This is episode sixteen of The GO Mechanism—an audio odyssey designed to shatter your fragile egg-shell mind. It is hosted by Phast Phreddie who develops it in the secret laboratories of Boogaloo Omnibus Productions somewhere in the Hudson Valley. The “G” stands for Groovy and it certainly is. The “O” stands for O’Rooney, a complex impulse that is incomprehensible to those possessing standard-issue precepts. If you have to ask, you will never know.

In order to achieve total comprehension of The GO Mechanism, the Boogaloo Bag reader is urged to seek out this episode’s corresponding audio presentation. After it airs on Luxuria Music as a Saturday Night Special program (this one on May 20), it will reside as a podcast on the Luxuria Music website for a few weeks before it is posted on the Mixclouds as well as below this posting. Look for the Saturday Night Special dated 5/21/2023

The GO Mechanism is produced whenever we feel like it, and incorporates exclusive copyrighted Vitaphonic, Ultra-sonic and Quasi-tonal methods in order to bring out a higher standard of standardness. Legacy GO Mechanisms may be found on the Mixclouds as well as here in The Boogaloo Bag.

An hour into The GO there will be a Science Corner. For this edition of The GO Mechanism, the producers have selected three karate records for the listener’s gratification.

Karate is a martial arts way of fighting that was developed in Japan. During the sixties and seventies, movies that featured karate fighting were popular in the U.S. and songs and even dances were developed in order to capitalize on its prominence. Dozens of songs were recorded at the time and we have presented three in The Science Corner: “Karate Boo Ga Loo” by Jerry-O, “Karate” by The Emperors and “It’s Karate Time” by Travis Wammack.

Jerry-O was Jerry Murray, who was a mover and shaker on the Chicago soul scene during the sixties; he was a songwriter, producer, owned record labels, presented shows and was a radio DJ. As part of the duo Tom and Jerry-O, he had a sizable R&B hit with “Boo-Ga-Loo” in 1965. A couple years later Jerry-O released “Karate Boo-Ga-Loo” on Boo-Ga-Loo Records before it was licensed to Shout Records. Other recordings were issued on White Whale and Bang. These are mostly party records, with Jerry-O and friends shouting dance names over funky backing tracks. Jerry-O Murray died in an automobile accident in the early seventies.

The Emperors were a vocal group from Harrisburg, PA. “Karate” was written by Tyrone Moss and Milton Brown, the drummer and organist, respectively, from the band that regularly backed The Emperors. The song was released in December 1966 and climbed to Number 16 on the Cashbox R&B chart early the next year. If the song sounds familiar to you, it is probably because Carlos Santana re-wrote the song as “Everybody’s Everything” and had a hit with it in 1971. Moss and Brown were properly credited and one would hope they were able to benefit from it. The Emperors would record an album and release two more singles. When the two follow-ups didn’t chart, the album was scrapped and not released until 2009. The Emperors would cut another single for Brunswick, “Karate Boogaloo”/“Mumble Shing A Ling,” but it failed to capture the magic of their first release and the group broke up soon after.

Travis Wammack is a guitarist who was born in Mississippi but made his mark in Memphis. He’s best known for a cool guitar workout instrumental called “Scratchy” from 1964. That song borrowed a bit from “Comin’ Home Baby” by Herbie Mann, which was written by Ben Tucker, Mann’s bassist at the time. “It’s Karate Time” is another cool guitar workout by Wammack. It is totally original, and, with the karate shouts, totally fun. Wammack cut a string of fabulous records during the sixties. Indeed, the flip side of this track is a haul-ass version of “Night Train” that may be heard in a future GO Mechanism. He was also a session player in Memphis and at the studio in Muscle Shoals. During the seventies and eighties he cut some southern country-rock albums. He is still alive and still performing.

GO Sixteen’s version of “Caravan”—a song heard in every GO Mechanism—is by Bill Haley and His Comets. It was recorded and released in Mexico. Haley had a string of hit records in the late fifties—the biggest being “(I Wanna) Rock Around the Clock,” which was Number One for eight weeks in 1955. By the end of the decade, his records stopped appearing on the Pop Charts. He moved to Mexico in 1961 in order to escape tax collectors and divorce lawyers. There, he learned Spanish, married a local woman and cut some records. The twist craze was starting up and Haley obliged the Mexican teens with a series of popular twist numbers, becoming Mexico’s King of the Twist. One of these recordings was “Caravana Twist”—“Caravan” with a twist beat. Since “Caravan” has a melody so sturdy you couldn’t hurt it if you beat it with a stick, it totally works—and, hey, you can twist to it. [ Further to Haley’s Mexican period, in January 1966, Haley and His Comets recorded an album-worth of tracks with Big Joe Turner, but only two EPs were issued, in Mexico only.]

In 2003, Norton Records initiated a Rolling Stones cover song series of 45s. The label asked some of its favorite acts to record a song by the popular British Invasion band and each track was issued on split singles. More than thirty of these records have been issued to date, and all of them are cool. The Dirtbombs version of “No Expectations” is one of these tracks—and for our money, the best one. The Detroit group took the song and sang it to the music of “Sympathy for the Devil,” with a surprise ending. The utter genius of the recording is astounding.

Although there are several examples of soul and funk records about the evils of heroin, the hallucinogenic drug L.S.D. is rarely sung about in R&B music. The GO Mechanism presents Rex Garvin & His Mighty Cravers with “Believe It or Not.” Although Garvin wrote “Over the Mountain, Across the Sea” for Johnnie and Joe, which was a Top Ten R&B and Pop hit in 1957, he never achieved much fame for his accomplishments, even though his music career lasted from about 1954 to 1971. He and His Mighty Cravers released a series of singles on several labels through those years, and only one album to show for it. His recordings range from interesting to fantastic—such as the track played in GO Mechanism Number Nine. Garvin may be the subject of a future Science Corner.

Marty Balin’s “I Specialize in Love” was released around 1962. It is one of two singles he recorded before joining the Jefferson Airplane a few years later. The song reminds us of the kind of material that Ricky Nelson was singing at the time.

“Lost on Xandu” is a version (sort of in the Jamaican sense of the word) of an instrumental first released on The Fleshtones album Brooklyn Sound Solution that featured Lenny Kaye on guitar. Lenny wrote the jam and a few years later wrote lyrics for the song and wanted to put it out as a single. The Fleshtones’ Peter Zaremba then jazzed it up on the flip side for this spaced-out version. Not on any LP!

“My Quiet Village” is sung by Darla Hood. Yes, Darla of Our Gang fame. Turns out she had a pretty good voice and she does a swell job on this exotica standard. Maybe she should have sung at the Little Rascals talent shows instead of Alfalfa!

With the release of “Flying Saucers Rock ’n’ Roll” on Sun Records, Billy Lee Riley became a legend among rockabilly aficionados. It is one of the greatest records of all time. He cut some other records for Sun, including another rockabilly classic “Red Hot,” then recorded for a series of labels—some of them he owned. Perhaps we’ll go into more of Riley’s career in a future Science Corner, as it is very interesting. For now, suffice it to say, there’s not a lot of information available for this one record he cut for Atlantic, “Happy Man.” The song has a catchy soul-pop vibe that should have been a big hit in 1968 when it was released. Somehow it failed to click and after a few more releases that mostly sank without a trace, Riley was out of music.

One of the Greatest Records Of All Time is always presented at the end of a GO Mechanism. For this GO, we continue the theme of The Science Corner with a karate record, this one by Chubby Checker. In September 1960, Mr. Checker’s cover of “The Twist,” first recorded by Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, became a Number One pop hit record. In January 1962, it became a Number One pop hit record again—probably the only recording to ever accomplish that feat. During the early sixties, Checker released dozens of dance records—some of them fabulous, some of them less so. By the middle of the decade he was cutting some good pop-oriented soul records that found some favor with British Northern Soul parties, such as “(At The) Discotheque,” “Everything’s Wrong,” “You Got the Power” and “You Just Don’t Know.” He also cut “Karate Monkey,” a fantastic record that will get you off your seat and dancing. Not only is it a karate record, but it is a monkey record, and one of the best! Without a doubt in anyone’s mind, Chubby Checker’s “Karate Monkey” is one of the Greatest Records Of All Time!

For some reason, three spoken word pieces presented in this GO Mechanism are by people that are actually acquainted with the GO producers: Danny Weizmann (a writer known to some as “Shredder”), Paul Body (drummer for the legendary Sheiks of Shake and The Love Supremes) and Pleasant Gehman (of The Screamin’ Sirens, Ringing Sisters and Disgraceland legend). During the early nineties, all three issued spoken word albums and we have extracted important tidbits from them for your edification. Danny speaks over a backing track by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band while Paul and Pleasant both speak over clips from jams by Miles Davis. Another of Shredder’s proclamations open’s the show.

The art that decorates this GO Mechanism is by a fellow named Mike Tempo. We know him, too, but not that well. We first met him as the percussionist for the exotic rhythm and rock band The Bonedaddys, which features the talented saxophonist Jay Work. Mr. Tempo also bangs on things for the Mark Leggett Quartet, Greg Sutton & the Sunday Salvation Band and other acts in the Southern California area. His motto is, “Have bongos, will travel!” He posts his art on the Facedog from time to time and we finally asked him if we could borrow an image; thus it is above these notes and below in the digital poster. Dig his work here: https://miketempoart.com

Once this GO Mechanism initially airs on the Luxuria Musics—on the evening of May 20—it will be available as a podcast for a few weeks on their website. Look for the Saturday Night Special dated 5/21/2023. Soon after it will be posted on the Mixclouds and below here in The Boogaloo Bag. Luxuria Music is a hep cat daddy music dispersal organization that deserves support from swingin’ cats and kittens such as those who dig The Boogaloo Bag. Support them with some loot! Find out how here!

