Once again, the WHAM-O WATUSI, regularly scheduled for the first Saturday of the month, did not actually take place until deep into April… the 22nd. As noted in a previous Boogaloo Bag entry, this was done in order to accommodate host Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus so he could play a few soul records at Soul Night; a spectacular event that you can read about HERE!

Well, it may have taken place on the 22nd, but according to our notes, this was the 21st WHAM-O WATUSI held at the Bootleg Bar! For this occasion, a special guest DJ was required, and one was obtained: Brian Hurd of the boss new teen combo Daddy Long Legs.

Mr. Hurd is a blues-wailin’ cat from St. Louis who knows about good records. Heck, not only does he buy boss records, spin them at cool DJ nights, but he makes them!!

Daddy Long Legs is a very blues-influenced group that has been shaking a lot of action of late. With two studio LPs, a live album and another where they back the great bluesman T. Valentine, this is a band on the go. Currently, Daddy Long Legs is taking some time off from the road in order to work on a new album and play select live gigs. We here at the Boogaloo Bag can not recommend this fine musical unit enough and suggest that all Bag readers purchase their waxings immediately at the Norton Records website. I mean, now! That’s ok. We’ll wait.

Yes! Now that you’ve ordered your Daddy Long Legs records, we may continue with this Boogaloo Bag entry…

The Boogaloo Bag writers are very happy to note that the entire Daddy Long Legs musical organization came to the Bootleg Bar that night to dig the WHAM-O scene.

Brian Hurd, Josh Styles and Murat Aktürk of Daddy Long Legs swing with Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at WHAM-O WATUSI!!

Since the blues is featured so much in the Daddy Long Legs repertoire, it may come as no surprise that this WHAM-O WATUSI night featured so many blues records, or recordings of blues songs. What may come as a total surprise was the playing of three songs by the legendary Dion to express the Boogaloo Bag’s excitement regarding the release of a new Dion LP on the fabulous Norton label (do they get all the good acts?). The new album is a collection of Dion recordings from the early/mid-sixties that were slated for an album that was never released. The singles that were played are all from the era, including one on Norton of a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Too Much Monkey Business” that has never been released before. The new Dion LP of old stuff should be out soon. All the Boogaloo Bag writers are looking forward to it.

Gettin’ back to the WHAM, it seems that Mr. Hurd underestimated the amount of records he would need, so at toward the end of the night, he and Phast Phreddie took turns playing records from the box of the Boog! That action started with the Roy Head record that Brian picked out of the Boog Box; all noted below…

Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the WHAM-O WATUSI held at the Bootleg Bar on April 22, 2017:

