North Fork Sound Top 20 - March 20th 2011

Terence 'Jet' Harris, MBE
6 July 1939 – 18 March 2011

1. Jet Harris: The Man With The Golden Arm
2. King Sunny Ade & His African Beats: Sunny Ti De Ariya
3. John Cale: Dying On The Vine
4. Copperhead: Kibitzer
5. The Radha Krsna Temple: Bhaja Hure Mana
6. Correcto: Inuit
7. Bo Diddley: Don't Let Go (Hold On To What You Got)
8. George Faith: Midnight Hour/Ya Ya
9. Juana Molina: Yo No
10. Mara Carlyle: Saw Song
11. Gregory Isaacs: Poor And Clean
12. Kort: He's Only A Memory Away
13. Chris Gaffney: The Eyes Of Roberto Duran
14. Mary Gauthier: Snakebit
15. Warren Zevon: Ourselves To Know
16. Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers: Erotolepsy
17. Roland Alphonso & The Beverley's All Stars: Beverley's Special (Nothing For Nothing)
18. Carroll Thompson: I'm So Sorry
19. Jimmy Reed: Bright Lights, Big City
20. Frigid Vinegar: Jesus Presley Superstar

North Fork Sound Alb O' The Week

Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Bears: Scandalous

North Fork Sound Legend Of The Month
Lemmy

Last Week's Listener Favourites

The 5.6.7.8's: Great Balls Of Fire
Addie Brik: Okay
Alan Vega: Fireball
Andre Williams: Bacon Fat
Anna Calvi: Desire

John Lydon, Angel Corpus Christi

Angel Corpus Christi: Threw It Away

The Beatles: While My Guitar Gently Weeps (demo)
Big Al Anderson & The Balls: Poor Me
Billy Joe Shaver: I Been To Georgia On A Fast Train
Billy Swan: Shake Rattle And Roll
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Spread Your Love
The Blasters: Marie Marie
Blur: Parklife
Bo Diddley: 500% More Man
Bob Dylan & The Band: Watching The River Flow

Kevin Rowland/Dexy's Midnight Runners
photo: ht

Dexy's Midnight Runners: Show Me

Dexy's Midnight Runners: Dubious
Eddie Cochran: I've Waited So Long
Fairport Convention: Cajun Woman
Fastway: Fade Out
Funkadelic: Maggot Brain
Gary Lucas: The Animal Flesh Comes Creeping Back

The Grateful Dead
photo: Mary Ann Mayer

The Grateful Dead: You Win Again

The Gibson Brothers: Want Vs. Need
Gregory Isaacs: Too Late
Hawkwind: Silver Machine
Hayes Carll: Stomp And Holler
Hayes Carll: KMAG YOYO

The Head Cat

The Head Cat: Learning The Game

Jim Gilstrap: Swing Your Daddy
Led Zeppelin: Immigrant Song
Lloyd Price: Where You At
Modern Jazz Quartet: Visitor From Mars
Otis Rush: Three Times A Fool
Patti Smith: Summer Cannibals
RL Burnside: It's Bad You Know

Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison: Only The Lonely (Know How I Feel)

The Rolling Stones: Midnight Rambler
Scientist & Jammy and The Roots Radics
Steve Miller: Cry Cry Cry
T. Rex: Beltane Walk
T. Rex: I Love To Boogie
Todd Snider: Tension (live)

Conor O’ Brien/Villagers

Villagers: I saw The Dead

Weldon Rogers & The Teen Kings: So Long, Good Luck And Goodbye
The Who: Baby Don't You Do It
Willie Nile: Rich And Broken
The Yardbirds: Still I'm Sad

don't forget...Friday, April 8th - noon-3pm, PURE w/howard thompson 'live' on WPKN, 89.5fm Bridgeport, CT and streaming & archived at www.wpkn.org

North Fork Sound - Best Of 2010

Top 25 Tracks:

