Jungle Safari

The Noc-A-Bouts - Jungle Safari

Here's another painfully obscure instrumental. The Noc-A-Bouts hailed from Belgium and released this lively number into the wild, or possibly out of the wild, in 1958. I'm afraid I can't tell you much more about it, except that it proves that animal noises and sleazy sax, like Limburger and a strong red, are a natural and pungent combination, one that should probably be explored further.

Intriguing

The Intrigues - The Belly Dancer

I think the clue to this group is in their name. The Intrigues are intriguing and that's exactly how they want it. As far as I know, this single is the only thing they released, at least as The Intrigues (not to be confused with another The Intrigues). With a tune called Checkmate on the flip, The Belly Dancer was released in 1963 on the Brunswick label, whose most famous star was Jackie Wilson. This is nothing like him though, it's a straight rhythm and bluesy instrumental of the surf rock variety, just how I like them.

His Honey Jumpers

Oscar McLollie - The Honey Jump Pt.1

Some swinging jump blues from 1953 right here. Originally recorded for the Class label in 1952, The Honey Jump was rerecorded and released in two parts for Modern Records soon after the tune began to pick up radio play. I was going to also include Part 2 but it's not really a second part, rather just the same recording with an extra half a minute's worth of dirty sax solo towards the end. Frankly, it doesn't add anything so let's stick with Part 1 and marvel at its succinct magnificence.

Voice In The Garden

Joe Valino - Garden Of Eden
Joe Valino - Caravan

Today's post features a couple of stellar songs sung by a little known crooner from Philadelphia, Joe Valino. 1956's Garden Of Eden was his biggest and only hit. Though he did previously almost find favour with Learnin' The Blues. Unluckily, upon its release, Frank Sinatra swiftly recorded a version; being the bigger star, the glory was all his. There are stories about Valino being convicted of organising an illegal abortion, resulting in his records being banned from shops, and other stories about Sinatra sending thugs to beat him up over copyright issues. Undoubtedly dramatic and interesting but as for their validity, who knows? Valino certainly brings considerable drama to Garden Of Eden, which I thoroughly enjoy, though I'm not exactly sure what the lyrics are about. Abstinence, infidelity, puritanism, all of the above? Intriguing nevertheless. Caravan is also cool, one of those tunes that it seems hard to do a bad version of.

Voice of the Xtabay

Yma Sumac - Bo Mambo
Yma Sumac - Taki Riri
Yma Sumac - Gopher
Yma Sumac - Chicken Talk

Yma Sumac came from Peru and possessed one of the most possessed sounding voices ever recorded. No discussion of multi-octave vocal ranges would be complete without mention of her. Stunning looking, and apparently an Incan princess, Sumac became the queen of a musical genre known as exotica -- a kitsch 1950s descendant of what we call world music. This excellent EP came out in the USA in '55. Gopher is the song I usually play out'n'about but they are all great in their own right.

I also should note that it's five years to the very day since I started this here mp3 blog. So charge your glasses and wish a happy fifth birthday to the Diddy Wah blog, long may it be around. Cheers!

Let Billy Take Over

Five By Five - Fire
Five By Five - Hang Up

A couple of nice late sixties garagey tunes from a fairly obscure band from Arkansas. Their, honestly pretty decent, cover of Jimi Hendrix's Fire made it onto the charts in 1968 on the back of the heat generated by the original. Hang Up is more of a psychedelic excursion but also well worth a listen.