• Billy Clark & His Orchestra–Hot Gravy (Dynamo)
• Ziggy Gonzales and His Orchestra–Salt and Pepper (Glen)
• Jimmie McDaniels–Cat Walk (Dot)
• The Uptowners–Down the Pike (Minit)
• Bobby Sax and His House Rockers–Get Right (Ru-Jac)
• Chet Atkins–The Slop (RCA Victor)
• Little Joe and the Mustangs–Peach Seeds (Challenge)
• Fabulous Shalimars–Afro Soul (Cotillion)
• Little Walter–Shake Dancer (Checker)
• Premiers–Are You Alright (Well Yeah) Pt. I (Big Top)
• The Originals–Little Bit of Everything (Sara)
• Jack Scott–Wiggle on Out (Groove)
• Tommy Blake; the Rhythm Rebels–Flat Foot Sam (Sun)
• Charlie McCoy and the Escorts–Harpoon Man (Monument)
• The Soul Trippers–King Bee (Providence)
• Dion—Spoonful (Columbia)
• Felton Jarvis–Dimples (Thunder International)
• King James–Don’t You Know (Bonanza)
• T.L. Clemons and Combo–Let’s Jerk (Combo)
• Bobby Bland–Keep on Loving Me (You’ll See the Change) (Duke)
• Earl Knight & George Kelly–Let the Good Times Roll – Part I (Winley)
• Rex Garvin (and the Mighty Cravers)–Strange Happenings (Chieftain)
• Howlin’ Wolf–Don’t Laugh at Me (Chess)
• Bob Dylan–Obviously 5 Believers (Columbia)
• Dion & the Wanderers–Two Ton Feather (Columbia)
• Lonnie Mack–Baby What’s Wrong (Fraternity)
• The Moody Blues–Bye Bye Bird (London)
• Don Stacey–Say Man (Bell)
• Yardbirds–Rack My Mind (Edsel; UK)
• Smokey Smothers–Way Up in the Mountains of Kentucky (Federal)
• Mac Rebennack–Storm Warning (Rex)
• Hosea Leavy & His Combo–Oo-Wee Baby (Riceland)
• The Stars of Virginia–He Can Fix It (Vivid)
• Roy Lee Johnson–Busybody (OKeh)
• The Furys–Parchman Farm (Lavender)
• The Paul Butterfield Blues Band–I Got My Mojo Working (Elektra)
• Guitar Jr.–Go to the Mardi Gras (Capitol)
• John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers featuring Peter Green–Looking Back (Decca; UK)
• Flamin’ Groovies–Married Woman (United Artists; France)
• The Sherrys–Let’s Stomp Again (Guyden)
• Young Guitar Red–Red Hot Red (Formal)
• Dion–Too Much Monkey Business (Norton)
• Chuck Berry–I Want to Be Your Driver [from the EP Eddy Mitchell Présente les Rois du Rock ‘Chuck Berry A Londres’] (Barclay; France)
• The Blues Project–Back Door Man (Verve/Folkways)
• The Rising Sons–The Devil’s Got My Woman (Columbia)
• Rufus Thomas–Boom Boom [from EP Jump Back With Rufus Thomas] (Atlantic; UK)
• Sonya–Little Red Rooster (Dot)
• Laurel Aitken and the Blue Beats–Bar Tender (Blue Beat; UK)
• Owen Gray–I’m Going Back (Wirl; Jamaica)
• Smiley Lewis–Bumpity Bump (Imperial)
• The Swingin’ Medallions–Don’t Cry No More (Smash)
• Piano Slim–Swingin’ With Jane (Myrl)
• Robbie Robinson Orchestra–Goofin’ (Cenco)
• The Thirteenth Floor Elevators–Fire Engine (International Artists)
• The Rivals–Hollin’ for My Darlin’ (Wand)
• The Underbeats–Shake It for Me (Soma)
• Captain Beefheart–Hard Workin’ Man (MCA)
• The Ikettes–Prisoner in Love (Teena)
• Tony Joe White–Scratch My Back (Monument)
• Roy Head–Night Train [ from the EP Just a Little Bit of Roy Head] (Pye International; UK)
• The Royal Lancers–Good Good Lovin’ (Hi Mar)
• Wilson Pickett–Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (Atlantic)
• Sam & Kitty–Your Money – My Love (4 Brothers)
• The James Cotton Blues Band–Off the Wall (Verve)
• Lue Cazz–Wilma (Clock)
• John Lee Hooker–Let’s Go Out Tonight (Chess)
• Little Luther–Du Dee Squat (Criss-Cross)
• Louis Brooks and His Hi-Toppers–X-Cello Rock (Excello)
• Boogie Jake–Early in the Morning (Chess)

None of these records are for sale. Some of the tracks listed have links to sound recordings on the youtubes. Click on them to dig them.

Nogood Nick swings at Rip! Rig! Panic!

Rip! Rig! Panic! is the brainchild of host Nogood Nick. Longtime Boogaloo Bag readers will remember that he was a popular guest DJ at the late lamented DYNAGROOVE nights and is also one of the favorite DJs of the Boogaloo Bag writers. Rip! Rig! Panic! features all sorts of music, especially mod jazz, funk, soul, pop and exotica rhythms. It is a groovy night whenever and wherever it takes place—and it has happened at several venues.

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swings at Rip! Rig! Panic!

On Friday April 14, it took place during happy hour at Otto’s Shrunken Head with guest DJ Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. It was a great night with plenty of cool records played; frothy, fruity drinks were imbibed; and good friends were in attendance. Who could ask for more.   After their regularly scheduled sets, the two DJs worked the final hour playing every-other record, before two people with laptops came to entertain the Friday night crowd with their keyboard and track-pad skills!

Nogood Nick and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus rotate records at Rip! Rig! Panic!