1. M.I.A: Born Free
2. Kurt Wagner & Cortney Tidwell present Kort: She Came Around Last Night
3. Macy Gray: Kissed It
4. Rich Hopkins And Luminarios: El Otro Lado Suite
5. The Drive-by Truckers: The Wig He Made Her Wear
6. Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez: The Deep End
7. Drakkar Sauna: Leave That Hole Alone
8. Wanda Jackson: Thunder On The Mountain
9. The Phobics: In My Street
10. Raul Malo: 'Til I Gain Control Again
11. Bryan Ferry: You Can Dance
12. Shit Robot: Triumph!!!
13. The Wolfmen: July 20
14. Ben Folds & Nick Hornby: Doc Pomus
15. Ray Wylie Hubbard: Drunken Poet's Dream
16. Peter Wolf: Watch Her Move
17. John Powhida International Airport: Daddy's The Man
18. Teron Beal: Magic Mushroom
19. Alabama 3: Vietnamistan (A Must For All Parties)
20. Doug Powell: The Uninvisible Man
21. Matt & Kim: Silver Tiles
22. Elizabeth Cook: El Camino
23. Solomon Burke: Dreams
24. Elvis Costello: All These Strangers
25. Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby: In My Room

Top 20 Albums:

1. Kristian Hoffman: Fop
2. Die Antwoord: $O$
3. Jerry Lee Lewis: Mean Old Man
4. Kid Rock: Born Free
5. Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3: Propellor Time
6. Martin Rev: Stigmata
7. J Roddy Walston & The Business: J Roddy Walston & The Business
8. Roky Erickson w/Okkervil River: True Love Cast Out All Evil
9. Glenna Bell: Perfectly Legal - Songs Of Sex, Love And Murder
10. Mose Allison: The Way Of The World
11. Shooter Jennings & Hierophant: Black Ribbons
12. Dean & Britta: 13 Most Beautiful - Songs For Andy Warhol's Screen Tests
13. Tom Jones: Praise & Blame
14. Mikel Rouse: Recess
15. Dr. John & The Lower 911: Tribal
16. The Tom Tom Club: Genius Of Live/Genius Of Love (remixes)
17. Vincent Quatroche: Singing Mr. Cedric
18. Robyn: Body Talk Pt. 2
19. Black Angels: Phosphene Dream
20. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening

Top 20 Compilations/Reissues:

1. V/A: More Miles Than Money
2. Buddy Holly: Not Fade Away (The Complete Studio Recordings And More)
3. The Pretty Things: Parachute (40th Anniversary Edition)
4. Wingless Angels: Volumes 1 & 2
5. Iggy & The Stooges: Raw Power (deluxe edition)
6. Chuck Berry: Have Mercy - His Complete Chess Recordings 1964-1974
7. V/A: How Many Roads - Black America Sings Bob Dylan
8. Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Friends: Sipple Out Deh, The Black Ark Years
9. The Rolling Stones: Exile On Main Street (remastered, deluxe edition)
10. V/A: The London American Label Year By Year (1959, 1960 &1962)
11. Elvis Presley: I Believe - The Gospel Masters
12. John Lennon: Signature Box
13. Roland White: I Wasn't Born To Rock 'n Roll
14. DA: Exclamation Point (Recordings 1980-1981)
15. Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames: Mod Classics 1964-1966
16. V/A: Charlie Gillett's Radio Picks - 'Honky Tonk'
17. George Jones: The Great Lost Hits
18. V/A: Mr Success - The Bert Berns Story Vol. 2 1964-1967
19. Lightnin' Hopkins: His Blues
20. Kevin Coyne: I Want My Crown Anthology 1973-1980

Top 10 Remakes:

1. Angel Corpus Christi: Loving You
2. Eric Clapton: Autumn Leaves
3. The Secret Sisters: Big River
4. McGinty & White: Wichita Lineman
5. Imelda May: Tainted Love
6. The Jolly Boys feat. Albert Minott: Rehab
7. The Blaggards: Last Of The Steam Powered Trains
8. Quincy Jones feat. Amy Winehouse: It's My Party
9. Peaches: Jonny
10. Robert Plant: Angel Dance

Shows:

