your Wife (Who Am I)

18. Aubrey Small: Country Road
19. The Low Anthem: To Ohio

20. Rubén Blades: Shamed Into Love
Anita Baker, Rubén Blades, Natalie Merchant
Los Angeles, CA

photo: ht

North Fork Sound Alb O' The Week
Bill Kirchen: A Word To The Wise

North Fork Sound Legend Of The Month
Roky Erickson

Last Week's Listener Favourites
? & The Mysterians: Empty Heart
Amanda Lear: Look What They've Done To Me

Amy Rigby: Dancing With Joey Ramone
Angel Corpus Christi: Loving You
Anthony Rocky Ellis: I'm The Ruler
Area Code 615: Southern Comfort
Aretha Franklin: Spanish Harlem
The Bar-Kays: Sang And Dance
B.B. King: Chains And Things
The Beat: Tears Of A Clown
Benny Goodman Sextet feat. Charlie Christian: Gilly
Betty Davis: Stars Starve You Know
Betty Wright: Secretary
The Birds: Leaving Here
Bo Diddley: Bo Diddley
Bob Dylan & The Band: Kocking On Heaven's Door
Booker T. & The MG's: High Heel Sneakers
Brother Tyrone: The Money's Gone
The Dead Weather: No Horse
Dexter Romweber: Come Back
The Drive-By Truckers: The Wig He Made Her Wear
Ducks DeLuxe: Deisel Heart
Dwight Yoakam: Truckin'
Elvis Costello: Less Than Zero
Elvis Presley: Blue Moon Of Kentucky
Emiliana Torrini: Dead Duck
Etta James: Pushover
Evil Beaver: Honey Pump
George Jones: Take Me
J.J. Cale: Hey Baby
Jimi Hendrix: Mr. Bad Luck
J. Mascis: No Good Trying
Joe Hampton & The Kingpins: Biker
John Barry: Midnight Cowboy
ht, John Campbell, Mike Boyko
San Francisco, CA
John Campbell: Angel Of Sorrow
Letta Mbulu: Hareje
Luna: The Enabler

Martin Rev: Daphne
Marvin Gaye: Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
Marvin Rainwater: Boo Hoo
Mickey Newbury: Song For Susan
Muddy Waters: Mannish Boy
Peter Wolf: Watch Her Move
The Ramones: Loudmouth
Rob Buck & Danny Chauvin: Mexico Rooftop
The Velvet Underground: I'm Waiting For The Man
Vincent Quatroche: Stopleak
Warren Zevon: Fistful Of Rain
The Who: The Kids Are Alright
The Winkies: North To Alaska
Zuco 103: Garganteiro

Sunday, October 4, 2009

North Fork Sound Top 20 October 4th ‘09


1. The Wolfmen (feat: Sinéad O’Connor): Jackie Is It My Birthday?
2. The High Dials: I Am The Eye
3. Jerry Jeff Walker: I Ain’t Living Long Like This
4. Garland Jeffries: 35MM Dreams
5.
Mickey Newbury: Sunshine
6. Miles Davis: All Blues
7.
Chas & Dave: Edmonton Green
8. Billy Fury: My Advice
9.
Mark Ashton (feat: Cyril Jordan): Get Up And Groove
10. Nick Lowe: Tonight
11. We Fell To Earth: Lights Out
12. The Goons: Bloodnok’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Call
13. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band: In My Own Dream
14. Randy Newman: Baltimore
15. The Fatback Band: Yum Yum (Gimme Some)
16. Ed Sanders: Marie LeBage & Huey Long
17. The Byrds: Chestnut Mare
18.
Sugarloaf: Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You
19. The Jolly Brothers: Conscious Man
20.
Rubén Blades w/Lou Reed: Hopes On Hold
Sylvia & Lou Reed, ht, Vicky Germaise, Rubén & Lisa Blades
photo: Gary Gershoff

NoFoSo Alb o’ The Week:
Mark Knopfler: Get Lucky (Reprise Records)

The Guilty Pleasure:

