North Fork Sound Top 20 - May 30th 2010

Alabama 3

1. Alabama 3 (feat: Steven Van Zandt): Jacqueline (Ruckspin mix)
2. Gene Casey & The Lone Sharks: Dearest Darling
3. David Rawlings Machine: Method Acting/Cortez The Killer
4. Kevin Ayers: Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes
5. James Hunter: She's Got A Way
6. Roy Orbison: Trying To Get To You (undubbed version)
7. Hawkwind: Silver Machine (Live, Paris Theatre, London, 9/28/72)
8. Prince Far I: Wisdom
9. Johnny Cash: For The Good Times
10. Patto: Flat Footed Woman
11. Roy Harper: Forever
12. Alvadean Coker: We're Gonna Bop
13. Stereolab: Wow And Flutter
14. Sofia: Search & Destroy
15. The Cramps: Strychnine
16. Sleeper: Delicious
17. Little Feat: A Apolitical Blues
18. Mark Bingham: Na-Na-Na-Na-Na
19. Shooter Jennings & Hierophant: Don't Feed The Animals (Caleb Sherman mix)
20. Jack Scott: The Way I Walk

North Fork Sound Alb O' The Week
LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening

North Fork Sound Legend Of The Month
The Pretty Things

Last Week's Listener Favourites

Andre Williams: Down Home Girl
Bob Dylan: Like A Rolling Stone (live)
Blur w/Phil Daniels: Parklife
Brinsley Schwarz: Don't Ever Change
Buddy Holly: Not Fade Away (alternate overdub)
Chris Montez: Let's Dance
Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez: A Shot Of You
Chumbawamba: Bankrobber
The Flamingos: I Only Have Eyes For You
Fleetwood Mac: Albatross
Gavin Bryars w/Tom Waits & Tramp: Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet
George Gilmore & The Giblets: This Is As Far As I Go
Happy Mondays: God's Cop
Ian Hunter: All Of The Good Ones Are Taken (slow version)
Jimi Hendrix Experience: Like A Rolling Stone (live)
John Martyn: Couldn't Love You More
Little Feat: Willin'
Man: Out Of Your Head
Max Romeo: War Ina Babylon
Motörhead: Tear Ya Down
Paul McCartney: No Other Baby
Paul Weller: Andromeda
The Pretty Things: Trust
The Pretty Things: Big Boss Man

Lemmy, John Lydon
Los Angeles, CA
photo: ht

Public Image Ltd: Disappointed
Ray Davies: Stand Up Comic
The Real Kids: Reggae Reggae
Roky Erickson w/Okkervil River: Please Judge
Rubén Blades: I Can't Say
Savoy Brown: Made Up My Mind
The Sex Patels: Life During Wartime

Patricia Morrison, Andrew Eldritch
The Power Station, NYC - 'This Corrosion' session
photo: ht

The Sisters Of Mercy: Dominion/Mother Russia
Sonny Boy Williamson: Eyesight To The Blind
Stephen Bruton: Everything Happens For A Reason
Stina Nordenstam: Little Star

The Stooges
Steve Mackay, Iggy, James Williamson
Hammersmith Apollo, London W6, May 3 '10
photo: ht

The Stooges: 1969 (alt. vocal)
The Stone Roses: Turn To Stone
Taste: See Here
The Velvet Underground: Cool It Down

live365 and the internet is just not big enough, so now we're on terrestrial radio too! SEND PROMOS - cds or vinyl ONLY
Next show: June 11th, and every second Friday of every month, 1-4pm:-
WPKN 89.5 or www.wpkn.org

North Fork Sound Top 20 - January 31st '10

Ed Hamell, Peter Lubin
W. 23rd St, NYC
photo: ht

1. Hamell On Trial: The Meeting (live)
2. Patti Smith & Fred Smith: It Takes Time
3. Dobie Gray: The 'In' Crowd
4. Gene Casey & The Lone Sharks: It's A Free Country
5. Baba Brooks: Watermelon Man
6. Family: In My Own Time
7. Jimi Hendrix: Crosstown Traffic
8. Don Covay: It's Better To Have (And Don't Need)
9. Chuck Berry: I'm A Rocker
10. Eric Clapton & The Powerhouse: Crossroads
11. Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents: Mama Told Me
12. C.C. Adcock: Kissin' Kouzans
13. Ricky Nelson: Lonesome Town
14. Richard Hell & The Voidoids: Blank Generation
15. Jolly Bros: Cool Down
16. Elliott Sharp: InSERGEncy
17. Bob Seger: Katmandu
18. Midlake: Acts Of Man
19. Happy Mondays: Bob's Yer Uncle (Perfecto 12" mix)
20. Donovan: Hurdy Gurdy Man

North Fork Sound Alb O' The Week:
Shpongle: Ineffable Mysteries From Shpongleland

North Fork Sound Legend Of The Month:
Nick Lowe

Last Week's Listener Thumbs-Ups:
John 'Snaykee' McParland
(The Wolf:Gang Deisel)
Scranton, NY
photo: ht