All of the tracks played in GO Mechanism Number Sixteen:

• Earl Bostic—Lester Leaps In
• Bud Powell—52nd Street Theme (Blue Note)
• Charlie Parker—Chasin’ the Bird (Savoy)
• Sonny Stitt—Fine and Dandy (Prestige)
• Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys–Let’s Go Shake (Seven Seas; Japan)
• Busters All Stars—Summertime (Prince Buster/Rock A Shacka; Japan)
• Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band—Old Fart at Play (instrumental) (from album Grow Fins; Revenant)
• Bill Haley y su Cometas—Caravana Twist (Orfeon; Mexico)
• MIles Davis—Great Expectations (severe edit) (from album Complete Bitches Brew Sessions; Columbia/Legacy)
• The Party Brothers—Do the Ground Hog (Revue)
• The Mighty Sparrow—Calypso Boogaloo (RA; West Indies)
• Michael Olatunji—Soul Makossa Part 2 (Paramount)
• Miles Davis—The Little Blue Frog (alternate version, edited) (from album The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions; Columbia/Legacy)
• The Surfaris—Scratch (from LP Hit City 64; Dot)
• Los Corraleros—Pajarillo Montañero (Discos Fuenes, Colombia)
• Les Brown, Jr.—Swingin’ & Surfin (GNP Crescendo)
• Rolly Polly—Blue Rhumba (from LP Mad Drums; Capitol)
• Boris Gardner—Melting Pot (Jaguar; Jamaica)
• Leche—El Samurai (Steady Beat)
• The Carnations—Scorpion (Tilt)
• The Mighty Hannibal—Jerkin’ the Dog (Shurfine)
• Los Lobos & Money Mark—Pepe & Irene (from album El Cancionero: Mas y Mas; Rhino)
• Woody Herman—Hush (Cadet)
• Joe Quijano and His Orchestra—Saboo (Wobble-Cha) (Date)
• The Dirtbombs—No Expectations (Norton)
• ———Science Corner
• Jerry-O—Karate Boogaloo (Boo-Ga-Loo)
• The Emperors—Karate (Mala)
• Travis Wammack—It’s Karate Time (Atlantic)
• Zombie Rev—funkyelectricguitarsv2 (bed music for Science Corner)
• Jun Mayuzumi—Tsumi Na Hito (Capitol; Japan)
• Rex Garvin & the Mighty Cravers—Believe It or Not (Like)
• Yusef Lateef—8540 Twelfth Street (Savoy)
• Marty Balin—I Specialize in Love (Challenge)
• The Fleshtones with Lenny Kaye—Lost on Xandu (version) (Yep Roc)
• Enoch Light & the Brass Managerie—Theme from “Shaft” (Total Sound Stereo Project)
• Darla Hood, Fabulous Modesto Orchestra—My “Quiet Village” (Ray Note)
• Paul Horn Quintet—Eight Miles High (from album Monday Monday; RCA Victor)
• Tapper Zukie—Man Ah Warrior (Stars; Jamaica)
• La Sonora Clenaguera—La Piojosa (from album Cumbias Y Gaitas Famosas; Discos Fuentes; Colombia)
• The Congo Kid—Trinidad Swing (Bull Dog)
• Billy Lee Riley—Happy Man (Atlantic)
• Marvin Gaye—It’s a Bitter Pill to Swallow (from LP M.P.G.; Tamla)
• The Soul Machine—Twitchie Feet (Pzazz)
• Andre Williams—You Got It I Want It (Ric-Tic)
• Curtis Mayfield—Freddie’s Dead (special Boogaloo edit; Curtom)

Spoken

• Danny Weizmann—For Jack Jones (from album Jazz Speak (New Alliance)
• Paul Body—Prologue (from album Love Is Like Rasputin; New Alliance)
• Pleasant Gehman — Way Out West (from album Ruined; New Alliance) (over Little Blue Frog)

T.S. Elliot once wrote, “April is the cruelest month…” Here at the Boogaloo Bag we beg to differ. To us, April is the coolest month! For four April Sundays in a row, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was asked to DJ the Funky Brunch with (or once, without) DJ Pete Pop at the elegant Mama Roux in downtown Newburgh.

The DJ Pete Pop action actually started on the Saturday the 22nd when he brought his Do the 45 dance party to the Daddy Long Legs after-show event at The Colony in Woodstock. Daddy Long Legs is quite possibly the finest blues wailin’ band in the land. The group’s show at The Colony was amazing; it’s raucous act and showmanship had folks screamin’ and shoutin’ the entire time. Formerly a trio, the band has recently added a piano player and he added quite a bit of boss noise to Daddy Long Legs’ boss beat. The group has a brand new boss album out and The Boogaloo Bag writers insist that all its boss readers go out and purchase a copy right now! After the gig, DJ Pete Pop played some of his most exciting records and had folks dancing for about two hours before the joint closed up.

The next day was April 23rd, a Sunday—Funky Brunch day. Pete had some family commitments and was unable to DJ the whole event, so Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was called in to pinch hit for him. The Phast One swung for the fences, as you can readily tell by checking out the list of records he played below…

• Cal Tjader Quintet–Wachi Wara (Fantasy)
• Roland Alphonso–El Pussy Cat (Island; UK)
• Byron Lee and the Ska Kings–Watermelon Man Ska (Atlantic)
• Les McCann–All (Limelight)
• Bud Powell–Un Poco Loco (Blue Note; Japan)
• Casey Jones–Good Thing (Part 1) (Ron)
• Barry Jones–Let’s Do the Funky Boogaloo – Part I (Dial)
• Jesse James–Don’t Fight It (Uni)
• Boogaloo Joe Jones–I Feel the Earth Move (Prestige)
• Eli Paperboy Reed–Do It Again (Fine Wine)
• Ike and Tina Turner–The Hunter (Blue Thumb)
• Bill Withers–Better Off Dead (Sussex)
• La Sonora Matancera; canta: Celia Cruz–Ven Bernabe [from EP Leurs Grands Succés Vol. 17] (Seeco/Disques Vogue; France)
• Joe Liggins and His Orchestra–They Were Doin’ the Mambo (Mercury)
• Fats Domino–Land of 1000 Dances (ABC-Paramount/Vega; France)
• Lee Diamond–It Won’t Be Me (Minit)
• The Jelly Beans–You Don’t Mean Me No Good (Pye; France)
• Frankie Vance–Do You Hear Me Baby? (Revue)
• Sammy Ward–You’ve Got to Change (Soul)
• Carolyn Crawford–I’ll Come Running (Motown)
• The Velvelettes–He Was Really Sayin’ Somethin’ (V.I.P.)
• The Blossoms–Shockwave (Lion)
• Variations–Sayin It Doin It (Lion)
• Johnny Griffith accompanied by Billy Sha-Rae’s Band–Do It (Triple ÒBÓ)
• Hal Hardy–Tears of Joy (DeLuxe)
• Billy Wade–I Can’t Help it Baby (ABC)
• Willie Mitchell–The Champion Part 1 (London; UK)
• Conjunto Africa–Pepe Tuercas (Perless; Mexico)
• [no artist listed]–North Shore Mambo (Hoctor)
• Ray Rivera Orchestra–Hard Hats (M-G-M)
• The Temptations–Don’t Let the Joneses Get You Down (Gordy)
• [no artist listed]–Grand Central Shuttle (Hoctor)
• Black Heat–The Jungle – Pt. I (Atlantic)
• Freda Harris–My Body Wants Your Body (Ace)
• Robert Parker–Get Ta Steppin’ (Island)
• Eric Donaldson–Cherry Oh Baby (Jaguar; Jamaica)
• The Killer Joe Orchestra–The Jerk (Atlantic; Germany)
• Nappy Brown–Coal Miner (Savoy)
• the Double Six–One Mint Julep (Philips)
• Panama Francis Blues Band–Tough Talk (20th Century-Fox)
• Bobby Scott–Moanin’ (Mercury)
• Marlena Shaw–Let’s Wade in the Water (Cadet)
• The Orlons–Not Me (Cameo)
• Gary (U.S.) Bonds–Take Me Back to New Orleans (Legrand)
• The Apollas–Seven Days (Warner Bros.-Seven Arts)
• Smokey Robinson & the Miracles–Come Spy With Me (Tamla)
• Upsetters–Dollar in the Teeth (Upsetter; UK)
• Jackie Mittoo–Freak Out (Coxsone; Jamaica)
• Frank Howard & the Continentals–Do What You Wanna Do (Part I) (DeLuxe)
• Murray McKay–Don’t Let the Pusher Push You (Message)
• McKinley Sandifer–Get Up If You Want to Be Somebody (U.S.A.)
• Don Covay–Everything I Do Goin’ Be Funky (Atlantic)
• The Johnny Otis Show–Keep the Faith – Part 2 (Eldo)
• Johnnie Taylor–Take Care of Your Homework (Stax)
• Ann Peebles–Come to Mama (Hi)
• Stan Getz–Balanco No Samba (Street Dance) (Verve)
• Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited–Phantom Rider (Sheep; Switzerland)
• Stevie Wonder–Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day (Tamla)
• The Revlons–Ya Ya (Parkway)
• Leon Austin–Turn Me Loose (King)
• Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston–It Takes Two (Tamla)
• Tony Owens–This Heart Can’t Take No More (Soul Sound)
• Stan Kenton and His Orchestra–007 (Capitol)
• Bigger Sam–I’m Ready for Love (20th Century-Fox)
• Ahmad Jamal’s Three Strings–Rica Pulpa (OKeh)
• Red Rodney Sextet; Bobby Savitt on tenor sax–Red’s Mambo (OKeh)

None of these records are for sale.

If it is Sunday, it is time for a Funky Brunch at Mama Roux—Newburgh’s fabulous New Orleans-themed dinery. On April 16, the Funky Brunch’s gracious host DJ Pete Pop was unable to make the scene, so Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was called in to dish with the discs. Boy, did he dish—more than one hundred 45s were turned. Not only that, but he did all the behind-the-scenes work usually performed by Pete Pop, like dragging the equipment into the joint and setting it all up. Then, at the end of the day, tearing it all down and packing it up. Probably about ten hours of the day was spent dealing with the hustle, including driving from Pleasant Valley to south of Newburgh to pick up the electronics, up to Newburgh to set everything up at Mama’s, then packing up and taking it back to it’s home, THEN, finally driving home.

But it was worth it. During the five hours of disc spinning 107 records were played. We were even given compliments by a fellow who said he was visiting from Austin, Texas. Quite a coincidence as Pete Pop was, that very moment, in Austin Texas!!!