Here’s a list of all the 45s played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Rip! Rig! Panic!:

• The Lincoln Trio–Garden of Eden Part II (Big Top)
• Lectric Woods–Time of the Season (APT)
• Dave “Baby” Cortez–Tweetie Pie (Roulette)
• Bobby Bennett and the Dynamics–Soul Jerk (Part 2) (Loma)
• Binky Griptite–The Stroll Pt. 2 (Daptone)
• Grant Green–Windjammer (Blue Note)
• The Temptations–Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone (instrumental) (Gordy)
• Young-Holt Unlimited–Super Fly (Paula)
• Syd Jones & the Troubedours–Cardova (Doctor Bird; UK)
• Peter Nero–Soulful Strut (Columbia)
• The Drifters–Things Go Better With Coca-Cola [from EP Swing the Jingle] (Swingers for Coke)
• Johnny Bartel and the Soul Masters–If This Isn’t Love (Solid State)
• Frankie Vance–Do You Hear Me Baby? (Is Your Phone Line Clear?) (Revue)
• Dee Dee Warwick–Do It With All Your Heart (Blue Rock)
• Jane Morgan–Elusive Butterfly (Epic)
• Susan Rewis—Don’t Think Twice It’s All right (Columbia)
• Mel Torme–Games People Play (Capitol)
• Pure Food & Drug Act–Eleanor Rigby (Epic)
• Van Morrison–Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile) (Warner Bros.)
• Roland Shaw Orchestra–I Spy (London)
• Dick Hyman–The Man From U.N.C.L.E. [from EP The Man From O.R.G.A.N.] (Command)
• Duane Eddy–This Guitar Was Made for Twangin’ (Reprise)
• Oscar Brown Jr.–But I Was Cool (Columbia)
• Betty Lavette–Heart of Gold (Atco)
• Herbie Mann–Memphis Two-Step (Embryo)
• “Cannonball” Adderley–Shake a Lady (Capitol)
• Johnny Pate Combo–Cha Cha Blues (Drake)
• Mahotella Queens–Incwepelezi (Gumba Gumba; South Africa)
• Bob Marley and the Wailers–Rat Race (Tuff Gong; Jamaica)
• Honey Boy Martin with Hugh Hendriks and the Buccaneers—I’ll Take You There (Casper Wax)
• The Frightnrs—I’d Rather Go Blind (Daptone)
• Sly & the Family Stone—Runnin’ Away (Epic)
• Ike Turner and the Soul Seven—Everythings-Everything Part I (Pompeii)
• Bobby Bland–Shoes (Duke)
• The Parfays–You Got a Good Thing Goin’ Boy (Fontana)
• Debra Dion–Don’t Bug Me Baby (Sue)
• Bill Johnson–You Got Soul (Jocida)
• Nancy Butts–You’re Gonna Need Somebody (Flaming Arrow)
• The Honey Drippers–Impeach the President (Alaga)

None of these records are for sale. Some of the tracks listed above have links to the youtubes. Click on them and re-create Rip! Rig! Panic! in the privacy of your own mind!

Mr. Fine Wine, Liam Large and Thorsten Wegner observe the excellent turntable technique of DJ Fancy Cat at Soul Night.

Soul Night is just that: a night of soul music. But that’s not all. Anyone can play soul records and call it “Soul Night.” This is Soul Night with Mr. Fine Wine, One Mint Julep and Fancy Cat! Three great soul music DJs. It takes place on the first Saturday of the month at a joint in Crown Heights, Brooklyn called Friends and Lovers. The place has a large back room with a stage where the DJ booth is, and plenty of room for dancers—and there are always a LOT of them. On Saturday April 1, the room was packed with gyrating bodies from about 10:30pm to about 3:30am—everybody doing the watusi to the fabulous records played by the DJs—which, on this particular evening, included guest DJ Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and a couple of special guest DJs from Europe: Liam Large of London and Thorsten Wegner of Hamburg.

Liam Large swings with another hot soul jam at Soul Night!

Unfortunately, on this evening One Mint Julep could not make the scene; her presence, her smiling face and her cool records were sorely missed. The three guest DJs did all they could to try and make up for it.

Thorsten Wegner spins a rare soul record at Soul Night!

Both Liam Large and Thorsten Wegner come to the United States from time to time to search for records. Liam had been here for several weeks and both he and Thorsten attended the Allentown Singles Only (45s & 78s) record show earlier that day. If the records they played were any indication of the records that they had recently purchased during their time in the states, one can only conclude that their time here was very well spent. Both DJs played amazing records that had the place dancing and prancing.

Mr. Fine Wine takes a second to look out at all the dancers at Soul Night!

