45 Number Twelve

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0saf-DKQoM8

Now we're talkin'! The Long Ryders!

This was a great overlooked band. Listening to these songs with old ears; I forgot how great. Folks don't skip over these songs lightly. Put 'em on your music makers and turn them up loud. I am making arrangements to get them on my I-pod now. They'll make my walk to work fly, and can do the same for your bus ride, car jaunt, or motor cycle cruise.

This is actually a two 45 package. The A side and three non album tracks. "Looking for Lewis and Clark" really rocks, and is the link above. I really wish I could give you a link to "If I Was Bramble, and You Were a Rose." It's a song that really deserves some attention from all you folk singers out there. It's just beautiful. Alas I couldn't find the song on the net, so you will have to come over to my house and hear it, or buy it yourselves.

One of my best Long Ryders' memories is riding along back in the mid 80's in my black, T-top, Firebird, with my beautiful wife, listening to one of our favourites; "Run Dusty Run." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4b2gucSPBI&feature=related

Several other notable Long Ryders tunes that shouldn't be missed; "State of My Union" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRVfzComP60 and their cover of the NRBQ classic "I Want You Bad" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb-B0Q8ESpQ&feature=related .

45 Number Eleven

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy51CTN6AfE

(Bam, Bam, Bam)

(Bam, Bam, Bam)

Who is it?

It's me man, Dave. Open up.

Who?

Dave, man! I got the stuff. Open up.

Who?

Dave!

Dave's not here.

(Bam, Bam, Bam, Bam)

Who is it?

Dave!! Open the door!

Who?

Dave! Dave!

Dave's not here man.


Cheech and Chong. We used to repeat their skits over and over. I had all the albums; the big rolling paper, the car with all the dope. Cheech pops up pretty regularly;either as the voice of a Chihuahua or a Latino police side kick. Tommy not as much. I'll have to check out Up In Smoke sometime and see if it holds up after all these years.

"I got a basketball jones, I got a basketball jones, I got a basketball jones, so baby ooohh, ooohh......."

45 Number Ten

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7r5RYThiHM Studio Recording

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfEsmXbjcyg&feature=related Live

One of my best memories of college in Washington D.C. is WHFS. It was a homegrown, free form, radio station in Bethesda MD. The DJs created their own playlists, and all types of music was played. It was a noncommerical,commercial radio station. It exposed me to so much new and old music. My favourite DJ was the Weasel. He sounded just like that, a weasel. I luckily have a cassette of him I recorded doing about an hour and half on a St. Patrick's day. Every once in awhile I will pull this out and go back to those days.

I am sure that was the first place I heard this pop gem. It has made it's way on to many a mix tape. I put two links, as I didn't really like the live performance, but thought some of you may enjoy seeing what they looked like. I didn't. I likely bought this single at the record shop in Rockville MD (home of Joan Jett, "She put the rock in Rockville" as Weasel used to say), on the Rockville Pike. I can't believe I don't remember the name of the shop (Got it. Yesterday and Today Records). They had two store fronts in a strip mall. One dedicated to 45s. All the 45s categorized and on shelves or in bins. Not many places devote that kind of time and space to 45s.

This song is the perfect example of a song that was played on WHFS , but nowhere else in DC. Now a days I get my musical appetite fed from WFUV out of NYC and a new station WITH out of Ithaca NY. Both public radio stations that I listen to on the net. Look them up you can listen too.

45 Number Nine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE79UxDu7Xc&feature=related

There are many things you don't appreciate when you are young. It's one of those things adults tell kids, and damned if their not right. Well, at least right about Steve Forbert. In 1979 my friend Ed played this song for me from the Jackrabbit Slim album. Ed sang along with all his soul. I thought it was a good song, but nothing to get worked up over. Then in the 90s I happened to hear Steve Forbert's American in Me album, and was blown away ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1SIdV3JXvI ) . I worked my way through his back catalogue right to Jackrabbit Slim. Then I worked my way forward to all of Steve's current work. He is certainly a man who sings with his soul. I wish I was in contact with Ed to tell him he was right way back there in 1979.