Here’s a list of every record played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the April 16 Funky Brunch:

• Les McCann Ltd. with Stanley Turrentine & Blue Mitchell–Twist Cha-Cha (Pacific Jazz)
• Odell Brown & the Organizers–No More Water in the Well (Cadet)
• Billy Preston–Hey Brother (instrumental) (Capitol)
• Shirley Scott Trio–A Shot in the Dark (Impulse)
• Montego Joe–Soul Man (Ninandy)
• Kris Peterson–Mama’s Little Baby (Is a Big Girl Now) (Capitol)
• Marvin Sims–Sweet Thang (Karen)
• Donnie Fritts–Sumpin’ Funky Going On (Atlantic)
• Bob & Earl–(Pickin’ Up) Love’s Vibrations (Uni)
• Al Green–Here I Am (Come and Take Me) (Hi)
• The Hot Tamales–You Are My Sunshine (Diamond)
• Ray Barretto–Do You Dig It (United Artists)
• René Touzet and his Orchestra–Crazy Rhythm (Mambo) (M-G-M)
• The Latin All Stars–Cha Cha Uno (Roper)
• Cal Tjader Sextet–Afro Blue (Fantasy)
• Judy Mowatt–Only a Woman (Ashandan; Jamaica)
• Ras Midass–Kude a Bamba (Mango)
• Fats Domino–I Done Got Over It (Mercury)
• Jimmy Ruffin–I’ve Passed This Way Before (Soul)
• Jimmy Smith–Chain of Fools (Part I) (Verve)
• The Harvey Averne Band–Run Away Child Running Wild (Uptite)
• Slim Harpo–Baby Scratch My Back (Excello)
• Jesse Hill–Naturally (Blue Thumb)
• Tony Morgan and Muscle Power–Racial Segregation (Chess)
• Bob Marley & the Wailers–Trench Town Rock (Trojan; UK)
• The Skatalites–Guns of Navarone (Island; UK)
• Sergio Mendes–My Favorite Things (Atlantic)
• Walter Wanderley–Cheganca (Verve)
• Walter Pegeas with Johnny and the Charmers–Si-Si-Si (Swan)
• Fruko y sus Tesos–El Patillero (Fuentes)
• Little Beaver–Party Down – Part 1 (Cat)
• Denise LaSalle–Trapped by a Thing Called Love (Westbound)
• Joe Hicks–Life and Death in G&A – Part I (Stone Flower)
• Jean Knight–Mr. Big Stuff (Stax)
• The Bobby Williams Group–Boogaloo Mardi Gras Pt. 2 (Capitol)
• Laurel Aitken–Do the Boogaloo (Big Shot; UK)
• The Da-Kars–Shot in the Dark (Josie)
• Parliament–Star Child (Casablanca)
• The Wild Magnolias–Smoke My Peace Pipe (Smoke It Right) (Polydor)
• The Wailers–Rock It Baby (Island)
• Marie ‘Queenie’ Lyons–Fever (DeLuxe)
• The Fabulous Rhythm Makers–Mini Mini Afro Twist (Forte)
• Chris Jones–I’m the Man (Goodie Train)
• Jeff (Soulman) Brown and His Quartet–Ain’t That a Groove (Part 1) (Dinosaur)
• Steve Colt–Dynamite (Big Beat)
• Jacob Miller–Shakey Girl (Joe Gibbs Record Globe; Jamaica)
• Buster Pearson–Ain’t It Groovy (Big Shot; UK)
• Johnny Nash–Hold Me Tight (JAD)
• Staple Singers–I’ll Take You There (Stax)
• Aretha Franklin–Baby I Love You (Atlantic)
• Smokey Robinson & the Miracles–Yester Love (Tamla)
• The Pristines–Do-Re-Mi (Date)
• Barbara Randolph–I Got a Feeling (Soul)
• Mongo Santamaria–Cloud Nine (Columbia)
• Toddlin’ Town Sounds–It’s Your Thing (Toddlin’ Town)
• Lalo Schifrin–Ape Shuffle (theme from Planet of the Apes) (20th Century)
• [no artist listed]–Super Fly (Hoctor)
• The Chosen Few; music by The Now Generation–Shaft (Crystal)
• Isaac ‘Redd’ Holt Unlimited–I Shot the Sheriff (Paula)
• Ramsey Lewis–Function at the Junction (Cadet)
• Ernie K-Doe–My Mother-In-Law (Is in My Hair Again) (Duke)
• Carlos Malcolm & His Afro-Jamaican Rhythm–Bonanza Ska (Up-Beat; Jamaica)
• Ray Lang with Jamaican Room Boys’ Orchestra–Keetch (Hey! Bernice) (Decca)
• Dave and Ansell Collins–Monkey Spanner (Techniques; UK)
• Johnny Pate Combo–Cha Cha Blues (Drake)
• Marlowe Morris Quintet–Play the Thing (Columbia)
• Frankie Ford–You Talk Too Much (Imperial)
• Kim Weston–Little by Little and Bit by Bit (Mikim)
• Sir Mack Rice–Mustang Sally (Blue Rock)
• Sam & Dave–Get It (Atlantic)
• The Dutones–Done Got Over It (Columbia)
• Yvonne Fair & the James Brown Band–It Hurts to Be in Love (King)
• Edwin Starr–Running Back and Forth (Gordy)
• François Carel et ses Amis–Je Me Fous De Tout (Carrousel; Canada)
• Montego Joe–Ouch (Prestige)
• Ollie & the Nightingales–I’ve Got a Feeling (Stax)
• Cesar et Ses Romains–Pour Toi (Choc!; Canada)
• Little Ben & the Cheers–Brown Eye’d Devil (Rush)
• Jackie Wilson–(Why Don’t You) Do Your Thing (Brunswick)
• James Brown–I Love You (King)
• The Millionaires–(I Never Know When to Leave) The Party (Big Bunny)
• Sugar & Spice–Ah Ha Yeah (Kapp)
• Kitty Montgomery–Hey Boy (Sanns)
• Percy Mayfield–Walking on a Tightrope (Brunswick)
• Swamp Dogg–Total Destruction to Your Mind (Canyon)
• Tyrone Davis–Need Your Lovin Every Day (Dakar)
• Johnny Williams–Your Love Controls My World (Bashie)
• Eddie Floyd–People Get It Together (Stax)
• Shay Holiday–Fight Fire With Fire (Soul Power)
• The Charlie Underwood Glide Band–Sunny (Warner Bros.)
• The Shoelaces–Work Song (Brite Leaf)
• Philly Pops String Band–You Can’t Hurry Love (Bell Sound Studios acetate)
• Gladys Knight & the Pips–The End of Our Road (Soul)
• Anne Renee–Le Jonc D’Amitie (Nobel; Canada)
• Rufus Thomas–(Do The) Push and Pull Part I (Stax)
• Winston Groovey–Funky Chicken (Jackpot; UK)
• The Latin Brothers canta: John Jairo–Dale al Bombo (Fuentes; Panama)
• Tokyo Cuban Boys–El Mambo [from EP All About the Mambos Vol. 1] (Columbia; Japan)
• Quincy Jones–Choo Choo Ch’Boogie (Mercury)
• Cliff Nobles & Co.–The Horse (Jamie)
• Jimmy Caravan and His Trio–Higher and Higher (Tower)
• Willie Mitchell–Barefootin’ (Hi)
• Martha Reeves & the Vandellas–Jimmy Mack (En Español) (Tamla/Motown; Spain)
• Cannibal and the Headhunters–Out of Sight (Rampart)
• Annie Markan—Un, Deux, Trois [ One, Two, Three ] (Mercury; Canada)
• Jean King–The In-Crowd (HBR)
• The Contrails–Mummy Walk (Walking Death) (Diamond)

None of these records are for sale!

On Sunday April 9, DJ Pete Pop hosted another fabulous Funky Brunch. This one landed right on Easter Sunday. Because of the holiday, he had to ditch out early in order to meet some family commitments. Therefore, he asked Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to drop by as guest DJ and to work the hustle after he cut out.

Easter Sunday at Mama Roux was a grand affair. The room was packed all day and even the back yard was utilized to handle spill-over of the hungry brunchers. It was reported that reservations were made weeks in advance. Was it the music or the food that got these Newburghians so excited? Hard to tell, because both are always excellent at the Funky Brunch.

At the end of the day, after the last record had been turned, the Mama Roux crew invited the Phast One and the official Boogaloo Bag photographer Miss Nancy to partake in some food that was laid out for the workers. Were we hungry? You bet. Not being foodies, we can’t tell you exactly what was on the plate, but it was gooooood!

For this Easter Sunday, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus brought out some gospel records, and a few other jams that he deemed appropriate for the occasion (such as “Savoy Truffle,” “Peter Cottontail,” “Back From the Dead”). Here’s a list of all the records he played:

