Phast PHreddie, Mikey Post and Pete Pop swing at Do The 45!
DJ Pete Pop’s magnificent Go-Go night called Do The 45 returned to action a couple months ago after taking a sabbatical over the summer. Unfortunately, due to competing obligations, The Boogaloo Bag writers couldn’t attend some of them. However, the recent Do The 45, which took place on November 10 at Quinn’s in Beacon, was a doozy. Mr. Pop asked our friend Mikey Post of Daptone Records fame to drop in as official guest DJ. He did, and he played some fantastic records! Mister Pop also asked Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to fall in with a box of platters and he complied.
Mikey PostPete Pop
Mikey Post, as the avid Boogaloo Bag reader knows, has fabulous records. He’s got some really great soul records—we’ll hear them next month in Lancaster at the Keystone State Northern Soul Weekender—and he also has some pretty boss garage records; we heard much of the latter at the Do The 45.
Sheba & MikeySheba!Sheba!!
DJ Pete Pop continues to astound us with the heavy, heavy records he has. Go-Go dancer Sheba Shake wowed folks with her artistic gyrations. Miss Nancy made pumpkin cookies and vegan brownies—they were gone by the end of the night. The one thing that made the night even more special was this: a bunch of our friends from up and down the Hudson Valley came out to dance, hang out and dig the scene. Thanks, friends.
Our beautiful friends swing at Do The 45!!
Fantastic record played by Mikey Post!Yummy treats!!
Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus played these records:
Sterling Knight was the driving force of Mama Roux, the recently closed New Orleans-styled restaurant in Newburgh. She is now a professional event hostess and one of the first events she presented was a Dia De Los Muertos celebration at The Spirits Lab, a craft distillery on Ann Street in Newburgh (about a block or so away from Mama Roux). The event took place on Friday November 3rd and it was in association with a launch party for Bulls Head Bourbon, a new flavor apparently. In order to celebrate, DJ Pete Pop was brought in to provide musical selections. He, in turn, asked Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to drop by with a box of records in order to augment his selections.
DJ Pete Pop picks a platter to play!
Phast PhreddieDJ Pete PopPete and Phast
The evening went well. Adding to the festivities was a taco truck from La Mexicana—a joint around the corner on Liberty Street—that was on hand to provide nourishment for all attendees. Man, those tacos were gooo-oood!
Action at the taco truck!
The DJ booth was set up on a table in a work room where the Spirits Lab people actually make their spirits. Dig the photos of the DJs and look behind to see the elaborate mechanism that produces the beverages. The contraptions look like modern art sculptures. Maybe they are modern art sculptures and the booze is actually made in China. What do we know?
The event was scheduled to swing from 6 PM to 9PM. Phast Phreddie and Miss Nancy had one more place to go—The Colony in Woodstock to see their pal Peter Aaron sing a Lou Reed song and to wish their other pal artist Deneane Niebergall happy birthday. So they left the Spirits Lab around 8:30 or so and got to the Woodstock venue before 10PM.
By the time Phast and Nancy got to the Colony, the first part of the event, a Lou Reed multi-artist tribute, was over. The event included the talents of several local Hudson Valley musicians; most of whom we never heard of. Many of the songs we heard during the second portion of the show were sung pretty straight. A guy sang “Perfect Day” as if it were a regular pop song; he sang the song more melodically than the original. A woman named Shana Falana sang “The Ocean” and, with the use of pedal effects on her guitar, gave it a moody and noisy atmosphere. John Ashton of The Psychedelic Furs played some cool guitar licks on two songs: “All Tomorrow’s Parties” and “Waves of Fear.” The highlight of the evening was Peter Aaron singing (screaming!) “I Can’t Stand It.” It was rockin’ and wild. Peter jumped into the audience at a couple of key moments and shouted the song like a maniac; really putting the danger back into Lou Reed songs. It was the show closer—what could top that?
John AshtonPeter AaronShana Falana
Photographer Bobby Grossman swings with birthday girl Deneane Niebergall!