Pluto Shervington: Sixpence (Opal Records)

Last Week’s Listener Thumbs-Ups:


Ian McLagan, John Stainze
Austin, TX
photo: ht
Ian McLagan: Kuschty Rye
The Low Anthem: Charlie Darwin
George Gilmore & The Giblets: Cuttin’ Out (Goin’ Back Up The Line)
Vernon Reid: What’s My Name
Rocket From The Tombs: Muckraker
Marc Bolan: The Third Degree
Brinsley Forde: Your Love Is Overdue
Eddie & The Hot Rods: Do Anything You Wanna Do
The Shazam: Hey Mom I Got The Bomb
The Shazam: NFU
Vince Taylor & The Playboys: Brand New Cadillac
Brinsley Schwarz: (It’s Gonna Be A) Bringdown
Little Feat: Sailin’ Shoes
Gene Casey & The Lone Sharks: The Snizz Part 2
Ray Davies: Yours Truly Confused, N10
Delbert McClinton & Dick 50: Wouldn't You Think (Should've Been Here By Now)
The Anti-Nowhere League: So What
Lou Reed: Tell It To Your Heart
Angelo Badalamenti: Laurens, Iowa
The Grateful Dead: Truckin’
Martin Rev: Dragonfly
Jackie Brenston: Rocket 88
Abba: The Visitors
Georgie Fame: Daylight
Angus Khan: Call Me Motherfucker
The Everly Brothers: Walk Right Back
The Blaggards: Carleen (live)
Earth Wind & Fire: September
Randy Newman: Rednecks
The Action: I'll Keep Holding On
Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women: Don't Make Promises
The Pink Fairies: The Snake
Social Distortion: Prison Bound
Ry Cooder: My Dwarf Is Getting Tired
Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band: Mr. Slater's Parrot
Dion: Born To Be With You
Can: One More Night
Dillinger: Flat Foot Hustling
Mick Ronson: Growing Up And I’m Fine
Aubrey Small: Country Road
Marianne Nowottny: Instrumental


remembering: Danny Gatton (9/4/45 - 10/4/94)

Danny Gatton, Delbert McClinton, ht
'Sun Medley' vocal session
, Nashville, TN
photo: Beth Gwinn

Sunday, May 3, 2009

North Fork Sound Top 20 May 3rd ‘09

1. Ike Turner: Jesus Loves Me
2. The Cramps: People Ain’t No Good
3. Dean Wareham: Anesthesia
4. Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers: Pablo Picasso
5. John Mooney: Drink A Little Poison (4 U Die)
6. Kris Kristofferson: The Show Goes On
7. Detroit (feat: Mitch Ryder): Long Neck Goose
8. Billy Bragg: Seven And Seven Is
9. Beverly Jones & The Prestons: Hear You Talking
10. Doug Powell: The Uninvisible Man
11. John Doe & The Sadies: Til I Get It Right
12. Ornament: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
13. Allen Toussaint: Singin’ The Blues
14. Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson: Motor Head Baby
15. Johnny Dynell & New York 88: Jam Hot (Rhumba Rock)
16. The Divinyls: Elsie
17. True Believers: Nobody’s Home
18. Pink Floyd: Interstellar Overdrive (‘Tonight Let’s All Make Love In London’ version)
19. LCD Soundsystem: Yeah (Pretentious Version)
20. Clive Chin & Lloyd Parks: Extraordinary Version

NoFoSo Alb o’ The Week:
Various Artists: Cries From The Midnight Circus/Ladbroke Grove 1967-1978 (featuring The Pretty Things, Quintessence, Mick Farren, Junior’s Eyes, Robert Calvert, Mighty Baby, The Action and more)