Suicide: 'Girl'
Apollo, Hammersmith 5/3/2010

1. The Stooges/Suicide - Hammersmith, London, 5/2 & 5/3/10
2. Spiritualized - Radio City Music Hall, NYC, 7/30/10
3. Die Antwoord - Gramercy Theater, NYC, 10/29/10
4. Hallogallo 2010 - Damrosch Park, NYC, 8/6/10
5. Mikel Rouse/'Gravity Radio' - Brooklyn Academy Of Music, Brooklyn, NY, 12/7/10
6. Gene Casey & The Lone Sharks - Fishermans Rest, Cutchogue, 1/16, 6/5 & 8/7/10
7. Alex McMurray, Bill Malchow & The Go Cup All-Stars - Sullivan Hall, NYC, 1/15/10
8. Jerry Lee Lewis - BB Kings, NY, 9/13/10
9. The Dirty Strangers - Inn On The Green, Ladbroke Grove, London, 5/7/10
10. David Rawlings Machine - Bowery Ballroom, 6/3/10
11. Roky Erickson w/Okkervil River - Webster Hall, NYC, 5/25/10
12. James Hunter - Boulton Center, Bayshore, 6/23/10
13. The Tom Tom Club - Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, 10/16/10
14. Dr. John - Stephen Talkhouse, Amagansett, NY, 8/4/10
15. The Hot 8 Band - The Pleasure Lounge, Shelter Island, NY, 8/20/10

In 2010, NORTH FORK SOUND was the FIRST to play:
Alabama 3: Revolver Soul (live365.com premiere)
Amy Winehouse: "It's My Party" (live365.com premiere)
Angel Corpus Christi: Elvis Elvis (worldwide premiere)
Arif Mardin: All My Friends Are Here (live365.com premiere)
Die Antwoord: $O$ (live365.com premiere)
Dr John: Tribal (live365.com premiere)
Hallogallo 2010: "Blinkgürtel"/"Drone Schlager" (live365.com premiere)
Hole: "Skinny Little Bitch" (live365.com premiere)
Iggy & The Stooges: "Doojiman" (live365.com premiere)
Jerry Lee Lewis: Mean Old Man (live365.com premiere)
Jim Jones Revue: "High Horse" (live365.com premiere)
John Lennon: "India India" (live365.com premiere)
Kurt Wagner & Cortney Tidwell present Kort: Invariable Heartache (live365.com premiere)
Kristian Hoffman: Fop (live365.com premiere)
Mikel Rouse: Recess (worldwide premiere)
Natalie Merchant: "The Janitor's Boy" (live365.com premiere)
Raul Malo: Saints And Sinners (live365.com premiere)
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3: Propellor Time (worldwide premiere)
Roky Erickson w/Okkervil River: "Goodbye Sweet Dreams" (live365.com premiere)
Rolling Stones: "Pass The Wine (Sophia Loren)" (live365.com premiere)
Wanda Jackson: The Party Ain't Over (live365.com premiere)

North Fork Sound won't forget:

Neil Christian 01/04/10

Willie Mitchell 01/05/10

Mick Green 01/11/10

Bobby Charles 01/14/10

Lynn Taitt 01/20/10

Dale Hawkins 02/13/10

Mickey Jones 03/10/10

Alex Chilton 03/17/10

Charlie Gillett 03/17/10

Malcolm McLaren 04/08/10

Dennis Hopper 05/29/10

Crispian St. Peters 06/08/10

Bernie Andrews 06/11/10

Pete Quaife 06/23/10

Harvey Fuqua 07/06/10

Sugar Minott 07/10/10

Harvey Pekar 07/12/10

Tuli Kupferberg 07/12/10

Richie Hayward 08/12/10

Michael Been 08/19/10

Alphonsus 'Arrow' Cassell 09/05/10

Solomon Burke 10/10/10

'General' Norman Johnson 10/13/10

Ari Up 10/20/10

Gregory Isaacs 10/25/10

Sonia Pottinger 11/03/10

Don Van Vliet 12/17/10

also, catch howard on WPKN, 89.5fm and wpkn.org on the 2nd Friday of every month. Next show: January 14th, at noon (til 3pm)