• Johnny Griffin and the Soul-Band–Wade in the Water (Riverside)
• Vince Guaraldi Trio–Cast Your Fate to the Wind (Fantasy)
• Eddie Harris–Freedom Jazz Dance (Atlantic)
• Franky & the Spindles–Memphis Underground (Canyon)
• Jimmy Brown–I Heard It Through the Grapevine (A-Bet)
• The Swingers–The Groove – Pt. 1 (Ranwood)
• Shirley Bassey–Goldfinger (United Artists)
• The Staple Singers featuring Roebuck Staples–I Can’t Help From Cryin’ (Riverside)
• The Gospel Souls–I’ve Been Saved (Halo)
• Sister Rosetta Tharpe–Walking Up the King’s Highway (Savoy)
• Ella Fitzgerald–Savoy Truffle (Reprise)
• Soul Rhythm Band–Mama’s Little Baby (Capitol)
• Marlena Shaw–California Soul (Cadet)
• The Soul Runners–Chittlin’ Salad (MoSoul)
• The Dee Felice Trio–In Heat (Bethleham)
• El Chicano–Eleanor Rigby (Kapp)
• Guitar Jr.–Go to the Mardi Gras (Capitol)
• Dr. John–Right Place Wrong Time (Atco; USA)
• The Odds and Ends–Foot Track (Today)
• Marva Whitney–Giving Up on Love (T-Neck)
• Bobby Byrd–Back From the Dead (International Brothers)
• Perez Prado y su Orquesta–Mambo Bump (Orfeon; Mexico)
• The Latinaires–Ya Llegaron (Fania)
• Prince Buster and the All Stars–Humpty Dumpty (Prince Buster; Jamaica)
• Sarah Vaughan–Fever (Mercury)
• The Shirelles–Sha-La-La (Scepter)
• Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez–Tweetie Pie (Roulette)
• Larry Butler–Lady Madonna (Imperial)
• The Staple Singers–I’ll Fly Away (Bishop)
• Little Richard–He Got What He Wanted (But He Lost What He Had) (Mercury)
• The Golden Nugget–Gospel Train (Cotillion – Religious Series)
• Tito Puente & His Orch.–Africa Habla (Tico)
• Earl Grant–House of Bamboo (Decca)
• Jackie Thompson–Fool on the Hill (Columbia)
• Rodger Collins–Foxy Girls in Oakland (Galaxy)
• The Deltas featuring Lee Gaines–Work Song (Philips)
• Ike & Tina Turner–Tra La La La La (Sue)
• Ray Charles and His Orchestra with the Raelets–Smack Dab in the Middle (ABC-Paramount)
• Bill Allen Trio–Money (Vee Jay)
• Jon Thomas–Tizzy (Junior)
• Big Maybelle–Eleanor Rigby (Rojac)
• Eddie Jacobs–Peter Cottontail (Marlu)
• The Impressions–You’ve Got Me Runnin’ (ABC)
• The Charleston Esquires–Groovin’ Is Easy (Mamoth)
• Catfish Knight & the Blue Express–See Saw (Verve)
• The Soulstirrers–Resting Easy (Checker)
• The Salem Travelers–Wade in the Water (Halo)
• Aretha Franklin–Are You Sure (Columbia)
• Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra–Bunny Hop Mambo (Capitol)
• Chris Powell and the Blue Flames–Unchained Melody-mambo (Groove)
• Rocki Lane and the Gross Group–Santa Soul (Epic)
• The Presidents–Snoopy (DeLuxe)
• Singing Sam & His Sparks–Box Lunch (Lucky)
• Dee Jay and the Runaways–Peter Rabbit (Smash)
• Candy & the Kisses–The Last Time (Scepter)
• Little Stevie Wonder–Contract on Love (Tamla)
• Monty–Un Verre de Whisky (Barclay; France)
• Ace Cannon–Drunk (Hi)
• The Gents–The Bigger the Cushion (The Better the Pushin’) (Paramont)
• The Violinaires–I’m Feeling Good (Checker)
• The Sweet Chariot Singers–Good Time (Columbia)
• Sister Rosetta Tharpe–That’s All (Verve)
• Willie Bobo–Be’s That Way (Tico)
• Lyn Tait & the Jets; Leslie Butler on organ–The Hip Hug (Gay Feet/Dub Store; Japan)
• Jun Mayuzumi–Tsumi Na Hito (Capitol; Japan)
• Major Lance—Um, Um, Um, Um, Um ,Um (OKeh)
• Tommy Strand–I Wanna Testify (Fame)
• Young-Holt Unlimited–Super Fly (Paula)
• Ray Bryant Combo; calls by Eddie Morrison–The Madison Time – Part I (Columbia)
• Junior Mance Trio–You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (Trend)
• Hank Marr–Down in the Bottom (King)
• Shelly Manne & His Men–Peter Gunn (Contemporary)
• Monk Higgins–Vee Pea (Dunhill)
• Albert Collins–Backstroke (Hall)
• The Skatalites–Adissa-Baba (Coxson; Jamaica)
• Linval Thompson–Kung Fu Man (Clocktower; Jamaica)
• The Diamonds–Just Can’t Figure Out (Attack; UK)
• Manu Dibango–Dangwa (Atlantic)
• Aillacara 2743–Cumbia Yerba Buena (Names You Can Trust)
• Los Pico Pico–Caperuza (Fuentes; Ecuador)
• The Latin Brothers–Bella Cumbia (Fuentes)
• Donato–The Frog (Blue Thumb; France)
• Woody Herman and the Herd–The Duck (O Pato) (Columbia)
• Herbie Mann–Harlem Nocturn (Atlantic)

None of these records are for sale.

The first weekend of April was a wild one for DJ Pete Pop. He started it out Friday night, spinning his boss sounds at The Silk Factory in Newburgh. The Silk Factory is located in a great big brick building that was constructed in 1910 and to house an actual silk factory. Now it’s a great big, multi-space, event venue, restaurant and probably an art gallery. Anyway, on this night, Pete Pop swung the joint, standing on the stage which was placed on the back of an old pickup truck.

On Saturday, Pete Pop dragged his turntables and records over to The Colony in Woodstock for the Hawk’s Nest Shop’s Vintage Market and Rock ’n’ Roll Dance Party. The Colony is one of the area’s premier music venues. In fact, our pals The Daddy Long Legs are going to play there in a few weeks (which reminds me I should get tickets before it sells out!). The event was fun, with dealers selling all sorts of vintage clothes, tiki mugs, jewelry, records and such, but the dimly lit room made it nearly impossible to see the fabulous stuff that was for sale. However, Pete Pop had no problems playing his fabulous records. They sounded terrific in the room. When Pete Pop needed a breather, he asked Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to spell him, which he was happy to do, playing Pete’s records!

The next day was Sunday, which means Funky Brunch at Mama Roux day! Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was asked to fall in and spin some jams and he did that with glee. The place was full of Funky Brunchers and the music Pete Pop and The Phast Man played had them all boppin’ their heads as they chewed their vittles. At the end of the Brunch, the chef put out some fried chicken, biscuits with gravy and a salad for the Mama Roux crew and the DJs were happy to partake.

By the way, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus will be swingin’ at the Funky Brunch on the next two Sundays. On April 9th (Easter Sunday), DJ Pete Pop has to cut out early, so The Boog will be there most of the day. On the 16th (Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday), DJ Pete Pop will be out of town, so The Boog will be flying solo. Don’t miss out on the fun and excitement of the Funky Brunch—especially don’t miss out on Mama Roux’s excellent food!!

Here’s a list of all the records Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus played at the Funky Brunch, held on April 2, 2023.

• Alfredo Mendez–Tropical Moonglow (Romance Gitano) (S.M.C. Pro-Arte)
• Mongo Santamaria–Sugar Cane Hombre (Columbia)
• Cal Tjader–China Nights (Verve)
• The Dixie Cups–Iko Iko (Red Bird)
• Lord Hummingbird and His Orchestra–Beloved Kennedy (Hummingbird)
• The Soul Providers–Soul Jasper (Desco)
• Earth Wind & Fire–Fan the Fire (Warner Bros.)
• The Undisputed Truth–Mama I Gotta Brand New Thing (Don’t Say No) (Gordy)
• Black Blood–A.I.E. (A Mwana) (Mainstream)
• Black Heat–Drive My Car (Atlantic)
• Eddie Kendricks–Keep on Truckin’ (Part 1) (Tamla)
• Albert Collins–Do the Sissy (Imperial)
• Lloyd Charmers–Come See About Me (Randys)
• Sugarman Three–Solid Funk (Soul Fire)
• Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez–Hot Chocolate (Roulette)
• El Chicano–Eleanor Rigby (Kapp)
• Sonora en Bogata de Cesar Pompeyo–Pescao (Son Art; Mexico)
• De-Opels–I Started a Joke (Straker’s)
• Perez Prado–Tivoli Mambo (Discos RAFF; Mexico)
• Otis Zee and the Sumbuka Band–Funky Christmas (Stem)
• O’Jays–Back Stabbers (Philadelphia International)
• Gwen McCrae–Rockin’ Chair (Cat)
• Tappa Zukie–Man a Warrior (Stars; Jamaica)
• Napoleon Demps–Norma Jean (Daptone)
• Michael Olatunji–Gin-Go-Lo-Ba (Drums of Passion) (Columbia)
• Chris Powell and His Five Blue Flames–I Come From Jamaica (Spanish Town; UK)
• Danny Freeman and the Soul Superiors–Jungle Walk (Do That Jungle Talk Too) (W.S.J.)
• Wee Willie & the Winners–Get Some (Shotgun)
• Aretha Franklin–Jump (Atlantic)
• Jay Berliner–Papa Was a Rolling Stone (Mainstream)
• Blackbyrds–Do It Fluid (Fantasy)
• Mickey & the Soul Generation–Football (Maxwell)
• Delroy Wilson–It’s a Shame (Hot Shot)
• The Ohio Players–Find Someone to Love (Capitol)
• Earl Van Dyke & the Soul Brothers–I Can’t Help Myself (Soul)
• Dick Hyman and ‘The Group’–Respect (Command)
• Eddie Jefferson–Psychedelic Sally (Prestige)
• Nappy Brown–Noonie-Boonie (Savoy)
• Nick Waterhouse & the Turn-Keys–Some Place (Pres)
• Joe Bataan–It’s a Good Feeling (Riot) Part 1 (Fania)
• The Blazers–Boo-Ga-Loo (Winley)
• The Marvelettes–Keep Off No Trespassing (Tamla)
• Nino Ferrer–Le Roi D’Angleterre (Riviera; Canada)
• Judy White–Vacuum Cleaner (T-Neck)
• Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings–Come and Be a Winner (Daptone)
• Harvey Averne Band–Stand (Fania)
• Liz Lands–Midnight Johnny (Gordy)
• Lowell Fulsom–Tramp (Kent)
• Ramblers Dance Band–Grazing in the Grass (Decca; UK)
• The New Apocalypse–Last Train to Liverpool (MTA)

None of these records are for sale.

This is The GO Mechanism: an audio odyssey hosted by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus who will be your captain on this magic sailing ship, taking you on a journey through the essence of your being. G. O. GO! The “G” is for Groove, and in order to keep the groove groovin’, we don’t slow down to back announce records. If you are interested in the trash heard on the show, the track listing is below. The “O” stands for O’Rooney, an intangible force that puts the OO into “Cool.” Every GO Mechanism is assembled employing a classified superlaphonic method that is uniquely engineered to contain Groove and O’Rooney.

This GO Mechanism will initially stream over the Luxuria Music web hustle in the Saturday Night Special time-slot on March 11, then it will unlax as a Luxuria Music podcast for a few weeks; soon after it will be posted on the Mixclouds and here in The Boogaloo Bag.

In the middle of the program there will be a Science Corner, where we discuss a musical entity of some note. Today we will discuss the great Rhythm & Blues songwriter Rudy Toombs. We’ll start there…

—SCIENCE CORNER—

Rudolph Toombs was born in Monroe, LA in 1914 and grew up in Philadelphia before moving to Harlem. Before writing songs, he was a tap dancer at many of the local night clubs and theaters. He also appeared in a few films, including one that starred Louis Jordan. By the end of the forties, he was writing songs that were getting cut by such R&B stars as Wynonie Harris.

Toombs had several minor cuts under his belt when Ruth Brown recorded his “Teardrops From My Eyes,” which became a Number One R&B hit for eleven weeks in 1950. His career was on his way from that day forward.

Rudy Toombs’ most famous song is “One Mint Julep.” It was recorded by a vocal group from Washington, D.C. called The Clovers on December 19, 1951. During the spring of the next year it climbed to Number Two on the R&B chart. The song that kept it from being Number One was a song he wrote for Ruth Brown, “5-10-15 Hours.” During the fifties, “One Mint Julep” was rerecorded by Buddy Morrow, The Johnny Otis & the Jayos, and Chet Atkins. In 1962, Ray Charles recorded an instrumental version that was a Number One R&B hit and even went Top Ten pop. The song has since been recorded by around a hundred different artists.