The Wolf:Gang Deisel: Horsemeat Pie

The Slits: Be It
Link Wray: Rumble
William DeVaughan: Be Thankful For What You Got
Doug Powell: Return To Sender
Ronnie Spector: Hell Of A Nerve
Ace: How Long
B.B. King: Chains And Things
Carl Perkins: Matchbox
Eddie Cochran: Cut Across Shorty
Shelby Lynne: Johnny Met June
Sparks: Suburban Homeboy
The Tornados: Earthy
Bryan Ferry: It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
The Pirates: Four To The bar
Johnny Hiland: Gatton To It
The Charms: Top Down
Nanci Griffiths & John Prine: Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness
Fats Domino: Please Don't Leave
Doris Troy: Just One Look
Alvin Robinson: Down Home Girl
Fairport Convention: White Dress
The Techniques: Queen Majesty
David Bowie: After All
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)
Richard Berry & The Pharoahs: Louie Louie
Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band: Sure Nuff 'n Yes I Do
Mikel Rouse: Wait For Me
J.J. Cale: I'll Make Love To You Anytime
Freda Payne: Band Of Gold
The Pretty Things: Havana Bound
Duffy: Distant Dreamer
Galactic: Crazyhorse Mongoose
Bob Dylan: Tombstone Blues (alt. take)
Dr. John & The Lower 911 (w/Eric Clapton): Time For A Change
White Hills: Radiate
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes: If You Don't Love Me By Now
The Faces: Around The Plynth
Chuck Berry: Little Queenie (live)
Vince Quatroche: An Understanding
Fleetwood Mac: Man Of The World
The Fun Lovin' Criminals: Loco
The Sisters Of Mercy: Temple Of Love (Touched By The Hand Of Ofra Haza)

Alan Vega, Kevin Patrick, Andrew Eldritch
Gramercy Park Hotel, NYC, room 825
photo: ht

Ruth Polsky (12/5/56 - 9/7/86)

Ze Records' Michael Zilkha, Ruth Polsky
23rd St, NYC
photo: ht

Today would have been Ruth Polsky's 52nd birthday. I met Ruth when she came to London to see if I could help her get The Psychedelic Furs to play Hurrah, a club she booked in NYC. I made the necessary introductions and it wasn’t too long before they were playing ‘Sister Europe’ to David Bowie, myself and a house full of curious Anglophiles.

Richard Butler, David Bowie
Hurrah, NYC '80
photographer: Ebet Roberts

Ruth was a big fan of the period’s non-mainstream music and bands like Simple Minds, New Order, The Smiths, The Birthday Party, The Sisters Of Mercy, The Slits and Echo & The Bunnymen can all thank her for being the first person to bring them to the States. After Hurrah, in the early 80s she moved on to Danceteria and, with Jim Fouratt, Rudolf and Dianne Brill, made it NYC's liveliest, and most creative nightspot. The man with the 'list', sweet Haoui Montaug, would greet you with a smile and the first thing I'd do upon entering was turn right, into the room where the bands would play. Ruth's booking policy made everything worth a look, so I'd take a spot at the bar, order a drink and give whoever was playing 3 songs (or 2 drinks) to make their point. It was there I first saw 10,000 Maniacs at Ruth's insistence (and also on the recommendation of my friend Eric Maché, who had seen them in Buffalo). It only took a couple of minutes to find me up front, mesmerized by Natalie Merchant's extraordinary stage presence and Rob Buck's liquid guitar-playing.

Natalie Merchant
Rochester, NY, 1983
photo: ht

If nothing was happening downstairs, one floor up was where DJs like Mark Kamins, Anita Sarko, Johnny Dynell and Bill Bahlman would spin all the latest discs. I remember 'dancing' past a supremely confident and stylin' lass on my way to give Bill a Leisure Process advance 12" only to find out her name was Madonna and that she was a regular and Kamins' girlfriend. She was not tall (in stature) but she had huge presence. There were bars on all floors and sometimes I'd just park myself at the bar, drink a few, listen to the latest records and watch the dancers.

The 3rd floor featured a video lounge that ran experimental video (a developing art-form) and bizarre porn. I remember staring at the televisions once - careful, I nearly typed TVs - trying to figure out exactly what was going on and suddenly realizing I was seeing my first fisting tape (male). Had to wash away the image with copious screwdrivers with Suicide's Alan Vega, a regular 3rd floor customer who lived a few blocks away at the Gramercy Hotel.

(unknown couple), Alan Vega, Diane Brill, ht
3rd floor, Danceteria
photo: Herbert Schultz
German Cosmopolitan December 1984

In the summer, the club’s owner Rudolf opened up the roof to lucky invitees and on Wednesday nights, Haoui presented his freaky 'No Etiendes' variety show, where Madonna made her live debut. There were often strange art events happening. Underground film-maker Nick Zedd 'premiered' his 'Geek Maggot Bingo' (to most people's disappointment) and somehow Chris Isaak even had a residency at Danceteria.
One of Ruth’s favourite bands was Joy Division and she worked very hard to put their first US tour together only to have it canceled when singer Ian Curtis hanged himself the night before they were due to leave for America. She wasn’t only a fan of British bands though and in 1984 started managing NYC’s Certain General, whose compilation 'Invisible New York' was released last year. For those who might be interested, their history is admirably recounted by Kris Needs here
Ruth enjoyed photography, and one of her favourite people was Andrew Eldritch from the Sisters Of Mercy. Andrew used a photo she took inside their debut album, First And Last And Always.

The Sisters Of Mercy
publicity photo by: Ruth Polsky

and she took this one, backstage, after a show in London -

Andrew Eldritch, ht
photo: Ruth Polsky

Tragically, Ruth was killed on September 7th 1986 outside another club, Limelight, when a taxi jumped the kerb and pinned her to the wall while she was waiting to enter the venue to see Certain General play. Ruth was a lovely, kind, funny, generous and nurturing woman. At this time of year, I always think about the ways she encouraged and helped musicians. She enriched many of their lives and her presence and influence is still greatly missed.

Robert Maché (The Swinging Madisons), Stephen Israel, Ruth Polsky, Eugenie Deserio & Steven Alexander (Model Citizens/The Dance)
23rd St, NYC
photo: ht

David Johansen, Anne Deon, John Anthony, Jo-Ellen (top), Ruth
23rd St, NYC
photo: ht