North Fork Sound Top 20 - November 7th 2010

The Last Poets
l-r: Umar Bin Hassan, Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, Abiodun Oyewole

1. The Last Poets: When The Revolution Comes

2. Die Antwoord: Liewe Maatjies
3. Mark Bingham: Ernie K-Doe Takes A Meeting With Anais Nin
4. Freddy Fender: Wasted Days And Wasted Night
5. Susan Cadogan: Do It Baby (Nice & Easy)
6. Love Affair: Everlasting Love
7. Dolly Parton: Jolene
8. Lazy Lester: You're Gonna Ruin Me Baby
9. Mike Badger & The Shedy Trio: What You Done To Me
10. Bryan Ferry: You Can Dance
11. Michael Chapman: It Didn't Work Out
12. Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: The Bottle
13. Harper Blynn: All The Noise
14. The Royaltones: The Yea Yea Song
15. Gogol Bordello: We're Coming Rougher (Immigraniada)
16. Dobie Gray: The "In" Crowd
17. Björk: Amphibian (Mark Bell mix)
18. Gang Of Four: Armalite Rifle
19. Carl Malcolm: Fattie Bum Bum
20. Bob Doss: Don't Be Gone Long

North Fork Sound Alb O' The Week

Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Friends: Sipple Out Deh
The Black Ark Years - The Jamaican 7"s

North Fork Sound Legend Of The Month
Billy Bragg
photo: ht

Last Week's Listener Favourites
Al Green: Take Me To The River
Alejandro Escovedo: Castanets

Angel Corpus Christi
St. Marks' Place, NYC - 7/28/84
photo:ht

Angel Corpus Christi: Candy
Ann Peebles: Part Time Love
Bob Dylan: It Takes A Lot To Laugh (It Takes A Train To Cry), alt. version
Booker T Jones: Knocking On Heaven's Door
Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez w/Dion DiMucci: Cry Baby Cry
Dungen: Skit I Allt
Dwight Twilley: Ten Times
Gary 'US' Bonds: From A Buick 6
J Roddy Walston & The Business: I Don't Wanna Hear It

Jane Birkin

Jane Birkin: Leur Plaisir Sans Moi
Jerry Lee Lewis: Real Wild Child
Little Feat: Cat Fever
Robyn: U Should Know Better
Roland White: Marathon
The Rolling Stones: Shine A Light
Stereolab: Young Lungs

Iggy Pop

The Stooges: I Wanna Be Your Dog
Tilly & The Wall: Night Of The Living Dead
Tom Jones: Strange Things

'PURE w/howard thompson' is broadcast/streamed 'live' every second Friday of the month on WPKN in Bridgeport, CT 89.5fm and www.wpkn.org
Next show: Friday November 12th, noon - 3pm (ET)

North Fork Sound Top 20 - April 18 '10

Angel Corpus Christi, Lenny Kaye
Tommy Tang, NYC
photo: ht

1. Angel Corpus Christi: Loving You
2. Joe Brown: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
3. DA: Silent Snow
4. David Byrne & Shara Worden: Seven Years
5. Drive-By Truckers: The Wig He Made Her Wear
6. The Kinks: Better Things
7. The A-Bones: Miss Amanda Jones
8. Peter Wolf: Watch Her Move
9. Screechy Dan: Spliff
10. Booker T. & The MG's: High Heel Sneakers
11. Sugar Minott: Rub A Dub
12. Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson: Relator
13. The Bar-Kays: Sang And Dance
14. Marianne Faithfull w/Sly & Robbie: Lola R. For Ever
15. Archie Bell & The Drells: Tighten Up
16. Peter Blevgad: I Had A Dream
17. The Dirty Strangers: Lock & Key
18. Ann Peebles: 99 lbs.
19. Jeff Bridges: Somebody Else
20. The Tamlins: Baltimore

North Fork Sound Alb O' The Week
Roky Erickson w/Okkervil River: True Love Cast Out All Evil

North Fork Sound Legend Of The Month
art: Roky Erickson

Last Week's Listener Favourites
22 Pistepirkko: Birdy
The Action: I'll Keep On Holding On
Bob Dylan: Summer Days
Carlene Carter w/Dave Edmunds: Baby Ride Easy
Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez: The Gone Of You