For about a dozen years, Rudy Toombs was a hot songwriter for many great Rhythm & Blues artists including Amos Milburn, Otis Williams & the Charms, Little Willie John, Freddie King, Annie Laurie, Louis Jordan, James Brown, Big Joe Turner and Hank Ballard. Most of his songs were recorded by artists on three of the top R&B labels of the fifties: King (and its affiliates, DeLuxe and Federal), Atlantic and Aladdin, but they also landed on Gotham, OKeh and Savoy.

We would be remiss if we did not note here that the song “I’m Shakin’” was written by Rudy Toombs. It was first recorded by Little Willie John in December 1959 and released the next year. It was then re-released a couple years later with added percussion; both releases were by King Records. About 20 years later, the American music band The Blasters recorded it and had great success with it. Another version, by The Ron Thompson Trio was recorded probably around the same time as The Blasters, and in the last twenty years, the song has been cut more than a dozen times.

Also, Rudy Toombs excelled at writing Rhythm & Booze songs. Dig this list of some of them:

Barfly—The Orioles (1952)
Fatback and Corn Liquor—Louis Jordan (1955)
Half Pint-A-Whiskey—Young John Watson (1954)
I Done Done It—Amos Milburn (Amos Milburn)
Nip Sip—The Clovers (1955)
One Mint Julep—The Clovers (1952)
One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer—Amos Milburn (1953)
One, Two, Three Everybody—Amos Milburn (1954)

During The Science Corner we will hear “Fatback and Corn Liquor” by Louis Jordan, “Miss Mosey,”as sung by the songwriter, and Thurston Harris‘ rockin’ version of “One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer.” The talk-over music is Willie Mitchell‘s version of “One Mint Julep.”

In 1962, Rudy Toombs was beaten up on a street in Harlem and it damaged his brain. He died of his injuries soon after.

—MORE GO!—

“Miss Joan and Mr. Sam” is the flip side of The Ronettes’ “Baby, I Love You.” It is an instrumental and does not feature any Ronette whatsoever, although the track is credited to them. It’s really a recording by a group of Los Angeles session musicians, known as The Wrecking Crew, playing post bop jazz; most likely the kind of music they would rather be playing than the pop music they were paid to play. Record producer Phil Spector often placed a “throw-away” instrumental on the B-side of his records in order for the A-side to be emphasized. He didn’t want some DJ to flip a record over and turn a B-side into a hit, which has happened on occasion; Spector wanted to pick the hit. The Boogaloo Bag writers and The GO Mechanism producers do not claim to be Spector experts, but they will posit that the players on this track are either Nino Tempo or Steve Douglas on saxophone (maybe both), Barney Kessel on guitar, Carol Kaye on bass and Hal Blaine on drums. Spector must have asked them to play two minutes of jazz as it fades exactly at the two-minute mark. If a reader has definitive knowledge on this track, please post it in the comments below.

Throughout the sixties drummer Sandy Nelson recorded instrumental records that featured songs that were on the charts at the time, as well as some original songs. Sometimes the cover songs were interesting. Usually, the originals were the best songs on the albums. This version of “Sunshine of Your Love” has been turned into a rockin’ organ groove.

“Sunshine of Your Love” is the first of several, for lack of a better term, “classic rock” songs that have been re-recorded and aired during this show. The others, later in the program, include “I Can’t Quit Her,” a song originally recorded by Al Kooper’s Blood, Sweat & Tears and “I’m Tired,” a song by Savoy Brown. It is often noted that rock artists are fond of cutting R&B and blues songs. These two are examples of just the opposite. This version of “Quit” is by Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band. Washington was an African American serving in the Air Force and stationed in England during the sixties. Washington was an authentic American Soul singer who played to his Mod audience. (The song “Geno” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners is about him. Also, don’t confuse him with Gino Washington, an excellent Detroit-based R&B singer from the same time period.) “I’m Tired” is by Little Milton, the great blues singer/guitarist who made a ton of great records, first for Sun, then Bobbin, Checker, Stax and Malaco. Although the arrangements are not too different from the originals, both songs benefit from strong vocal performances.

The Martini Kings are lead by our friend and bass player Tony Marsico. The band plays heavy, heavy Space Age Bachelor Pad Music, usually with a vibraphonist. For the album Groovin’, Marsico and percussionist Bob Conti are joined by guitarist Doug Macdonald, a veteran jazz cat who has been around the block. “Killer Joe (Reprise)” is the Benny Golson jazz standard with a spoken word bit by Mr. Marsico. We dig it.

Jimmy Takeuchi was a Japanese drummer. During the sixties and seventies he made a series of drum-heavy instrumental records that would feature hits of the day along with his own originals; sort of Japan’s answer to Sandy Nelson. For some reason, many of his albums were called Drum Drum Drum and feature women in bikinis on the cover. The album with his cool version of “Alligator Boogaloo” is no exception…

Every episode of The GO Mechanism features a version of “Caravan,” the Duke Ellington/Juan Tizol composition that must have been recorded by about a thousand different artists (See The Science Corner in GO #3 for more on the song). For this episode we present a version by another great drummer: Bernard “Pretty” Purdy. He has played on as many records as there are versions of “Caravan;” maybe more, as he was one prolific drummer during his prime. His version of “Caravan” is a big fave at The GO Mechanism studios—it’s rockin’ and wailin’ drumming overpowers everything else in the world!

Another song that has been recorded many times—also, another song that may be considered “classic rock”—is “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones. The GO Mechanism presents here a version by the great British R&B/pop group Manfred Mann. Played as an instrumental, this was arranged by Jack Bruce, who also played bass on it.

Over the last several years, there has been a trend toward having bonus tracks on reissues of popular albums. We have some examples in this episode of The GO Mechanism by these artists: Love, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band and The Velvet Underground. All three are backing tracks sans the original vocals, as The GO Mechanism likes to specialize in instrumentals. The third example, “The Gift,” originally had a story recited by Velvets’ member John Cale. Instead we have the first two and a half pages of the short story The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner by the British author Allan Stillitoe. It is read by our in-house narrator Oweinama Biu.

Aki Aleong is an interesting cat. He was a character actor in movies and TV shows during the fifties and sixties, and also made records, as an artist, songwriter and producer. He may have had an ownership stake in Pan World Records, too. In 1959 he co-wrote and produced one of the Greatest Records Of All Time, “Shombalor” by Sheriff and the Ravels. In 1963 he released an album of surf music called Come Surf With Me, from whence comes our selection, “Earthquake.” We don’t have the LP, but we were able to obtain “Earthquake” on an Australian 45.

The Birds were arguably one of the greatest British beat bands of all time. The band’s power equalled that of The Who. Unfortunately, the group only released four singles during its short life. In 1999, a compilation of all the singles, plus some unreleased tracks and demos, was released in Europe. Called The Collector’s Guide to Rare British Birds, it is where we were able to obtain one of two versions of “Run, Run, Run,” a song by The Who! Today, The Birds are mostly remembered as the first band of a fellow named Ronnie Wood.

When it was recorded (January 1966) and released, Batman and Robin was considered a cheesy exploitation album by The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale. Over the last twenty years or so it has become an object of legend after it was revealed that the musicians who made it include members of The Sun Ra Arkestra and The Blues Project. How did these two diverse entities come together? The producer was Tom Wilson, who had worked with both. It must have meant very little to the musicians who recorded it as those involved don’t seem to discuss it much. Al Kooper, who was a member of The Blues Project at the time, doesn’t even mention it in any of his memoirs. However, there are some boss sounds on the album, as the listener can witness with one listen to “Robin’s Theme.”

“Hot Butter ’n All Part 2” is the backing track to “Part 1” by the great, but largely unheard-of, Lou Courtney. He was a journeyman soul artist/songwriter/producer who we will feature in a future Science Corner, but for now, suffice it to say that he was involved with the careers of Jerry Lee Lewis, Freddie & the Dreamers, Bonnie Raitt and The Fifth Dimension. When we feature him in The Science Corner we will hear “Part 1.”

To close this episode of The GO Mechanism, we present one of the Greatest Records Of All Time, Eddie Kirk’s “The Grunt.” This is raw, screaming-and-banging-on-shit at it’s best. Eddie Kirkland was born in Jamaica and grew up in Alabama. After serving in the Army during World War II, he lived in Detroit, where he became a second guitarist for John Lee Hooker; Kirkland plays on many of Hooker’s recordings made in the early fifties. Under his own name—either as Eddie Kirkland or Eddie Kirk—he cut tracks for a host of record companies, including RPM, King, Fortune and Lu Pine.

During sessions recorded on December 8, 1961 and March 9, 1962, he cut enough material with King Curtis and his band that it was released on an album called It’s the Blues Man. Up to that point, only a handfull of singles were issued by him—most of them are now impossible to find. Although he cut eight tracks for Lu Pine (circa 1959/60), only a single was issued; the other tracks came out on a compilation during the late seventies or early eighties. In the early sixties, Kirkland somehow made his way to Macon, Georgia, where he hooked up with Otis Redding and became the guitarist for Redding’s touring band. This brought him to the attention of Stax records, who recorded two singles that were issued on the subsidiary Volt label.

In 1968, Kirkland was back in Detroit, where he cut “The Grunt,” a remarkable accomplishment in audio history. The excited girls you hear screeching during the record are his young daughters—Betty Ann, Jo Ann and Geraldine Kirkland.

During the seventies, Kirkland took to wearing a turban and he recorded for several independent labels. On February 27, 2011, Eddie Kirkland died when the car he was driving was hit by a Greyhound bus as he was trying to make a u-turn somewhere in Florida.

The graphic image used in the poster for this episode’s GO Mechanism is by our friend David Allan. A British cat, we first met him in the Hollywood punk rock scene of the late seventies. He was a photographer and graphic designer for Slash Magazine and he designed album covers. He moved to New York City in 1980 and we were able to reconnect with him when the Boogaloo Bag writers moved to Brooklyn in the nineties. When he moved to Spain a few years ago, we were able to obtain some of his paintings, including the one used here, called Red Rotator. It is viewable anyway you look at it. Dig more of his work here.

After The GO Mechanism initially airs on the Luxuria Musics—this one on Saturday, March 11— it will be available as a podcast for a few weeks. Look for the Saturday Night Special dated 3/12/2023. Once it falls off the Lux Mu podcast hustle, it will be posted on the Mixclouds as well as here in the Boogaloo Bag. Luxuria Music is a swingin’ thing that deserves your support. Visit it often. Listen to the many cool shows. If you dig the scene, contribute monetarily. Keep Lux Mu alive!

