The Swivel

Al Taylor And The Poodles - The Swivel

Today’s selection reached number 33 on the Canadian charts in March of 1958. To my knowledge, Al Taylor and the Poodles only put out one other record, Whistle Rock, also released on United Artists records in ’58. I suspect that Taylor is the sax player, but I can’t find out much about this group or this record. All I can tell you is that The Swivel is a cool finger-clicking instrumental stroller, it's got a certain swing that I really dig, and it’s definitely another tittyshaker.

In the mood

Ernie Fields - Workin' Out

Now, this is some serious heat right here. Today's tune has that wonderful low down Fever-style sneakiness. It’s a rockin’ instrumental of the highest calibre, as well as, in certain crowds, being instantly recognisable as a top tittyshaker. Ernie Fields was a trombonist and bandleader who found success in 1959 with a cover of Glenn Miller's In The Mood -- a record he made while running the Rendezvous Records house band. The following year, the same group of musicians released Workin' Out. What a band -- on piano, Ernie Freeman; on sax, Plas Johnson; on guitar, the influential, Rene Hall. Which, together with Earl Palmer arranging and drumming, makes for an extremely potent combination. These guys did more behind the scenes to shape the sound of rhythm&blues and rock'n'roll than I care to contemplate. And, if you’ve ever wondered who was behind the kooky smash hit Nut Rocker, it was this bunch, teaming up with producer Kim Fowley to record as B. Bumble and the Stingers.

Silver Surfers

Chantays - Pipeline

This record is another example of a b-side that became an a-side. In 1963, a group of young guys from Santa Ana, California, released what would go on to become a widely recognised classic of the instrumental surf rock genre. The tune that came to be known as Pipeline was, apparently, first called Liberty's Whip and then 44 Magnum. Only after some of the Chantays watched a documentary about surfing in Hawaii did they settle upon the final, and most appropriate, name for today's musical offering. Pipeline was by far the biggest wave the Chantays rode, peaking at the fourth highest spot on the US charts. It is on the back of this record's success that three of the original members continue to play gigs together -- almost fifty years after its release!

Another day older and deeper in debt

Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons

Tennessee Ernie Ford was a radio DJ and musician from, you guessed it, Tennessee. He became instantly more popular in 1954 due to a three episode stint on the I Love Lucy show – he played Ricky’s country cousin, Cousin Ernie. Sixteen Tons, a song about the hardships of coal mining, was first written and recorded by Merle Travis in 1946. In 1955, Ford’s version (originally a b-side) became a number one US hit. It’s since been covered by Frankie Lane, The Platters, Bo Diddley, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash and Stevie Wonder, so I guess you could call it a standard. My copy of this record looks nice but is actually a little crackly in parts, please excuse these blemishes on this fine tune.

Guest Post: Johnny Alpha's Popcorn mix

I stumbled across Johnny Alpha's Killer Diller radio show while googling various tunes (attempting to listen to them before splashing out on a vinyl copy, which is generally advisable). His playlists/shows are a goldmine of obscure and sleazy, rockin' rhythm'n'blues. He's got great taste. I conveyed my appreciation through Myspace and invited him to do a guest post on this blog. To my delight, he came back with a whole mix full of popcorn gems. I'm always a fan of guest posts, but this is very special and a Diddy Wah first -- a guest mix!



What is popcorn, you ask? Well, this guy can explain it far better than I. To me, it covers a lot of bases -- from rockabilly through Las Vegas grind, touching on R&B via northern soul and teen killers. Confused? You will be. Entertained? I hope so! These are some of my favourites that slip into this fantastic sub genre.

mp3: Johnny Alpha's Popcorn mix

Ricky Nelson - I wanna be loved (Imperial 45)
Dav Kip - Yeah my baby loves me (Coral 45)
Gene Vincent - Crazy beat (Capitol 45)
Steve Alaimo & the Redcoats - Blue Fire (Imperial 45)
Bobby Darin - Similau (Atlantic 45)
Adriano Celentano - Basta (Joy 45)
Richard Antony - Novelle Vague (Columbia Ep)
Yvonne Baker & the Sensations - Eyes (Argo 45)
Jo-Ann Campbell - I really, really love you (Gone 45)
Dora Hall - Hooci-Koochi (Premier 45)
Betty O’Brien - She’ll be gone (Liberty 45)
Sonny Til & the Orlories - Hey little woman (Parkers 45)
Plas Johnson - Downstairs (Capitol 45)
Noble Watts - Teen scene (Arrawak 45)
De-Fenders - Taco wagon (Del-Fi Lp)
Bobby Sharp - Baby girl of mine (Wing 45)
Clyde McPhatter - I’ll love you till the cows come home (Mercury 45)
Sonny Day - Beyond a shadow of a doubt (Abc 45)
Robins - Truble (Push 45)
Corky Ray with Audiofaze - Whirlwind (Brent 45)
Johnny Fisher - Tell me yes (Emmy 45)

Wobble Shank

The Chestnuts - Wobble Shank

The Chestnuts were a doo wop group from New Haven, Connecticut. They had several minor but notable hits in the late '50s. The group centered around some brothers named Hopkins. What they did on Wobble Shank is a mystery to me, since it's an instrumental. In fact, I think today's selection must be a different group altogether. The flip side is called Endless Love, which is a name fitting of a doo wop song, but also lacks substantial vocals. If anyone has any solid information about this Coral record from 1960, don't be shy about letting the rest of us know.