The Cramps: Hot Pearl Snatch (press 'play' icon...just do it)
Corduroy: London, England
Dave Alvin: Surfer Girl
Doug Powell: She Walks On Water
Eddie Cochran: Twenty-flight Rock
Gene Casey & The Lone Sharks: It Turned Out That Way
Jackie Moore: Sweet Charlie Babe
Jimi Hendrix: Dolly Dagger
J. Geils Band: Detroit Breakdown
J.J. Cale: After Midnight
Johnny Otis: The Dirty Dozens
Kimberley Rew: Simple Pleasures
The Kinks: A Well Respected Man
Led Zeppelin: Ramble On
Mickey Murray: Shout Bamalama
Nicholas Payton: Chinatown
Roky Erickson & Bleib Alien: Starry Eyes
Roky Erickson w/Okkervil River: Ain't Blues Too Sad
Roky Erickson w/Okkervil River: Please Judge
The Rolling Stones: Play With Fire
Ronnie Dawson: Crazy Shoes
Savoy Brown: Needle And Spoon
Terry Allen: I'm Not That Kat Anymore
Tom Waits: Picture In A Frame
The Untouchables: Tighten Up
XTC: Mayor Of Simpleton

North Fork Sound Top 20 - January 24th '10

Louise Hull

1. Louise Hull: Warning Signs
2. White Hills: Radiate
3. Vince Quatroche: New Suffolk Girls
4. The Techniques: Queen Majesty
5. Johnny Hiland: Gatton To It
6. Reckless Kelly: Idaho Cowboy
7. Barrington Levy: On The Telephone
8. The Faces: Around The Plynth
9. Fun Lovin' Criminals: Loco (Latin Quarter version)
10. Billy Swan: Jailhouse Rock/King Creole
11. The Incredible String Band: Chinese White
12. Waylon Jennings: Waymore's Blues
13. Sam Cooke: Mean Ole World
14. J.J. Cale: I'll Make Love To You Anytime
15. The Doors: Maggie M'Gill
16. mewithoutYou: Bullet To Binary Pt. 2
17. Marty Robbins: Singing The Blues
18. The Fugs: Wide, Wide River
19. Prince: We March
20. White Rabbits: Rudie Fails

North Fork Sound Alb O' The Week:

The Pirates: Shakin' At The Beeb - BBC Sessions 1976 - 1978

North Fork Sound Legend Of The Month:
Nick Lowe

Last Week's Listener Thumbs-Ups:

Dean Wareham, Angel Corpus Christi, Alan Vega
W. 23rd St, NYC
photo: ht

Angel Corpus Christi: Big Black Cloud
Nebula: The Dagger
Burning Spear: Black Wa-Da-Da
Alex McMurray: I Am In Hell
Marvin Gaye: Anna's Song
Big Joe Turner: Low Down Dog
Kevin Ayers: Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes
John Mayall: Streamline
The Four Horsemen: Drunk Again
Bo Diddley: Mona
Luna: Crazy People
Barrington Levy: Rob And Gone
Brenda Lee: Sweet Nothin's
The Crickets: My Little Girl
David Bowie: Suffragette City
Marianne Faithfull: Down From Dover
Bobby 'Blue' Bland: I Wouldn't Treat A Dog (The Way You Treated Me)
Jerry Lee Lewis w/Jimmy Page: Rock And Roll
Elvis Presley: I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water
Billy Bragg: Sexuality
The Isley Brothers: That Lady
Lou Reed & John Cale: Nobody But You
T. Valentine: Hello Lucille, Are You A Lesbian?
Nick Lowe: I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass
The Crusaders: Put It Where You Want It
Genya Ravan: What Kind Of Man Are You
The Divinyls: Pleasure And Pain
Todd Rundgren: Bang The Drum All Day
Man: Bananas
Shelby Lynne: Johnny Met June
Twinkle: Terry
Link Wray: Rumble
Brinsley Schwarz: (What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love And Understanding
Delbert McClinton: The Jealous Kind
The Sex Pistols: EMI
Elliot Easton: (Wearing Down) Like A Wheel
Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez: Born To Be Together
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates: A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues
The Pirates: Castin My Spell
Nina Hagen: New York, New York