The Guilty Pleasure
:
Abba: Does Your Mother Know

Last Week’s Listener Thumbs-Ups:
John Martyn: Certain Surprise
Jeff Onore: Twenty Years
Johnny Rivers: Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu
Jona Lewie: The Baby She’s On The Street
Sarah Gillespie: Stalkin’ Juliet
The Psychedelic Furs: The Ghost In You
New York Dolls w/Bo Diddley: Seventeen
Larry Lurex (Freddie Mercury): I Can Hear Music
The Pretty Things: Havana Bound
Lita Ford: Kiss Me Deadly
Robert Medici: She Said Drive
Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band: Sure ‘nuff ‘n’ Yes I Do
Bo Diddley: Road Runner
Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart
Howlin’ Wolf: Little Red Rooster
Bruce Anderson: Lebanon
The Band: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (alt mix)
Joe Gibbs & The Professionals: Fashion One
John Campbell: Angel Of Sorrow
The Rolling Stones: We Love You
Johnny Thunders: You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory
TG Sheppard & Delbert McClinton
: 15 Rounds With Jose Cuervo
Spike Priggen: In The Inside
Philip Glass Ensemble w/Bernard Fowler: Changing Opinion
Paul Carrack: Lesson In Love
Mick Jagger: Evening Gown
Kevin Ayres: May I
Marc V: Let Them Stare
Lo-Fidelity Allstars: Feel What I Feel
Karen Verros: You Just Gotta Know My Mind
Ernie Isley: High Wire
Grateful Dead: Till The Morning Comes
Led Zeppelin: Ramble On
Sam Cooke: Little Red Rooster
Detroit (feat: Mitch Ryder): It Ain’t Easy
Mary Gauthier: Drag Queens In Limousines
Adam & The Ants: Dog Eat Dog
Billy Bragg: There Is Power In A Union
Brinsley Schwarz: Nervous On The Road (But Can’t Stay At Home)
Jill Sobule: Nothing To Prove
Keith Gemmell: Whoo-Hoo
The High Dials: The Holy Ground
The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs: Little Tokyo
John Doe & Kathleen Edwards: A Little More Time
Eddie & The Hot Rods: It Came Out Of The Sky (live)
Family: In My Own Time
Finn’s Motel: Concord Village Optimist Club
Gene Vincent: Ain’t She Sweet
Mara Carlyle: Saw Song
Roky Erickson & The Aliens: Don’t Shake Me Lucifer
Savoy Brown: Train To Nowhere

Ike Turner: Jesus Loves Me
We like Ike. As pianist/leader of The Kings Of Rhythm, he cut what is probably the first ever rock & roll single, ‘Rocket 88’. Produced by Sam Phillips, the single was credited to Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats and released on the Chess label, reaching #1 on the R&B charts in 1951. With Anna Mae Bullock (Tina Turner) and Phil Spector, he made the greatest single of all time, ‘River Deep, Mountain High’ and continued to make great music up until his death on Dec 12, 2007. 'Jesus Loves Me' is from his last album 'Risin' With The Blues
'.

Ivy Rorschach, Lux Interior
N. Edgemont St, Los Angeles
photo: ht
The Cramps: People Ain't No Good
If there was any justice, The Cramps would be number 2 - at least - on all charts (including ‘classical’) every week.


Terry Tolkin, Dean Wareham 23rd St, NYC
photo: ht
scanned from a lenticular 3-D print

Dean Wareham: Anesthesia
Ornament: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Dean Wareham is just one of the artists that helped make no. 6 Records a respected
indy label at college radio throughout the 90’s and now there’s a (double) cd of all its 7" 45s, ‘Speed Dating: The no. 6 Records Compendium. Founded in 1989 by Terry Tolkin, no. 6 managed to put out about 50 records during its 10 year existence and was an early champion of artists like Unrest, The Afghan Whigs, Luna, Tindersticks and Nada Surf. The label’s first album release (in 1989) was 'The Bridge - A Tribute To Neil Young' benefiting the Youngs' Bridge School cause and it featured Soul Asylum, Victoria Williams, Nick Cave, Sonic Youth, the Pixies and more. A couple of years later, alt darlings Thurston Moore, Wayne Coyne, J. Mascis, Paul Leary, Kim Gordon, Nikki Sudden, Steve Albini and 19 other 6-string slashers contributed to Terry’s ‘Guitarrorists’ compilation. I brought Terry to Elektra’s a&r department where he gave us Luna, Stereolab and the Afghan Whigs and, for a while, things were looking good. But when one of the artists he signed stole his wife and the building in which he lived on 17th St. collapsed destroying all his vinyl, a very valuable movie poster collection and all the no. 6 masters and artwork, it began a streak of bad luck and gruelling times for Terry. Luckily, he's managed to fight through it and now lives on a farm in Oklahoma with a dog and a Glock.
Ornament were Marcy Mays (from Scrawl) and Greg Dulli (from the Afghan Whigs)
more pics of Terry