All the tracks played in GO Mechanism Number Fifteen:

• Earl Bostic—Lester Leaps In (King)
• Sonny Rollins Quintet featuring Thelonious Monk—The Way You Look Tonight (from LP Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins; Prestige)
• The Ronettes (The Wrecking Crew)—Miss Joan and Mr. Sam (Philles)
• Sandy Nelson—Sunshine of Your Love (from LP Rebirth of the Beat; Imperial)
• Martini Kings and Doug MacDonald—Killer Joe (reprise) (from album Groovin!!!; Swingomatic)
• Jimmy Takeuchi & His Exciters—Alligator Boogaloo (from LP Drum Drum Drum; Toshiba; Japan)
• Love—A House Is Not a Motel (backing track) (from album Forever Changes: Collector’s Edition; Rhino/Elektra)
• Toño Quirazco—Soul Makossa (Orfeon; Mexico)
• Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band—I Can’t Quit Her (Pye; UK)
• Tito Puente—Ti Mon Bo (RCA Victor)
• —“The Owl” by Edward Thomas, recited by Dylan Thomas
• Pretty Purdie—Caravan (Date)
• The Sheldons—The Cat (Dot)
• Hank Ballard—Do It Zulu Style (King)
• Babatunde Olatunji—Dye Ko Dide (from LP High Life; Columbia)
• Afrosound—Banana Ticoco (Discos Fuentes; Colombia)
• Manfred Mann—(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (from LP The Soul of Mann; His Master’s Voice; UK)
• Booker T & the M.G.’s—Outrage (Stax)
• Sharp Hawks—Tsuite oide [ Follow Me ] (from EP 遠い渚; King; Japan)
• Little Milton—I’m Tired (Checker)
• Son Rompe Pera—Tortuga Del Arenal (from album Batuca; Aya; Europe)
• Della Reese—Compared to What (Avco Embassy)
• —science corner—
• Louis Jordan—Fat Back and Corn Liquor (Aladdin)
• Willie Mitchell—One Mint Julep (Hi)
• Rudy Toombs with the Johnny Moore and the Blazers—Miss Mosey (Blaze)
• Thurston Harris—One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer (Aladdin)
• Andres Batista—Campanela Gitana (from EP Ritmo Flamecno; Regal/EMI; Spain)
• Lord Kitchner—Dr. Kitch (Jump Up; UK)
• Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band—Clear Spot (instrumental-edit) (from LP Clear Spot; Reprise)
• Chicos Del Barrio—Cumbia de Los Pajaritos (from album Colors Music Presents: Cumbia)
• Aki Aleon and the Nobles—Earthquake (Festival; Australia)
• Steve Allen—Ma-Mah Limbo (Dot)
• Velvet Underground—The Gift (instrumental) (from album White Light/White Heat: Super Deluxe; Verve)
• Spoken: first two and a half pages of Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, a novel by Allan Sillitoe, read by Oweinama Biu (GO Mechanism exclusive)
• The Birds—Run, Run, Run (alternate version from album The Collector’s Guide to Rare British Birds; Deram; UK)
• Quintet Plus—Grits ’n Grease (SVR)
• The Time Zone—Space Walker (White Whale)
• The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale—Robin’s Theme (from album Batman and Robin; Tipton)
• The Golden Cups—Hiwa-Mata-Noboru (Capitol; Japan)
• Mr. C & Funck Junction—Hot Butter ’n All Part 2 (Hurdy-Gurdy)
• Ernie Fields—Teen Flip (Rendezvous)
• Mike Pedicine Quintet—St. James Infirmary (Apollo)
• Curtis Mayfield—Freddie’s Dead (Boogaloo Edit) (Curtom)
• Eddie Kirk—The Grunt (Fortune)

None of these records are for sale.

Spoken word:
The Owl by Edward Thomas, recited by Dylan Thomas
The first two and a half pages of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner by Allan Sillitoe, read by Owienima Biu

This GO Mechanism is available for your auditory enjoyment right here, right now:

Astute Boogaloo Bag readers should know by now that our pal DJ Pete Pop hosts the Funky Brunch at Mama Roux every Sunday. About once a month he invites Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to join him. He was invited once again on February 19. That Sunday just happened to land a few days before Fat Tuesday—the day that the Mardi Gras takes place every year in the geographical locations that celebrate it. Since Mama Roux is a New Orleans-themed restaurant it was only fitting for Mama’s owner, Miss Sterling Knight, to arrange a Mardi Gras-themed event for the day. She was able to bring the Mardi Gras magic to a few blocks of downtown Newburgh, NY.

This Newburgh Mardi Gras event commenced with the Funky Brunch at Mama’s. This involved DJ Pete Pop and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus playing cool, rhythmic records as folks take nourishment in the wonderful food that Mama’s serves. With the Mardi Gras theme, The Boog played a preponderance of R&B records that were recorded in New Orleans, or by musicians from New Orleans, or are about New Orleans, or are New Orleans-adjacent (ie, zydeco) plus some calypso records (the West Indies also celebrate Mardi Gras). You get the picture.

However, that was not all that was going on that day. A couple other local clubs were persuaded to get into the Mardi Gras spirit. This included The Wherehouse, a pub-like bar a block away down Liberty Street, and the Spirits Lab, a large, hanger-like bar that features custom distilled spirits.

At the Sprits Lab, not only did they have an artist painting people’s faces and a pizza food truck, but it also had our friend and hero Josh Styles spinning records in the afternoon. He had also DJed the night before at Toasted, another bar in downtown Newburgh for a related event.

At The Wherehouse, a band called The Working Dogs rocked the house, playing mostly New Orleans second line-style rhythms.

When Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Boogaloo Bag photographer Miss Nancy showed up at Mama Roux that morning, Pete Pop had just finished setting up and was starting to play records. The Boog took over so that Pete could go down to the Spirits Lab and help set up the sound system there. After he returned, The Boog and Miss Nancy went down to the Spirits Lab to visit with Mr. Styles, who was playing some bangin’ rekkids!

The Funky Brunch ended around 5. We then walked down to The Wherehouse, where Miss Sterling was rounding up folks for a parade up the street to Mama Roux, where Mardi Gras festivities would continue. The members of The Working Dogs were part of the parade, banging on things, playing through battery-operated amps and leading the parade-goers in “hey-pocky-way” chants. Also, some drag queens were involved.

Back at Mama’s, the place was packed. The Working Dogs set up and played more New Orleans style music until about 8:30. There was a brief drag queen event, then DJ Pete Pop spun a few boss records before giving way to Josh Styles.

Josh Styles has not been involved with DJing as much as he once was. Around fifteen years ago the Smashed! Blocked! discotheque party of Boss Sounds was the most fantastic dance party going in New York City. These days, though, he’s too busy for all that. As one of the owners and operators of Rebel Rouser—a Brooklyn record store—he is constantly on the hunt for records to sell there. Plus, Daddy Long Legs, the super boss blues band he drums with, has been touring and recording heavily. A new album and another tour is in the works. So Mr. Styles’ DJ activities have not been as prolific as they once were; which is a shame because Mr. Styles is hands-down the best DJ of Boss Sounds on the planet. He proved that once again on the Saturday night at Toasted and then Sunday night at Mama Roux. It’s possible that other DJs may have better records than Mr. Styles, but no one can spin them as well. Where others may play fabulous records, Mr. Styles plays records fabulously. The difference may be subtle, but those who know appreciate the thought process that goes into Mr. Styles’ style.

Below is a list of the fabulous records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at The Funky Brunch, Mardi Gras edition:

• Mac Rebennack and the Soul Orch.–The Point (AFO)
• James Booker–Smacksie (Peacock)
• Muvva (guitar) Hubbard and the Stompers–Congo Mombo (ABC-Paramount)
• Los Pentagonos–Muy Duro (Up Hard) (Musart; Mexico)
• Jimmy McGriff–Chip!! Chip!! (Jell)
• Albert King–This Morning (King)
• Billy Clark & His Orchestra–Hot Gravy (Dynamo)
• Chico and Buddy–Can You Dig It (Tay-Ster)
• Jerry Jackson–Shrimp Boats (Jamaican Ska) (Columbia)
• Lord Nelson with the Dem Boys Orch.–I Got a Itch (Dem Boys)
• Jessie Hill–Oogsey Moo (Minit)
• Leonard Lee–Miss Lulu’s Wig (Trumpet)
• Eddie (Guitar Slim) Jones–Certainly All (J-B)
• Professor Longhair and his Blues Scholars–Tipitina (Atlantic)
• Roland Stone–I Can’t Help It (Ace)
• Elton Anderson–Sick and Tired (Lanor)
• Smiley Lewis–I Hear You Knockin’ (Imperial)
• Clifton Chenier–Keep a Knockin’ (The Crazy Cajun)
• Theresa Blake–I Quit My Knockin’ (Excello)
• David Douglas–Wa-Wa Guitar Man Part I (Hep’ Me)
• Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolia Mardi Gras Indian Band–Handa Wanda Pt. I (Crescent City)
• Diamond Joe–The ABC Song (Deesu)
• Dr. John the Night Tripper–I Walk on Guilded Splinters – Part I (Atco)
• The Pitter Pats–It Do Me Good Pt. 1 (instant)
• Lee Dorsey–Organ Grinder Swing (Constellation)
• Jimmy Beasley–Jambalaya (Modern)
• “Candy” Phillips–Timber – Part II (Atlantic)
• Roger & the Gypsies–Pass the Hatchet Part 1 (Seven B)
• Lou Donaldson–Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On) (Blue Note)
• James Booker–Big Nick (Peacock)
• Earl King–Come On – Part I (Imperial)
• Huey Smith & the Clowns–He’s Back Again (Constellation)
• Art Neville–Cha Dooky-Doo (Specialty)
• Shirley & Lee–Come on and Have Your Fun (Aladdin)
• Rockin’ Uncle Potts–Hey La-Ba’s (Goldband)
• Professor Longhair–Big Chief – Part 2 (Watch)
• Fats Domino–Wigs (ABC-Paramount)
• Lee Dorsey–Can You Hear Me (Amy)
• Lester Young–New Orleans (Barry)
• Wild Tchoupitoulas–Brother John (Island)
• Huey “Piano” Smith & His Clowns–Rockin’ Pneumonia Part I (Cotillion)
• Willie Wright and His Sparklers–Gibble Gobble (Federal)
• Oliver Morgan–Who Shot the Lala (GNP Crescendo)
• Tommy Ridgley–Double Eye Whammy (Ric)
• Champion Jack Dupree–Shake Baby Shake (Vik)
• K.C. Russell–Younka Chunka (Uptown)
• Huey ‘Piano’ Smith and His Clowns–Don’t You Know Yockomo (Ace)
• Sugar Boy–Jock-A-Mo (Checker)
• The Meters–Look-Ka Py Py (Josie)
• Lee Dorsey–Yes We Can – Part I (Polydor)
• Richard Jackson–Fishcakes & Frybread (Supreme)
• Clifton Chenier–Zydeco Cha Cha (Bayou)
• Rockin Sidney–Let’s Go to the Fais Do-Do (Goldband)
• Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames–Blue Monday (Imperial)
• Jessie Hill–My Children My Children (Chess)
• Earl King–Trick Bag (Imperial)
• Tommy Ridgely–Jam Up (Atlantic)
• Aaron Neville–Space Man (Parlo)
• Lee Diamond–Mama Loochie (Vee Jay)
• The Jolly Jax–Tiphe Tina (Cookin’)
• Lee Dorsey–Working in the Coal Mine (Amy)
• Bobby Stone–Hoodoo Man (DreaM)
• Dave Bartholomew–Junk Man (Broadmoor)
• Slim Harpo–Tip On In Part 1 (Excello)
• Eugene Morgan–It’s Your Voodoo Working (Full Sail)
• Fats Domino–Lady Madonna (Reprise)
• Larry Williams–Rockin’ Pneumonia (Specialty)
• Harold Battiste Jr.–This Is How We Do It in New Orleans (Uptown)
• Eddie Bo–Let’s Let It Roll (Chess)
• Young William and the Jamaicans–Limbo Drum Part II (Dimension)
• Olatunji–Saturday Night Limbo (Columbia)
• Kinglsey Swan and the Calypso Islanders–Bulldog Don’t Bite Me (Bermuda; Bermuda)
• Roger King Mozian His Trumpet and Orchestra–Fire Down Below (Decca)
• Sugar Boy–She’s Gotta Wobble (When She Walks) (Imperial)
• Eddie Bo–Hey Bo (Apollo)
• Willie West–You Told Me (Frisco)
• Champion Jack Dupree–Ba’ La Fouche (Blue Horizon; UK)
• The Meters–Fire on the Bayou (Reprise; UK)
• The Dixie Cups–Two-Way-Poc-A-Way (ABC-Paramount)
• The Wild Tchoupitoulas–Hey Hey (Indians Comin’) (Antilles)
• Sherlock Holmes Investigation–The Pot’s Hot (C.R.S.)
• Smokey Johnson & Company–The Funkie Moon (Intrepid)
• Dr. John the Night Tripper–Mama Roux (Atco)
• Lee Dorsey–Sneakin’ Sally Thru the Alley (Polydor)
• Earl King–Street Parade Pt. 1 (Kansu)
• Professor Longhair–Go to the Mardi Gras (Ron)