Nina Hagen, ht
Paradise Garage, NYC - 1984
photo: Gail Bruesewitz

North Fork Sound Top 20 May 10th ‘09

1. Angel Corpus Christi: Me And My Beretta
2. Bell XI: Amelia
3. Lady Ann: Informer
4. Lou Reed: What’s Good
5. The English Beat: Save It For Later
6. Kevin Teare: Fairwell Fair Cruelty
7. The Kinks: Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy
8. Commander Cody: Seven Eleven
9. Mark Bingham: The Earth Cracks
10. Gavin Bryars: The Sinking Of The Titanic (Hymn II)
11. Home: Fancy Lady Hollywood Child
12. The Heptones: Cool Rasta
13. The Soundtrack Of Our Lives: Babel On
14. Doug Sahm: Just Groove Me
15. Jimi Hendrix: Like A Rolling Stone (live)
16. Bettye LaVette w/the Drive-By Truckers: They Call It Love
17. Doo Rag: Chunked & Muddled
18. Bo Diddley: Do What I Say
19. Radio Birdman: You’re Gonna Miss Me
20. Seasick Steve: Thunderbird

NoFoSo Alb o’ The Week:
New York Dolls: Cause I Sez So (Atco Records)

The Guilty Pleasure:
Anita Ward: Ring My Bell (T.K. Records)

Last Week’s Listener Thumbs-Ups:
Ray Davies: Yours Truly Confused, N10
Lonnie Mack: Baby What’s Wrong
Symaryp: Skinhead Girl
Wizzard: See My Baby Jive
The Kinks: Come Dancing
Frankie Miller: It’s All Over
Eric Heatherly: Judging Beauty
Elvis Presley: Big Boss Man (alt take 2)
Jimi Hendrix Experience: Hey Joe
Hoodoo Gurus: Bittersweet
Backyard Babies: Babylon
Graham Parker: High Horse
Muddy Waters: Caldonia
Kasabian: Club Foot
Jill Sobule: Mexican Pharmacy
The Hellacopters: (Gotta Get Some Action) Now
The Hellacopters: In The Sign Of The Octopus
T. Valentine: Hello Lucille, Are You A Lesbian?
The Rolling Stones: Not Fade Away
Errol Dunkley: You’re Gonna Need Me
Suicide: Cheree
Eddie & The Hot Rods: Do Anything You Wanna Do
Sinead O’Connor: Jerusalem
Mick Farren: Mona (A Fragment)
Spiritualized: Broken Heart
Chuck Berry: Memphis Tennessee
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3: TLC
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell: Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing
Gene Vincent: Baby Blue
Finn’s Motel: Concord Village Optimist Club
Chumbawamba: Give The Anarchist A Cigarette
Albert Lee: Good Times
Veneice Stark: I Still Love You
Cracker: Low
Doug Powell: The Uninvisible Man
Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson: Motor Head Baby
Kris Kristofferson: The Show Goes On
Lambchop: National Talk Like A Pirate Day
T. Rex: Ride A White Swan
Mark Bingham: It Never Goes Away
Medicine Head: Rising Sun
MX-80: Don’t Hate The French
The Pretty Things: Cries From The Midnight Circus
RL Burnside: Stole My Check
Pete Wingfield: 18 With A Bullet
Danbert Nobacon & The Pine Valley Cosmonauts: Rock ‘n’ Roll Holy Wars

Angel Corpus Christi
Phoenix, AZ
photo: ht
scanned from a lenticular 3-D print

Angel Corpus Christi tops the pack this week with a track deemed too 'heavy' (content-wise) to put on the US album. So what did we do? We made it the first single in the UK!

"So if you see me comin', you better step aside
A lot of kids didn't and a lot of kids died.
Don't be reaching for your knife it won't do you any good
Look, whatcha gonna do...stab a bullet?
And I can get by your metal detector,
Don't mess with me and my Beretta"

Her recent homage to Lou Reed called, (what else?) 'Louie Louie' is well worth checking out. Go here, look around...