Billy Bragg
photo: ht


Billy Bragg: Seven And Seven Is
Apart from the odd glimpse of a wandering, fully electric Billy Bragg (with loud-speakers on antenna-like stalks growing from his shoulders) accosting people with his songs in the corridors of a New Music Seminar hotel,
the first time I saw him properly was when his manager, Peter Jenner, asked if I could come and see him open for The Smiths at NYC's Beacon Theater. I didn't know Peter well, but he's been involved in so many great things I jumped at the chance. As one half of Blackhill Enterprises, he and partner Andrew King had managed Pink Floyd, Marc Bolan, The Edgar Broughton Band, Roy Harper, The Clash, Ian Dury and had organized the free concerts in Hyde Park in the 60s and 70s. Peter had also run EMI's 'underground' label, Harvest, run the a&r dept. at Charisma Records before it was bought out by Virgin and I soon got to know an immensely interesting and entertaining fellow, whose out-of-the-box thinking, sense of fair play and advocacy for artists’ rights puts him right at the top of the good guys column (managers division). Up until then, I’d only heard a couple of Billy’s singles and they hadn’t made much of an impression. I’ve always found, however, that it’s the ‘live’ experience that sorts out the real from the fake and at this show, I finally got it. I was thinking his coarse, un-trained, yet distinctive voice might have a certain commercial appeal when, out of the blue, I found tears running down my cheeks as Billy delivered ‘There Is Power In A Union’ on behalf of the thousands of striking British miners whose jobs were about to disappear courtesy Margaret Thatcher. I looked around...he had the audience in his hands and they had him in their hearts.

Billy Bragg 'Old Clash Fan Fight Song'
Grand Ballroom, Manhattan Center, NYC
October 25th 2008



Billy Bragg 'N.W.P.A.'
Grand Ballroom, Manhattan Center, NYC
October 25th 2008


Everybody was entranced. It didn’t hurt either that Billy is a natural speaker who infuses his message with humour and passion. 'Til then, I’d never been very interested in politics, but the Elektra label had quite a history in that department (Phil Ochs, Judy Collins, MC5) and at the time, with people like (10,000 Maniacs’) Natalie Merchant, Rubén Blades and Jackson Browne doing their bit, it was a natural fit. Billy recorded 'Seven And Seven Is' for Elektra's 40th anniversary album, 'Rubaiyat'. Why they left it off Billy's career retrospective multi cd box sets 'Volume 1' and 'Volume 2' is anybody's guess.
more Billy Bragg photos here

John Doe
on a bus, somewhere in Germany
photo: ht

John Doe & The Sadies: Til I Get It Right
John Doe is not a slacker. As an actor, he’s appeared in 47 films and 28 tv episodes (including 'Carnivale' and 'Roswell'). As a founder member of revered Los Angeles punk band “X”, he’s released 10 albums, 2 greatest hits compilations and appeared in 5 films. As a solo artist, he’s just released his 8th album, a collaboration with The Sadies, ‘Country Club’ (YepRoc Records). As always, he delivers.

