Right Place Right Time

Dr. John - Right Place Wrong Time
Dr. John - I Been Hoodood

I'm very excited to be heading back to the Glastonbury Festival this week. It's been three years since I was last there -- 2007, a complete washout -- and the scars are just about healed. To the uninitiated, Glastonbury is a huge music festival where about 200,000 people camp on a farm for the best part of a week to see some amazing music and bask in the festive spirit. Believe me, it's quite a sight.

In the UK, Glastonbury is big news. The BBC broadcasts highlights and it seems like even people from well outside the Glastonbury demographic know the latest news on whether wellies will be needed. When you are going to Glastonbury it feels like your heading to the front line. You're doing it for the nation; putting up with the mud, rank toilets and queues so that everyone else can enjoy it on TV and then laugh at the photos of fully-submerged tents. However, this year it might be different. The forecast looks promising. I don't want to be overly optimistic in case that jinxes it but for this, the 40th anniversary festival, taking sun protection may be just as necessary as packing a waterproof jacket.

The line up of artists can only ever be described as epic and there's also much entertainment to be had away from the (fifteen!) main stages. One musician that I don't plan on missing is New Orleans legend, Dr. John. Today's post includes a couple of his well known tunes. The 45 is a Spanish pressing I picked up last time I was in Madrid.

When the topic of Glastonbury comes up I can't really resist mentioning that my parents took me there a couple of times when I was just a little kid. I'll probably give the donkeys a break this year.

Ringo!

The Motions - Beatle Drums
The Motions - Long-Hair

In 1964 Beatlemania gripped the US of A as the Fab Four made their first trip across the pond. Different folks reacted in different ways. While many young girls screamed and fainted, a group of teenage garage surf rockers repeatedly yelled Ringo over one of their tough guitar driven tunes. They named it Beatle Drums. It became a big local hit and propelled them to... well, I don't really know what it propelled them to but here I am in 2010 still writing about them, so I think it's time to fully recognise their genius. Ladies and gentlemen, all the way from Cleveland, Ohio, I give you The Motions.

The other side of the record is almost equally brilliant. The band and some girl friends express strong opinions about how one should wear their hair -- they like long hair. This song could be viewed either as an adroit political statement heralding the beginning of the free love revolution of the nineteen sixties, or just a bit of fun.

The Fabulous

The Wailers - Mashi
The Wailers - On The Rocks

Here are a couple of very cool instrumentals to brighten up your day. The Wailers were a pioneering and influential garage band from Tacoma, Washington. The had a hit on their hands in 1959 when they released Tall Cool One. In 1961 they founded Etiquette Records and, with Rockin' Robin Roberts on vocals, released a kicking version of Richard Berry's Louie Louie -- the song which went on to define the Pacific Northwest sound. The Wailers' second single on Etiquette was a short but spirited instrumental, Mashi. This was re-released in 1964 on Imperial with On The Rocks -- basically an updated version of Tall Cool One -- on the flip.

Mary

Willie Jones - Mary

A member of Detroit vocal group The Royal Jokers, Willie Jones also recorded a couple of cuts for New York's Big Top label. Mary, a rhythm'n'blues shouter, was released in 1960. Detroit certainly was producing a lot of talent back then; as a teen, Jones sang in a choir with Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John, and Della Reese!

Honey Love

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - (We've Got) Honey Love

The great thing about Motown (Tamla, Gordy etc.) is that there's always more to discover. Here's a beautiful tune from Martha and The Vandellas, released in 1969. I'm really enjoying the light background instumentation and stabbing strings on this one.

Whirlpool

Here's a collection of my current fave spins -- many of which are inspired by the Belgian popcorn scene of the late 60s -- none of which will be unknown to regular Diddy Wah visitors. Making mixtapes like this helps me in the natural process of changing the sounds that I get into; evolving and expanding my musical tastes. It's kind of like placing a marker: I woz ere. Whirlpool is a nice approximation of where I'm at right right now, hope you dig it.

mp3: Whirlpool

Wanda Jackson - Whirlpool
Louis Armstrong - I Will Wait For You
The Dynamics - Misery
Cozy Cole - Bad
The Bobbettes - Look At The Stars
Ray Peterson - Fever
Mona Baptiste - Rumbango
Joe Valino - Caravan
Yma Sumac - Gopher
The Coasters - Besame Mucho (Part II)
Dick Jacobs - Sparticus - Love Theme
Little Peggy March - I Will Follow Him
The Marvelettes - I Want A Guy
The Exciters - Just Not Ready
Allen Wayne - Chills and Fever
Lavern Baker - Bumble Bee
Billy Williams - The Pied Piper
Dion - (I Was) Born To Cry

Somewhere Down The Line

Jimmy Scott - Somewhere Down The Line
Jimmy Scott - Everybody Knew But Me

Here are a couple of beautiful, albeit beautifully heartbreaking, songs from Jimmy Scott. I was lucky enough to see him at London's famous jazz club, Ronnie Scott's (no relation), a few years back -- a very special experience. David Lynch is also a fan, which is what brought me to write about him once before. I'm sure most of the Diddy Wah massive are familiar with his work but for everyone else, he's basically one of the greatest vocalists of all time and that's all there is to it, look him up. These tunes were recorded in 1957/58 but Everybody Knew But Me wasn't released until King Records included it on this single in 1964.

Valarie

Starlites - Valarie

I first heard this tune on an incredible compilation CD of songs that were on the jukebox at Sex, the shop Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren ran in mid-seventies London. It's a classic crying record from the Starlites, later Jackie and the Starlites, a vocal group based in New York. They had a decent sized local hit in 1960 with Valarie, a record on which Jackie LaRue seems to have a nervous breakdown mid-song. Wouldn't it be nice to hear a few more displays of this kind of emotional intensity and mental fragility in the popular music of today?