Lady Ann

The best single to come out of Jamaica in 1982, was 'Informer' by Lady Ann. Produced by Joe Gibbs, it features a killer bass line and a hook that simply chanted the word "Murderer". I used to have the 7", the 12" and the album. Somehow I've ended up with just an mp3. My advice? Never move. You lose stuff.

The (English) Beat are back in full effect at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, May 16th. See you there.

There's a brand new Commander Cody album called 'Dopers Drunks and Everyday Losers' (Blind Pig Records). It's highly enjoyable.

And finally, Sara Hickman wrote to tell me Stephen Bruton finally lost his battle with throat cancer yesterday. This is desperately sad news. Anyone tuning in to North Fork Sound over the last couple of years will know he was a favourite here and I'm sure Nofoso regulars Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Delbert McClinton and Jimmie Dale Gilmore would agree his presence in their lives made a huge difference, both personally and professionally. My condolences to his family and all his fans.

Iggy & The Stooges

xerox of Stooges' Elektra Records recording contract

(page 1)

The first time I saw a Stooges record was at Harum Records in Crouch End. It looked cool so I asked Gary if he'd play a few tracks. It sounded pretty good but, at the same time, I was looking at a Jean-Luc Ponty album ('King Kong') and my meagre wages as a shelf-stacker at Tesco Supermarkets across the street only allowed for one purchase. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know...Mr. Cool...

Iggy
King's Cross Cinema, London 7/15/72
photo: Mick Rock

A couple of years later, me, Peter Lloyd and his friend, Carol, decided to check out the Flamin' Groovies at an allnighter at the King's Cross Cinema. July 15th, 1972. The Stooges and The Groundhogs (I think) were also on the bill but, for us, it was all about the Groovies. At least we thought it was. Somehow, it didn't turn out that way. The only thing I remember about that particular evening was how utterly devastating the Stooges were. They came out and in one fell swoop showed me - for the first time - what in-your-face, primal, sex-beast, 3-chord rock & roll was all about. Iggy comes out dressed only in silver jeans and boots and proceeds to lay the audience to waste, particularly Richard Ogden, a popular publicist about town, in whose lap Iggy sits while he proceeds to 'serenade' him.

Iggy Pop
photo: Mick Rock

I'd just turned 19 and had grown up listening to and being heavily influenced by the Stones, the Small Faces, Them, the Pretty Things, the Who and other loud, anti-establishment weirdos but this took things to another level completely. I came out of that show with a new batch of values and Iggy had set a 'performance' standard I would rarely see again. Paul Trynka wrote THE Iggy book, 'Open Up And Bleed'. Check out his blog and some other cool links, here.

Iggy Pop
photo: Dustin Pittman

Around this time, I remember a fellow called Larry Debay aka Greenbeard (who I would later come to know as an associate of Bizzarre Records on Praed Street and Marc Zermati of Skydog fame) coming to Trident's disc-cutting room with a 7" reel with the last Stooges show from the Michigan Palace on it, but because it was in a quarter-track format (ie, the tape ran in both directions, 2 tracks in one 2 in the other) we didn't have a machine capable of transferring the tape to disc. That tape later came out as 'Metallic KO'

Iggy, Mick Rock
'Raw Power' remix party
Studio A, Sony Music Studios, NYC
photo: ht

After the King's Cross show, I tried to see Iggy as often as possible. There was the Rainbow show when David Bowie played keyboards and I got crushed in my 3rd row seat by screaming teenyboppers trying to storm the stage. I taped two shows at the Music Machine in Camden. One (April 25th 79) - "I was a piece of dirt when youse was still readin' books!" - featured Glen Matlock on bass while the other (6/14/78) featured Fred 'Sonic' Smith on guitar.
When I worked for Island, I found a cassette of an early version of 'Kill City' (8 songs) in a cupboard and when I was at Elektra, the phone rang one day and it was Iggy's manager, Art Collins asking if I could find some old Nonesuch Explorer albums that Iggy had probably been given by Jac Holzman or Danny Fields. I told him I'd do my best and went upstairs to see Peter Clancy who, as luck would have it, had just had a bunch of the Keith Holzman-produced series manufactured on cd for the first time. Art asked if there was anything he could do for me, so I asked him for the words to 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' in Iggy's hand-writing.