Robert Buck, John Doe
Elektra Records Grammy party, Los Angeles, CA

photo: ht
more John Doe pics here
Christina Amphlett/The Divinyls
The Ritz, NYC

photo: Eric Maché
The Divinyls: Elsie
I saw the Divinyls open for the Psychedelic Furs one afternoon at an open air gig one afternoon at Syracuse University
. If you're looking for a female Iggy, Christina Amphlett's your gal. She wore a white blouse with a tartan schoolgirl’s tunic and during their epic ‘Elsie’ late in the set, she took out a lipstick and started scrawling all over her face and arms with it. She lurched around the stage in some kind of psychotic fog, grunting, practically dragging her knuckles along the floor. Then she proceeded to upend a large bucket of water over her head while growling “Open the door, Wally”. She had a feral, primitive appeal. She was beautiful. Ya had to see it, but here's a close approximation, cleaned up a bit for tv.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Lou Reed, Rubén Blades

Lou Reed
Long Beach, Long Island

I met Lou Reed at Trident Studios in 1972 when he was recording 'Transformer'. David Bowie produced, Ken Scott engineered and Mick Ronson supplied the beautiful arrangements. By then, I’d progressed from “tea-boy” to “tape-copier” but I was still able to stick my head into the studio occasionally if a session looked interesting. Lou seemed pretty distant much of the time – valium, according to Ken – and occasionally I'd hang out at receptionist Dennis Richardson's desk and we'd watch him (unsteadily) negotiate the stairs between the studio and the control room in his platform shoes, wondering if he’d make the journey without falling over. He generally ignored us lesser Trident staffers and never said a word to me during any of the sessions.
On July 8th 1972, I went to see David play a Save the Whales benefit at the Royal Festival Hall with my friend Liz Arnold, who worked at Liberty/UA Records, a copy-room client. I copied copious Slim Whitman production masters so UA could release them in places like Belgium and Holland. Sometimes, she would slip me an LP or two from the record cabinet. Her boss was U/A's head of a&r, Andrew Lauder and it didn’t take long to figure out I wanted a job exactly like the one he had. Hey, I could read the music papers during by day and see bands at night! I was introduced to the music of Brinsley Schwarz, Man, Help Yourself, The Flaming Groovies, Nektar, Dave Edmunds, Neu!, Amon Düül, Cochise, Johnny Rivers and Eddie Cochran's album work thanks to Andrew and Liz and I’m forever grateful to the both for all the records/cds sent my way throughout the years. I still have them all, except the Cochise album which somebody ‘borrowed’ and never returned.
I’d blagged the Bowie tickets from either Don Hunter or Diana Graham at his management company, which is how we found ourselves sitting next to David’s mum. Most of the show featured songs from Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust (which had just been released) but for the first encore, David brought out Lou (in his first UK ‘live’ appearance) to join him on 'White Light/White Heat', 'Waiting For The Man' and 'Sweet Jane'. During on of these, David's Mum tapped me on the arm, leaned over and asked “who’s that weird fellow with all the make-up on?” I had to stifle a laugh, since both of them were caked in the stuff. In October, I went to see Lou at Kingston Poly where he played with his band, The Tots. At this show, I finally ‘got’ Lou and from then on, would try to see him at every opportunity.
Whilst at Elektra, I remember hustling an advance of the ‘New York’ album from Seymour Stein, whose Sire Records office was a couple of floors above mine. I rushed back downstairs with a sense of great anticipation and was about to press ‘play’ when there was a knock on the door and Rubén Blades stepped in. Now, in case you don’t know, Rubén is a remarkable man. While getting his international law degree at Harvard, he made 'Crossover Dreams', which started a distinguished film career acting opposite people like Jack Nicholson, Christopher Walken, Mickey Rourke, Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, Joe Pesci, Gary Busey, Elliott Gould – our kind of actors! – and along the way, after starting in the Fania Records mail room, becoming one of the biggest, Grammy-laden stars in the world music world and running for President of Panama on his own Papa Egoro party ticket. He’s a killer performer and I loved working on 5 albums with him. He asked what I was up to and I told him I’d just got the new Lou Reed album – would he like to hear it? “Of course”, he said, so we grabbed a beer from the fridge, put our feet up and played the whole album through without saying a word. At the end, both of us were pretty speechless and thought it was Lou’s best solo album to date.