None of these records are for sale. Please note that the smaller photos will expand upon selection.

DJ Pete Pop’s Do The 45 shindig is usually the last Friday of the month at Quinn’s in Beacon, NY. For some reason, the folks at Quinn’s decided to move it up a week to the third Friday. Under normal circumstances this may not have been such a big deal. However, due to some serious Mardi Gras activities that involved Pete Pop heavily that weekend, it became a bit of a burden on him. On the Saturday night our friend Josh Styles (of Daddy Long Legs) joined Pete Pop at a Newburgh joint called Toasted. On Sunday, Pete hosted the Funky Brunch with Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus; plus a night time Mardi Gras celebration took place, also at Mama Roux, that included Josh Styles. Man, it was a wild weekend!

Originally, our friend Peanut Butter Brown was supposed to be guest DJ at Do The 45 when it was scheduled for the 24th of February. When the event was moved to the 17th, he was no longer available and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was called in to sub for him. This was not a problem, as The Boog had about a week to assemble records for it.

This particular Do The 45 was a gasser. It is especially fabulous when so many friends and local dignitaries make the scene. Among the notables in attendance were Hudson Valley radio personalities Paula & Amanda (of The Paula & Amanda Show on WVKR) and Peter Aaron (Go Go Kitty show on Radio Kingston WKNY). Also on hand was the exciting Go Go dancer Sheba Shake and her artistic gyrations were observed with awe.

All night, these and other local scenesters bopped and frolicked to the fabulous records spun by host Pete Pop. Miss Nancy made her signature vegan brownies as well as what she called Tiki Martian Fudge—which included pecans, coconut shavings, cherries and pineapple bits. Its tutti fruiti flavor may make it the best batch of fudge she has ever produced! By the end of the night, all of it was gone.

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus contributed by playing boss records whenever Pete Pop told him to. At the end of the night, DJ Pete Pop and The Boog each took a turntable and alternated discs–which resulted in a duel of Spanish language records for a while! Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at Do The 45:

• Ernie Fields–Teen Flip (Rendezvous)
• Bobby Gregg–Walk On (Epic)
• Johnny & the Hurricanes–James Bond Theme (Big Top)
• Richard Anthony–Il Te Faudra Chercher (Keep Searchin’) (Columbia; France)
• Claire Francis–I’ve Got My Own Thing Going (United Artists)
• The Haunted–Searching for My Baby (Trans World; Canada)
• Blue–Sad ‘Bout Us (Iris)
• Jean Mays–Dew Drop Inn (Diamond)
• The Contours–Shake Sherry (Gordy)
• Les Ingoes–Viens Danser Le Monkiss (Riviera; France)
• The Buttons–Popeye Does the Mashed Potatoes (Columbia; Japan)
• Les Geminis–Diane (Phonodisque; Canada)
• Howlin’ Wolf–Oh Red (Chess)
• The Guitar Ramblers–Surf Beat (Columbia)
• Bruno Lomas–Corre Corre (Keep on Running) (Regal; Spain)
• David Clayton Thomas–Boom Boom (Atca; Canada)
• Los Mustang–Verano en la Ciudad (La Voz de Si Amo; Spain)
• Lue Cazz–The Walk (Vee Jay)
• Carl ‘Little Rev’ Lattimore–Carl’s Dance Party (Capitol)
• Johnny Talbot, His Band and the Four Rivers–Whatcha Wanna Do Part 1 (Red Fire)
• Jay Bee Bryant–Bony Maronie (Josie)
• Alpha Zoe–Da Doo Ron Ron (Hit)
• Jr. Walker and the All Stars–Do the Boomerang (Soul)
• Lelan Rogers and Friends–Hold It (Part 1) (Lynn)
• Fantastic Dee-Jays–Fight Fire (Tri Power)
• Traffic Sound–Fire (Mag; Peru)
• The Pharaohs–The Friendly Martian (Chattahoochee)
• The Teen Beats–Big Bad Boss Beat (Original Sound)
• The Artesians–Trick Bag (Norton)
• Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band–Frying Pan (A&M)
• The Lyres–Help You Ann (Ace of Hearts)
• Fleshtones–The Dreg (Fleshtone – 77) (Illegal; France)
• Floyd Dakil Combo–Dance Franny Dance (Guyden)
• The Wonders–That Thing You Do (Play-Tone; UK)
• Los Mustang—¡Socorro! (Help) (La Voz de Si Amo; Spain)
• Los Sirex–El Tren de la Costa (Vergara; Spain)
• The Yardbirds–I’m Not Talking (Epic)
• Chuck Berry–I Want to Be Your Driver [from the EP Eddy Mitchell Présente les Rois du Rock “Chuck Berry A Londres”] (Barclay; France)
• Sil Austin (vocal by Lester Young)–Say Lou (Mercury)
• Warren Smith–Ubangi Stomp (Sun)
• The Royaltones–Flamingo Express (Goldisc)
• Richard Berry–Yama Yama Pretty Mama (RPM)
• Teddy and His Patches–Suzy Creamcheese (Chance)
• Fax–I Can Only Give You Everything (Trans-Action)
• Juicebox–My Baby Likes to Boogaloo (Cultures of Soul)
• Flamin’ Groovies–Teenage Head (Kama Sutra; Europe)
• Curtis & the Creepers–The Thing (Part 2) (Dauntless)
• Floyd Dixon & His Orch.–Dance the Thing (Kent)
• The Fearsome Foursome–Stranded in the Jungle (Capitol)
• Bunker Hill–Red Ridin’ Hood and the Wolf (Mala)
• Little Freddie & the Gents–Push-Kick-Shout (Showcase)
• The Beatles–She’s a Woman (Parlophone; UK)
• Jose Luis Y Los Maloos–Confesiones de Media Noche (Cap Latino)
• The Sunrays–Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously (Tower)
• Takeshi Terauchi & the Bunnys–ワールド・ボイ(Seven Seas; Japan)
• Beauregard and the Tuffs–Ramblin’ Rose (Decca)
• Aki Aleong and the Nobles–Earthquake (Festival; Australia)
• Ken Lazarus & the Crew–Monkey Man (London American/Reggae Series; UK)
• The Skatalites–Guns of Navarone (Island; UK)
• Los Salvages–Todo Negro (Paint It Black) (Regal; Spain)
• Los Rockin Devil’s–Gloria (Orfeon; Mexico)
• Los Hitter’s–El Hanky Panky (Orfeon; Mexico)
• Los 5 del Este–Satisfaccion (Satisfaction) (Odeon; Spain)
• Jan Tanzy–That New Boy in Town (Columbia)
• The Buttons–Foot Stompin’ U.S.A. (Columbia)

None of these records are for sale!

Sundays are Funky Brunch days. The day when DJ Pete Pop swings at Mama Roux with his groovy 45s. He rolls into the joint around 10am and sets up his equipment. By the time 11am comes around he has his turntables turning, mixing board mixing and speakers are speaking! On Sunday January 22, Mr. Pop invited Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to come spin a few records with him.

DJ Pete Pop continues to work his magic at Mama Roux. The Funky Brunches have been roaring successes. Each Sunday sees a full house of folks. First they chow down, then, as they leave the premises, they bow down to DJ Pete Pop for providing them with such a fantastic audio experience that enhances their equally fantastic brunch experience.

How many times do we have to tell you that the food is good at Mama Roux? At this particular Brunch, right at 3:30, the wonderful people at Mama’s brought a full plate of fabulous fried chicken over to feed the DJs. Man, that was good! (The Boog made a note in his mind to bring more chicken records next time!)