One of the perks of working at a major label was access to the vaults. I didn't abuse the privilege, but there was one idea I had that, to my surprise, ended up come out several years later through Rhino Handmade. As a present to myself, I paid Paul Rothchild's son, Dan something like $1,200 to mix all 12 reels of the 8-track 'Funhouse' masters, making sure that he preserved every note and chatter that had been recorded. I thought it might eventually make a tasty piece of art. I also asked Dan to do it twice, with the second version having the band on the left and Iggy on the right so I could have the ultimate 'karaoke' version of Funhouse, too

ticket to see Iggy at The Continental, 3rd & St. Marks Pl., NYC
Jan '93

Another time, I was in San Francisco for a convention and I brought Angel Corpus Christi to the event. Iggy was one of that evening's performers. We were amused to see him playing to a bunch of stuffed shirts, most of whom didn't like him or even know who he was, but we watched from the lip of the stage. Angel even got to kiss him during the performance. Later, in one of the suites, we took pictures.

Iggy Pop, Angel Corpus Christi
WEA Convention, San Francisco
photo: ht

The only time I ever got to speak to Ron Asheton was about 18 months ago when Blast First's Paul Smith flew me to London to see Suicide get a Mojo Award. The Stooges were also being recognized for a Lifetime Achievement Award, so I approached their table, tapped Ron on the shoulder and explained that I ran an internet radio station called (at the time) Cake and "would he do an ID, please"? He graciously obliged -

ron asheton/ID - Ron Asheton
Here's Iggy's...

iggy pop IDmp3 - Iggy Pop

Iggy
'Raw Power' remix party
Studio A, Sony Music Studios, NYC
photo: ht

Finally, in 2003, as the Stooges were part way through their first US tour after reforming and six days after spending nearly a week in hospital, I went to see them at Roseland. Here's an excerpt from the diary I kept while I managed The Star Spangles:
August 27th ...Had lunch with Bob Bortnick, and hung out before going to rehearsal to meet with the SS. Ed Hamell sent me a couple of excellent reviews for his record (NY Post and Rolling Stone.) He's beginning to get some recognition (finally), Peter C Johnson’s album looks like it’s coming out on a Boston label affiliated with Morphine, Hi-'n'-Dri. Willie Nile is sending me some mixes for my comments. And the Spangles are fun to work with. Things are looking up. Went up to rehearsal with a q&a from BB Gun for each of the guys to fill out. They’re working on a Dils song, 'The Sound of the Rain' for the Alejandro Escovedo benefit. They were pleased to hear that Sheryl from the Late Show with David Letterman had called Bobbie Gale to tell her how pleased they were with the appearance. Send flowers. Got a nice message from Tom from the Phobics. He’d heard from Afonso about the h/a. Joey and Laura picked me up and we went up to Roseland. While parking, I ran into my Elektra colleague, Suzanne Berg. She’s now at Verve, doing promotion for Tommy LiPuma.
Still recouperating, I didn't want to get crushed in the crowd so I watched the show from about 50 yards back leaning against the side stage, where the VIPs were seated. It's great to see them back in action, and Iggy ends the set running/dancing all the way down the side of the room, along the VIP stage to exactly where I’m at, and proceeds to launch himself into the audience.
Onto me, and another guy.
I thought of putting a Spangles badge down the front of his (open) jeans, but the opportunity passed too quickly. It wasn’t the life-changing show it was back in 72 when I saw the Stooges at the King’s Cross Cinema with the Flamin Groovies, but it was still better than most of the stuff I see these days and great to run into my friend Eric Danville who ended up onstage, dancing like a nutter. Chatted with Dustin Pittman and his daughter, Skyler. Bought a Stooges hoody, came home.

Ron Asheton, Iggy Pop
Randall's Island, NY 8/14/04
photo: ht