45 Number eight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UejelYnVI3U

Takes me right back to sitting in the Copper Fox in Oneonta NY, with a Genny Cream and listening to the jukebox. Come on sing along: " Crossing the highway late last night, he should've looked left, and he should've looked right, he didn't see the station wagon car. The skunk got squashed and there you are. You Got your dead skunk in the middle of the road .......stinkin' to high heaven."

I have a college buddy, Geoff (see 45 # 6), and he was somewhat of a world traveler when I met him. Still is. But anyway, one weekend in college he and I took a road trip from DC back to my home town, the aforementioned Oneonta, NY. At the time he was enamoured with things country. You know: diners, spitting, and long neck beers. So he was looking forward to gettin' out of the city. We were almost to our destination, somewhere along a lonely stretch of I-88. All of a sudden Geoff says, "What's that smell?". Not necessarily in a bad way, but an "Oh My God!" way. I told him it was a skunk, that had likely been hit crossing the road. He hooted and hollered like he had just smelled his first apple pie. Not sure he remembers this, but it made his day, and I haven't forgotten turning him on to skunk.

Loudon Wainwright sporting a Sex Pistols shirt

Loudon has a long creative history. I remember him as the singing surgeon on MASH. He has written many great and funny songs over the years. A recent favourite was a beautiful song he wrote about visiting Hank Williams' grave the day Fred Rogers died, "Hank and Fred." (Yeah, Mr. Rogers.)
( http://www.lwiii.com/videoplayer.php?flv=Hank_Fred_496x285.flv&width=496&height=305&title=Hank+and+Fred )
I also love Johnny Cash's version of Loudon's "The Man Who Couldn't Cry,"
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgK-1mpSljI ) on Johnny's first American Recordings album.

Loudon has quite the musical family as well, having married two different musicians: the late Kate McGarrigle, and then Suzy Roche. His offspring have some great musical blood. Several are musicians, including Rufus Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright. Rufus does my favourite version of "Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen) ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR0DKOGco_o ) which was featured in the Shrek movie, but someone else's version appears on the soundtrack. And I have to mention Lucy's song "Chicago"
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fhXWHA0kn8 ), which my children love.

I am ashamed that I don't have many of Loudon's albums. He is one of those artists I've wanted to hear more of.

45 Number seven

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIdIqbv7SPo

Bill Withers. Probably best known as the "Lean On Me" guy. I love his voice. I could listen to it all day. I think this song has the record for a phrase repeated the most times in a row. Click on the link and you'll hear it. I know you will. Also check out the drummer in this video. These guys are beautiful. My favourite Withers' song is " Use Me" ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3hBYTkI-sE ). Some funky organ and Bill's soulful voice.

Beginning with this 45 you'll see I have links were you can hear the song, as well as others that are mentioned. A nod for the inspiration from my musician friend Danny Maloney. I have edited all the old posts so they now include links to hear the songs. Those of you reading this by e-mail, I encourage you to visit the blog site when you have 3 and half minutes or so to hear the six 45s that have been spun, as well as other songs that were mentioned. If you can only check out one, click on the link to the Joe Jackson song "Got the Time" on the 45 number two post. Vintage footage to a live version of a rockin' song.

45 Number Six

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOVv1nb9-N8&feature=related

Not your usual Dire Straits' suspect. This comes from the "Twisting by the Pool" EP, and although there are no letters on the label, I am sure it is the B side to "Industrial Disease." But I tend to be comfortable on the flip side, and was thrilled when I found this song. It has a jazzy, swinging guitar, with Knopfler, in his best slightly cockney English accent, providing the dialogue of a fan/groupie meeting his favourite band backstage. The whole thing is spoken rather than sung.

I always think of my friend Geoff when I hear this. Geoff is a big Knopfler fan, but more importantly, it's the part that goes like this (OK get your English accents ready);

" Me and my mate like AC/DC, hot and sweaty, loud and greasy, .... Can I have one of them lagers? .... Can he have one?.... Got any badges, posters, stickers or t-shirts?"