Mr. Fine Wine has been written about often in the Boogaloo Bag. Do we need to discuss him further? Well, we might remind the reader that he has a Friday night show on radio station WFMU and that every Wednesday night he swings at the Botanica Bar in Manhattan and it is an excellent hang; and of course he has the best soul records in the world. Dig some Boogaloo Bag entries that feature him here, here and here.

Fancy Cat picks another excellent record to play at Soul Night!

The Boogaloo Bag writers met Fancy Cat for the first time on this evening. He, too, played some great records, with a strong lean toward women singers and girl group sounds. It was a gas diggin’ and dancin’ to his spins.

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swings at Soul Night!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus is no stranger to soul records—as can be attested by the many feet that go tappin’ at Subway Soul Club events—so he fit right into the mix. Man, he loves playing those records and he spun a bunch of old favorites as well as a few recent acquisitions, including a couple that he purchased earlier that day when he, too, attended the aforementioned Allentown record show. Even though he had been up since about 4 o’clock that morning, the night seemed to end much too soon.

Soul Night DJs: Thorsten Wegner, Liam Large, Mr. Fine Wine, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. Where’s Fancy Cat???

If you, dear Boogaloo Bag reader, are paying attention, you will know that the first Saturday of the month is usually the night that the WHAM-O WATUSI takes place at the Bootleg Bar. On April 1, The WHAM switched nights with Border Beat, a night hosted by our friend Reyes Rodriguez; he and Avi Spivak held forth at the Bootleg Bar. The WHAM will return to the Boot on April 22nd with guest DJ Brian Hurd of Daddy Long Legs. The WHAM is scheduled to take place on the first Saturday of the month for at least the next two months.

Here’s a list of all the 45s played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at Soul Night on April 1. Nearly all of them have links to the youtubes so you can listen to them in the privacy of your own home. Check it out:

• Keith Mansfield & His Orchestra–Boogaloo (Epic)
• Davy “Bang Bang” Jones and the Voodoo Funk Machine–Sookie Sookie (Philips; France)
• Johnny Johnson & His Bandwagon–Soul Sahara (Stateside; Netherlands)
• Sly & the Family Stone—M’lady (Epic)
• Aretha Franklin–Satisfaction (Atlantic; France)
• Johnny Nash—I’m Movin’ On (Warner Bros.)
• Larry Hale–Shout and Do the Duck (Columbia)
• The Knight Brothers–Love (Can’t You Hear Me) (Checker)
• Bill Doggett–Twenty Five Miles (King)
• Louis (Blues Boy) Jones–Come on Home (OKeh)
• Weston Prim–Get That Feelin’ (Brent)
• Steve Alaimo–Mashed Potatoes (Checker)
• The Five Royales–I Like It Like That (Smash)
• The Shirelles–Boys (Scepter)
• The Debelaires with Al Allen & the Skyscrapers–The Wa-Wabble (Lectra)
• Ricky Shay and the Bullets–Everybody Do the Phillie (Chattahoochee)
• The Contours–Can You Jerk Like Me (Gordy)
• The John Schroeder Orchestra–Agent 00-Soul (Cameo)
• The Camotions–Motown (La-Ro-Ke)
• The Miracles—Mickey’s Monkey (Tamla)
• Marie Claire–Nitty Gritty (Citation; Canada)
• Chuck Berry–Club Nitty Gritty (Mercury)
• Los Rockin’ Devils–Soy Feliz (I Got You) (Orfeon; Mexico)
• Maggie Thrett–Soupy (DynoVoice)
• The Minx–Something We Got (Mercury)
• The Mohawks–Mony Mony (Sir J.J.; UK)
• Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames–Last Night (Imperial)
• Calif. Soul Explosion–Chain of Fools (Pashlo)
• Dave Collins–Ride Your Pony (Capitol)
• Roosevelt Matthews with Billy Ball & the Upsetters–Tighten Up (King)
• The Banana Splits—Doin’ the Banana Split [from EP Kellogg’s Presents The Banana Splits] (Kellogg’s)
• Alan Shelly–Can You Do It (En’nagham; Tunisia)
• Gloria Scott & the Tonetts–I Taught Him  – Part II (Warner Bros.)
• Peace and Love–We Got the Power (Discos RAFF; Mexico)
• Bob and Earl–Everybody Jerk (Warner Bros.; UK)
• Earl Grant–Hide Nor Hair (Decca)
• Kenny Smith–Keep on Walkin’ Baby (Chess)
• Gene Burks–Monkey Man (Arock)

None of these records are for sale.