For this Funky Brunch, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus brought a cache of calypso records to spice up the audio experience. Here’s a list of all the records he played:

• Johnny Lytle Trio–The Village Caller (Riverside)
• Herbie Mann–The Letter (A&M)
• The Commodores–Rise Up (Atlantic)
• Johnny Goode–Payback (Instrumental) (Solid Hit)
• Guitar Gable–Gumbo Mombo (Excello)
• Chris Powell and the Blue Flames–Unchained Melody-mambo (Groove)
• Bobby Land with Ralph Sayho & his Calypso Singers–Knock de Bongos (Tico)
• Calypso Squibby–Bachanal (Straker’s)
• Sharon Jones–You Better Think Twice (Desco)
• Joe Simon–Drowning in a Sea of Love (Spring)
• Eddie Floyd–I’ve Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do) (Stax)
• Detroit Emeralds–Do Me Right (Westbound)
• Charlie’s Children–Lady Madonna (Holiday Inn)
• Bobby Womack–What Is This (Minit)
• Wayne Cochran–I’m in Trouble (Mercury)
• The Supremes–Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart (Motown)
• Shorty Long–Too Smart (Tri-Phi)
• Ebony Sisters–Son of a Preacher Man (Mitchville)
• Lloyd Charmer–Crimson & Clover (Randys)
• Doc Oliver–Soul Popcorn – Part I (Janus)
• Sugar Billy–Keep Movin’ On (Fast Track)
• Cayito; Sonora de Andy Esteban–Tepito Boogaloo (Peerless)
• Sonora Santanera; cantan: Juanito Slivestre y Andres–El Orangutan (Discos Columbia)
• Fred Ramirez–There Is a Mountain (Warner Bros.)
• Baba Brooks Band–Duck Soup (Treasure Isle)
• Kinglsey Swan and the Calypso Islanders–Out de Fire (Bermuda; Bermuda)
• Mighty Sparrow–Revenge (RA; West Indies)
• K. Pythacunthapuserectus–Voodoo Ju Ju Obsession Part 1 (Barclay; Germany)
• Curley Moore and the Kool Ones–Shelley’s Rubber Band (House of the Fox)
• The Hidden Cost–Bo Did It (Marmaduke)
• Lou Courtney–Hot Butter ‘n All – Part 1 (Hurdy-Gurdy)
• Don Julian and the Meadowlarks–The Booglay (Magnum)
• Jr. Walker & the All Stars–Shoot Your Shot (Soul)
• The Mandells–I Can’t Get Enough of Your Stuff (Trans world Sound)
• Les Nobels–Les Oignons Verts (Télédisc; Canada)
• The Windjammers–It’s Not Unusual (Argo)
• The Atlantic Sounds–Blast Off (Atlantic)
• Les Scarabees–Puisque tu m’as quitté (Gamma; Canada)
• The Neapolitans featuring The Essentials–Crosstown Traffic (Hot Funky & Sweaty; UK)
• Soul Clinic–So Sharp (Bay Sound)
• Funkadelic–Hit It and Quit It (Westbound)
• Earth, Wind and Fire–C’mon Children (Warner Bros.)
• Gil Scott-Heron–Angel Dust (Arista)
• James Brown–Hot (I Need to Be Loved, Loved, Loved) (Polydor)
• Stu Phllips presents The Golden Gate Strings–I’m a Believer (Epic)
• The Impressions–Get Up and Move (ABC-Paramount)
• Joe Simon–Moon Walk Part I (Sound Stage 7)
• Prime Mates–Hot Tamales – Part 2 (Sansu)
• Herbie Mann–Do It Again (Atlantic)
• Richard Fudoli–Gweee! (Date)
• Lee Bates–Mean Mistreater (Instant)
• Johnny Adams–Spunky Onions (Pacemaker)
• Los Strwck–W-A-Loo (Discos AZA; Mexico)
• Orquesta Novel–Do the Bugaloo (Fonseca)
• Mr. Bongo Jack Costanzo; guitar – Neil Norman–Viva Tirado (GNP Crescendo)
• Pucho & Latin Soul Bros.–Freddie’s Dead (Zanzee)

Non of these records are for sale!

New Year’s Eve is always a time of great revelry. In order for the revelry to really revel, it helps to have some boss sounds played at a volume that is intense enough to induce revelment. The management at The Dogwood understood this principal and duly asked DJ Pete Pop to provide said boss sounds for the club’s year end celebration. Pete Pop then asked Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to help out. Plus, extra added attraction, our new pal Peter Aaron brought a box of records and a couple times during the evening, he pulled out some records and played them.

The Dogwood is a groovy club/bar/restaurant located on East Main Street in Beacon, NY. It’s got a couple rooms, and for this evening, one of them was cleared of tables and chairs in order for dancing to ensue—and it ensued in a big way!

DJ Pete Pop is the king of reet music on both sides of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. He is currently holding down four regular DJ gigs—three monthlies at the Dogwood, Quinn’s and now the Jet Set; plus the Funky Brunch every Sunday at Mama Roux. In fact, New Year’s Eve weekend, DJ Pete Pop worked the Friday Night (Do The 45 at Quinns’), Saturday Night (New Year’s Eve noted here) and Sunday morning Funky Brunch! Does the man ever sleep?

Peter Aaron is a fellow who was recently introduced to the Boogaloo Bag writers. He’s a Kingston cat who was once the leader of the nineties punk band Chrome Cranks. These days he’s written some books about music and culture and is the arts editor of Chronogram, Hudson Valley’s culture magazine. He’s also the host of Go-Go Kitty, a program on WKNY—Radio Kingston, on Thursday nights. So this guy knows his music and on New Year’s Eve, he played some great records that kept the dance floor alive.

Adding to the festivities in a big way were Miss Nancy’s peanut butter fudge and mint-infused vegan brownies.

At midnight, the club provided attendees with a glass of champagne. All were directed outside where there was a midnight Beacon Ball Drop!

As New Year’s Eve nights go, this one was certainly a gasser, but it was not without it’s disaster. Some time after midnight it was observed that condensation from the overhead air conditioner was dripping near the DJ booth. TOO near. Water was present on the top of Peter Aaron’s record box (luckily, closed) and The Boogaloo Omnibus’ fez box (luckily, closed). However, the bulk of the drippings fell into DJ Pete Pop’s main record case. Water was all over them. Most of the records were saved due to the fact that Mr. Pop keeps his 45s in plastic sleeves, but all of that had to be wiped down. Unfortunately, water did get into some of the sleeves—maybe about a dozen or so—and they had to be separated from the records. Peter Aaron was asked to extend his DJ set in order to give The Boog and Mr. Pop time to clean up the mess. Mr. Aaron did a grand job of it, so there were no worries in that department; the show went on!

…and what a show it was. All night long there were folks dancing and carrying on as if it were New Year’s Eve, because, of course, it was! Everyone had a grand time. At the end of the night, when things were getting packed up to leave, one of the owners of the Dogwood conversed with the Boogaloo Bag writers and let them know that he was very pleased with how the evening went down. Everybody was happy.

Here is a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Dogwood for the New Year’s Eve Party:

• Time Zone–Space Walker (White Whale)
• Les Guitares du Diable–The Fly (Succès Philips; France)
• Booker T. & the M.G.’s–Melting Pot Part 2 (Stax; France)
• St. Louis Union–English Tea (Decca; UK)
• Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass–Mexican Drummer Man (A&M)
• Sammy Davis Jr.–I Like the Way You Dance (United Artists)
• Choir–Gonna Have a Good Time Tonight (Intrepid)
• The Thunder Rocks–What’s the Word (Roselawn)
• Bobby Freeman–The Mess Around (Josie)
• Jimmie Heap & His Orchestra–Gismo (Dart)
• The Question Marks–Doin’ the Thing (Money)
• Ananda Shankar–Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Reprise; France)
• Extrait de la Messe Pour le Temps–Psyche Rock (Philips; Canada)
• The Graduates–(The Shape of) Things to Come (GNP Crescendo)
• Johnny and the Vibratones–Bird Stompin’ (Warner Bros.)
• The Nick Venet Orchestra–Main Theme From Out of Sight (Decca)
• The Young Rascals–Slow Down (Atlantic)
• Rocky Roberts e Os Airedales–The Bird is the Word (Barclay; Portugal)
• Jimmy Vick and the Victors–Take a Trip (Cherry)
• Big Sandy with Los Straightjackets–La Plaga (Spinout)
• Lee Moses–Day Tripper (Musicor)
• The Capitols–Cool Jerk ‘68 Instrumental (Karen)
• The Iguanas–Mona (Forte)
• Johnny Hallyday–Noir C’est Noir (Philips; Canada)
• Rhinoceros–Apricot Brandy (Elektra)
• Les 409–S’il Faut Un Homme (I’m a Man) (RCA Victor – Canada International; Canada)
• Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames–Last Night (Imperial)
• Ray Anthony–C’mon and Swim (Capitol)
• Las Moskas–Mony Mony (CBS; Mexico)
• The Who–Under My Thumb (Track; UK)
• D’Swooner’s–Mickey’s Monkey (Philips; Japan)
• King Coleman–The Boo Boo Song (Part 1) (King)
• Butch Baker–The Fat Man (St. Lawrence)
• Little Eva Harris–Get Ready – Uptight (Spring)
• Honey and the Bees–Auld Lang Syne (Chess)
• The Duke of Burlington–I Want You Back (Maxi; France)
• The French Fries–Danse a La Musique (Epic)
• Roosevelt Matthews with Billy Ball & the Upsetters–Tighten Up (King)
• Les Beethovens–Pour Moi Ça Va (Miracle; Canada)
• La Lupe–Touch Me (Roulette)
• The Dave Clark Five–On the Move (Epic)
• The Clungels–Do the Dog (Artone; Netherlands)
• James Brown and the Famous Flames–Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag Part I (King)
• Patti Drew–Fever (Stateside; UK)
• Aretha Franklin–Think (Atlantic)
• Muguette–Ces Bottes Sont Faites Pour Marcher (Fantastic; Canada)
• The Beatles–Twist and Shout (Tollie)
• Little Eva–The Loco-Motion (Dimension)
• The Supremes–My World Is Empty Without You (Motown)
• Chubby Checker–Karate Monkey (Parkway)
• Candy and the Kisses–The 81 (Cameo)
• Major Lance–Investigate (OKeh)
• Tony Clarke–Landslide (Chess)
• The Matadors–Wobble Wobble (Forbes)
• Floyd Dakil Combo–Dance Franny Dance (Guyden)
• Eddie Bo–We Like Mambo (Ace)
• Freddie McCoy–Summer in the City (Prestige)
• Prince Buster and the All Stars–Madness (Prince Buster; Jamaica)
• Owen Gray–Help Me (Island; UK)
• The Nomads–Good Times (Parlophone; Australia)
• Nino Ferrer–Mirza (Monkey) (Riviera; Canada)

None of these records are for sale.