The year before, Rubén had written and co-produced 2 songs with Lou for his (first, and only) English language album, '
Nothing But The Truth'. While he prepared for its recording - always the multi-tasker - he took a lead role in 'The Milagro Beanfield War' and invited me to Arizona for a couple of days. It was my first time on a film set and Rubén introduced me to Robert Redford and Sonia Braga. Back in his rented apartment he picked up an acoustic guitar and played me a dark and very beautiful version of the Beatles' 'Baby's In Black'. I wish he'd recorded it for the album, but a somewhat changed arrangement showed up later on his 'Amor y Control' album. During rehearsals for the album, I cycled from my apartment on 23rd St. to SIR Studios on the west-side at 25th and as I dismounted, I rang the studio bell. 4 white guys approached and said "give us the bike". I said, "what for" and two of them grabbed it and set off down the street. I ran after them and grabbed the saddle. I don't know why I did that. What was I expecting? That they would apologize and hand it back? Anyway, shortly after, I picked myself up from the middle of the street with a throbbing in the back of my head. There was no one in sight. I went back to the SIR, was let in and went into the studio where the band were. There may have been a little blood on my head and the band stopped mid song and asked if I was ok. When I told them I'd just experienced my first mugging right outside, Rubén and the guys rushed outside to see if they could mete out a little street justice. When I get my cassettes digitized, I’ll playlist the unreleased, up-tempo version of ‘Hopes On Hold’ that Lou produced. I’ll probably not play the voicemail an apoplectic Lou left when I left a message telling him I thought the test pressing sounded dodgy. In the end, my experience as a mastering engineer at Trident paid off and Lou came around after I was able to articulate my problems with the sound of the pressing. A change was made and everybody lived happily ever after. I think he saw I was a record company person who knew what I was talking about - sonically, at least - and all encounters since have been respectful and, often, very friendly. Last time I saw Lou, I was surprised to receive a hug so big right in the middle of Greene Street that, if he hadn’t called me by name, I would have sworn he was mistaking me for someone else. The version of ‘Hopes On Hold’ that did appear on NBTT was a Tommy LiPuma-produced, synth-driven, rather disappointing and now dated, MOR ballad and unfortunately, someone else picked it as the first single. I went out to Long Beach on Long Island to watch the video get made. I never liked music videos much, but I always relished any opportunity to hang out with Rubén. Lou had a small cameo in it and must have been in a great mood because later, he showed a side of his personality I had no idea existed. During the ride back to Manhattan, after the shoot had wrapped, he did about an hour of what could be described as a contemporary ‘Borscht belt-style’ comedy routine that had Rubén, his actress wife, Lisa, Lou’s wife, Sylvia and I howling with laughter all the way home. I have some candid snaps of it – here - but this was one performance I wish I had taped. When he wants to be, Lou’s a hysterically funny guy. Who knew?
Ok, what else? Oh yeah, I got thrown out of a Velvet Underground show. For my birthday in 1993, I treated myself to a (reformed) VU concert at the Olympia, in Paris. Because this show was being filmed, Luna (who were supporting them on the European leg) was asked to sit this one out because their equipment would have gotten in the way of the cameras. Lead loon-er, Dean Wareham and I were given tickets to watch the show from a seat in the balcony, close to the stage. Both of us were feeling pretty, uh, ecstatic and the show was everything I had hoped it would be. At the end of the set, while the band were lined up, arms around each other’s shoulders, bowing and accepting the audience’s love, I took 2 photos with my 3-D camera. Apparently the flashes were enough to attract attention and it wasn’t long before someone grabbed me and marched me backstage, where my film - and the cassette upon which I had recorded the show - were confiscated by their tour manager, who had been kind enough to sort out my ticket in the first place. Talk about humiliating. I was very embarrassed and hoped Lou and John Cale, who played squash at the same Tribeca club where I played racquetball, wouldn’t notice me getting admonished when they came offstage after the encore. I don’t think they did, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they heard about it later. Hey, we all make mistakes. I had a habit of recording shows by people I liked, purely for my own enjoyment, of course. Later that evening, Dean and I found ourselves drinking in a mildly sleazy boîte called La Lily Tigresse, which was the inspiration for his song ‘Tiger Lily’.
