Leah Lugosi and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at the Wham-O Watusi!

On June 3rd, the WHAM-O WATUSI swung into the Bootleg Bar the way it is supposed to: on the first Saturday of the month. Guest DJ was the lovely Leah Lugosi.

Miss Lugosi and host Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus have been friends for a long time…dating back to when the Subway Soul Club was at Rififi and she was a guest there from time to time. Her last appearance in the BOOGALOO BAG was nearly two full years ago when she and the Boog swung together at one of the cool Out of Sight nights at the Beauty Bar, hosted by our pal DJ Xerox. Since then, the two have been scheming to work together again, but schedules have not always been cooperative. No wonder! She is a working musician in two bands–PMS & the Mood Swings and Habibi–plus her day job is applying gilding to beautiful objects that need restoring, which she does internationally. She gets around!

Leah Lugosi cues a boss record at the Wham-O Watusi!

But on June 3rd, it all worked out. Leah Lugosi showed up with what was once an antique doll carrying case full of boss 45s and proceeded to play the shit out of them! She had some cool ones, too. She played many hot sixties records that the WHAM-O WATUSI is known for, and also a bunch of seventies glam and punk records that made Phast Phreddie feel a little nostalgic: The Only Ones, Dr. Feelgood, Eddie & the Hotrods… When she played “Don’t Push Me Around” by The Zeros, it was reported that a happy tear fell from his left eye.

Leah Lugosi digs The Zeros!

The excellence of this particular WHAM-O WATUSI was further enhanced by the presence, and subsequent consumption of, some sweet maple fudge that was baked by the official BOOGALOO BAG photographer Nancy “Jeannie” Gardner. Yummy!!

Mmmmmm! Maple fudge!!!

Here is a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the June WHAM-O WATUSI:

• The Mighty Five–Castle Rock (Fleetwood)
• The Fireballs–Ahhh! Soul! (Dot)
• Dave Bartholomew–I’m Walkin’ (Imperial)
• The Jolly Jax–Tiphe Tina (Cookin’)
• The Cravers–Flavor Craver (Chock Full of Hits)
• Luther Brandon and His All American Boys Orchestra–Tuff-E-Nuff (Fraternity)
• Hobart and His Magic Band–Say Listen (Vault)
• Instrumentals–Chop Suey Rock (Red Fox)
• Rockin Sidney–Let’s Go to the Fais Do-Do (Goldband)
• Bobby Lewis–Fire of Love (Roulette)
• Lightnin’ Slim–Mind Your Own Business (Excello)
• The Jaye Bros.–Rag Mop (Wynne)
• Tony and Joe–The Freeze (Era)
• The 7 Sons–On the Run (VTI)
• Toni Jones–Dear (Here Comes My Baby) (Smash)
• Rockin Robin Roberts–Maryann (Etiquette)
• Dinah Washington–Soulville (Roulette)
• Freddie Scott–Come Up Singing (Columbia)
• The Avantis–One Man’s Poison (Pepper)
• The Uniques–My Babe (Paula)
• The Cats Meow–True True Lovin’ (Decca)
• John Mayall–Key to Love (London)
• Jimmy Mack and the Music Factory–Baby, I Love You (Atlantic)
• The Bananas–Alley-Oop Doing the Jerk (Pro)
• Jan Tanzy–That New Boy in Town (Columbia)
• The Chants–I Don’t Care (Cameo)
• The Barracuda’s–Boss Barracuda (Canjo)
• Cliffie Stone and His Orchestra; vocal duet by Billy Strange and Speedy West–Barracuda (Capitol)
• Bobby Charles–You Can Suit Yourself (Chess)
• The Sherrys–Slop Time (Guyden)
• Tommy Dawson–Hardboiled Sue (Chancellor)
• Don Gardner–Let’s Party (TNT)
• Rocky Turner and the Meloments–Slow Jerkin’ (Warner Bros.)
• The T-Birds–Come On Dance With Me (Chess)
• Joey Dee–Dance, Dance, Dance (Roulette)
• Bob Kuban and the In-Men–Theme From Virginia Wolfe (Musicland U.S.A.)
• The Trashmen–Same Line (Tribe)
• The Pretty Things–Me Needing You (Fontana; UK)
• The Mothers of Invention–Lonely Little Girl (Verve)
• The Starlets–You Won’t Even Know Her Name (Tower)
• Chick Carlton & the Majestics–So You Want to Rock (Faro)
• Roy Brown–Rinky Dinky Doo (King)
• Rocker Roberts–The T-Bird (Roulette)
• Sebastian and the House Rockers–Nobody Can Do the Dog Like I Do (Key)
• Ray Sharpe–Kewpie Doll (Jamie)
• Sugar & Spices–Duck Walk (20th Century-Fox)
• Billy Adams and the Pedal Pushers–Bicycle Hop (Koko)
• Jimmy Bing–Get Goin’ (Colpix)
• Tuff Jack–Sing Sing Sing (Capitol)
• Ro-D-Ys–Take Her Home (Philips; Netherlands)
• Bob Seger and the Last Heard–Persecution Smith (Hideout)
• The Dave Clark Five–Glad All Over (Epic)
• The Sonics–Like No Other Man (Jerden)
• The Jaguars–Beat Train (Philips; Japan)
• J. Geils Band–First I Look at the Purse (Atlantic)
• Frank Alamo–Maudit Brouillard (Riviera; Canada)
• The Bats–Un Ragazzo Di Strada (Fonola; Italy)
• Los Rockin Devil’s–Caperucita Roja (Little Red Riding Hood) (Orfeon)
• The Blackburds–Absolument Hyde Park [from EP The Blackburds Play the Bugaloo] (Philips; France)
• Ray Daniels with Rick & the Ravens–Geraldine (Aura)
• The Creators–Cross Fire (Epic)
• The Soul Lovers featuring James Young–Shake & Finger Pop’n (American Playboy)
• Curtis Lee–The Wobble (Dunes)
• Johnny Carlo–Fish Walk (Concord)
• The Utopians–Dutch Treat (Imperial)
• Elliott Shavers–Party Poppin’ Pt. 2 (Blaun)
• Hank Ballard and the Midnighters–Come on Wit’ It (King)
• Wilson Pickett–Nothing You Can Do (Atlantic)
• Roberto Carlos–Negro Gato (CBS; Portugal)
• The Darnells–Too Hurt to Cry, Too Much in Love to Say Goodbye (Gordy)
• The Chosen Few–Baby, Don’t Do It (B.F.D.)
• 49th Blue Streak–Fire (MBM Productions)
• Robert Parisien et Les Diamants Noirs–Jenny Si Tu M’Aimes (Disques Contact; Canada)
• Champion Jack Dupree–Shake Baby Shake (Vik)
• Goldie Coates and the Blenders–Fisherman (Cortland)
• Ray Charles and His Orchestra–Hide ’Nor Hair (ABC-Paramount)
• Garland Owens–Hula Wobble Shake (Legrand)
• The Lewis Sisters–Shooby-Dooby (Aura)
• Gino Washington–I’m Coming Home (Wand)

None of these records are for sale. Some of those listed have links to youtubes clips. Click on them to recreate the WHAM-O WATUSI in the privacy of your own head!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swings at the Wham-O Watusi!