One more scalp

The Chiefs - Apache!

Beware today's selection, it has a false ending. This musical prank always manages to lift this DJ's heart rate when I play it later in the evening, after a couple of shandies. All I can tell you is that it's from 1958, was The Chiefs first record and someone called Sid Bass was responsible (which, as far as names go, is a pretty cool one to have). Apache! isn't the regular Apache that we all know and love. However, it is a sleazy sax laden Native American inspired kooky instrumental, so you might learn to love it, unless you happen to be a DJ with a nervous disposition.

My Babe, Love You So

Ron Holden - My Babe
Ron Holden - Love You So

There I was, looking online for versions of Little Walter's My Babe, when I came across this Ron Holden record, a true double-sider. My Babe is an entirely different song, but really cool, a classic rock'n'roller. I wasn't expecting much from the flip since it was pretty common, back in the day, to pair an upbeat number with a slightly putrid slow ballad. Love You So is a ballad, but it's a brilliantly beautiful lilting love song, in an end-of-the-night slow-dance kind of a way. It turns out that Love You So was actually the bigger hit in the US, although the all-important radio DJs did give airtime to both sides. Prior to recording these two tunes in '59, Holden helped establish Louie Louie as a regional standard in 1950s Seattle. If you would like to find out more about Ron Holden and the story of this record, have a read of this interesting article by Peter Blecha.

Let Yourself Go

James Brown - Let Yourself Go
James Brown - Good Rockin' Tonight

I bought this record for the b-side, Good Rockin' Tonight, a jump blues written and performed by Roy Brown in 1947 and possibly best known because it was Elvis's second single in 1954. James Brown and The Famous Flames play it fairly straight down-the-line rhythm'n'blues, perhaps too much so for 1967. The other side, Let Yourself Go, is more on the casually tight funk tip that Brown, and the musicians that surrounded him, became best known for. It's a tune I'm sure I must have heard at some point in the distant past. Maybe then it didn't stand out from rest, but right now I'm really feeling it. Go on, let yourself go!

Hey BillDeal

Bill Deal & The Rhondels - Hey Bulldog

Today's selection is a great cover of one of my favourite Beatles tunes. This version of Hey Bulldog was released on the Heritage label in 1970, just a year after the original was included on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack. Bill Deal & The Rhondels do a top job of recreating the fab four's magic, keeping the guitar sound nice and snarly. I don't quite know how to say this, but there's something special about good Beatles covers; you get the incredible songwriting without the distraction of it sounding like "The Beatles".

Do The Barracuda

Alvin Cash & The Crawlers - The Barracuda
Alvin Cash & The Crawlers - Do It One More Time

Alvin Cash and The Crawlers, his younger brothers, started out as dancers, or stage acrobats - original b-boys, yo! Then, Andre Williams had them pop into the studio to record vocals over a tune he had been working on. The result was the '64/'65 smash, Twine Time, released on Chicago's One-derful subsidiary, Mar-V-lus. The Barracuda was the follow up single, featuring a Twine type sequel on the flip. Like Twine Time, The Barracuda was all about inciting everybody to do a particular dance. I would say that it has the energy and rhythm to have been rather successful with the right crowd.

Fire Of Love

Jody Reynolds - Fire Of Love
Jody Reynolds - Daisy Mae

Now, this is a real treat. From way back in 1958, here’s Jody Reynolds with two offerings that were released on Los Angeles' Demon Records. The b-side, Daisy Mae, is part and parcel of what you might expect on a rockabilly artist's record, a hiccuping tribute to his local sweetheart, but Fire Of Love is a number of shades darker in both sound and content. Is there an element of mystery in the lyrics, or is it just about vampires? One thing's for sure, Fire Of Love is a song that captured the imagination of '80s blues punks The Gun Club. They named their first album after it, and covered it on their second.

Like Everybody Else

The Kinks - I'm Not Like Everybody Else

The Kinks released the angst-ridden I'm Not Like Everybody Else as a b-side to Sunny Afternoon in 1966. It had been written by Ray Davies for The Animals, but they didn't fancy it, so he gave the song to brother Dave to sing. A couple of years later, The Chocolate Watch Band from California covered it for their LP, The Inner Mystique. It's their version I used as the backing music to an appropriately silly YouTube clip that I uploaded a few years back -- which has now attracted almost 2500 views, 10 comments and a response video. You can find it if you search for solid chocolate Kit Kat.