The last time I saw Lou was on 9/11. My friend, singer Amanda Thorpe, had recently undergone knee surgery and one of her legs was in a brace necessitating the use of crutches to get around. She lived on Beach Street, way downtown, and that morning the phone rang and she asked if I could turn on the news and tell her what was going on, as she had heard this enormous crash and her tv just gave out static. I switched mine on to see that the world trade center had a huge, smoking hole in it and CNN was reporting that a ‘small’ plane was the cause. As I was telling her this, a second plane hit. Whoa! She asked if she could continue her recuperation for a few days at my apartment and could I come downtown to help her evacuate. “Sure”, so I threw some clothes on and made off for 7th Avenue where I was going to grab a cab, picking up some cigs at the Greek Deli near the corner. In the deli, a television was now reporting that the Pentagon had been hit by something, so it was clear (as if a second plane flying into the WTC wasn’t enough) the US was under attack. There were no cabs to be had, but Amanda’s apartment was close to Franklin Street, just 6 stops below 23rd, so I decided I’d take a train if they were still running and be there in minutes. Didn’t take long for a train to show up so I boarded and looked around. People were reading the paper as they would on any normal day. From conversations I overheard, it seemed like two or three people had heard something but they seemed unconcerned or oblivious to what really was going on as we sped towards the Manhattan's southern tip. When we shot past the Franklin St. stop, I thought I’d ended up on an express train by mistake and when we passed Chambers St, too, I thought something was definitely wrong. Then the train stopped, and stayed still for about 10-15 minutes during which the carriage I was in (towards the back of the train) started to fill with acrid fumes, a smell similar to what you’d get from an electrical fire. A light, blue-ish, thin cloud of smoke seeped through the car. There was nothing anyone could do except hope for the best. The train then spent the next 20 minutes or so shuddering forward, a yard or two at a time, with long breaks between each shudder. The smell of burning slowly dissipated (or we just got used to it) and after about 40 minutes, the train eventually pulled into Fulton St, stopping right at the beginning of the platform. We were instructed to walk through the carriages and exit the train at the front. There was no panic. Everybody, though somewhat weirded out by the whole deal, showed remarkable New York attitude/cool and we filed forward, disembarked, and climbed the stairs to the street. It had been a gorgeous day on 23rd St...sunny, warm, clear, the sky a rich, bright blue, but once we got outside, everything was completely covered in a fine, sandy coloured dust and bits of paper flew around like it was a kind of fucked up ticker-tape parade. Fulton St is approximately 6 or 7 blocks away from where the towers stood and by that time the south tower must have collapsed. People were running in all directions covered in dust, some bleeding, many carrying briefcases over their heads, wearing what was once their smart, work apparel. Everyone on the street looked like the zombies in 'Night Of The Living Dead'. Cops herded us away from the disaster site and soon I was at the South Street Seaport watching crowds crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on foot. I tried calling Amanda but the payphones weren’t working, so I set off on foot, in the direction of her apartment. I worked my way north and then west and had to convince 'security' that I had to get back to my apartment on Beach and after an hour, I got there. Amanda had her suitcase, a backpack and her guitar ready and we slowly walked/hobbled up Greenwich St, stopping into a bar on the way to watch, on tv, what was occurring just a few blocks to the south. Continuing up Washington St, we turned right onto Little West 12th and, just before we got to Pastis there, sitting at a table in the sunshine, nonchalantly drinking coffee with a companion was 'Mr. New York' himself, Lou Reed. An introduction, an exchange of pleasantries and a desire to not intrude made this chance meeting brief, but as we moved on we felt it was a brilliant moment in a ghastly day.
This week, the station’s playing Lou’s 'Endless Cycle', Rubén’s 'The Calm Before The Storm', Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham's 'Ginger Snaps' and Amanda’s 'Burn This House Down' from her brand new album, 'Union Square'.