Meanwhile, back at Spirits Lab, according to a report from Pete Pop the next day, the night went so well that he ended up DJing until midnight—a full three hours after the advertised stop time. Maybe we should have stayed. Oh, well. It was great to see Peter Aaron sing his song and to celebrate Miss Deneane‘s birthday, though, and that made it all worth while.
Here’s a list of all the songs played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Dia De Los Muertos celebration at the Spirits Lab:
On Friday October 20, our pal DJ Pete Pop hosted another Jet Set A’ Go-Go at Newburgh’s fabulous new tiki lounge, The Jet Set. Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was invited to be guest DJ. Since it was October, and with that sacred day Halloween just around the corner, many monster records were worked into the usual Jet Set A’ Go-Go fare of surf music, mambos and other groovy stuff.
DJ Pete Pop swings at Jet Set A’ Go-Go!
Miss Nancy’s yummy treats in the foreground–The Boog in the background!
Due to the rain earlier in the evening, there was a fear that attendance would be low. However, there were plenty of folks on hand and the evening was enhanced when several of our friends showed up. Also, Jet Set was decked out with all sorts of ghouls and goblins hung on the walls. it was a totally festive occasion, made even more festive with the swingin’ baked goods of Miss Nancy: Martian fudge and vegan brownies!
Miss Deneane and Miss Jennifer freak out at Jet Set A’ Go-Go!
In short, the night was a gas.
Here is a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at Jet Set A’ Go-Go:
Funky Kingston returned to the Salt Box on September 30. Funky Kingston is the hot new DJ night hosted by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. It takes place on the fifth Saturday of the month—when there is one—at the Salt Box in Kingston, NY. This show was totally special with the addition of a guest DJ: Mikey Post.
Mr. Post is a popular fellow in New York City. His day job is at Daptone Records—the best record company in America. For the last 20 or so years, the label has been issuing scores of fantastic records by such fabulous artists as Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, The Sugarman 3, The Budos Band, The Frightnrs, Charles Bradley, Menahan Street Band, Antibalas and The James Hunter Six. That’s some pretty darn good action right there! Mr. Post is also a drummer, and he’s performed with top teen combos The Jay Vons and The Reigning Sound. He is also a world-class record collector and you know he’s got some boss funk and soul records, which he was able to present at Funky Kingston. He drove two hours just to make it happen!
Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo OmnibusMikey & the BoogMikey Post
The Salt Box is a historic stone structure located in the heart of Kingston, NY. It’s a two-storied edifice built about two hundred or so years ago. The bar is downstairs—along with an out-door area—and all the DJ action takes place upstairs in the rumpus room. Miss Nancy provided excellent treats: chocolate cookies and her signature vegan brownies!
Miss Nancy’s chocolate cookies and vegan brownies in the foreground!
On this night, there was much romping in the rumpus room. Our pal Doug Wygal—owner and operator of Rocket Number Nine Records located a few blocks away—suggested to some of his customers that the Funky Kingston was the place to be that night. They showed up with friends in tow and dug the scene, dancin’ and a-prancin’ into the wee hours.
Folks gettin’ down at Funky Kingston!!
Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the second ever Funky Kingston:
Our pal DJ Pete Pop is the King of Boss Action in the Newburgh area and everyone knows it. So, when the groovy waterfront tiki bar Jet Set desired groovy music on a Friday night, Pete Pop got the call. He assembled a few DJs, including Martiki and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, added the exotic Watusi dancer Sheba Shake and called the event Jet Set a’ Go-Go. It took place on September 22nd and it went off with a bang.
Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo OmnibusMartikiPete Pop
The pink flamingo at Jet Set!
The Jet Set is a super fabulous exotika bar located in the heart of Newburgh’s waterfront. It’s got a swingin’ modernist vibe and totally happening atmosphere. One can watch boats float up and down the mighty Hudson River as one eats the delicious vittles that the joint has to offer. Plus, these folks know how to mix a drink.
Sheba!Sheba!!Sheba!!!
On that particular Friday, it was definitely the place to be. The Jet Set’s palatial rooms were echoing with the fabulous music these DJs played. Sheba Shake even took some time away from holding up the bar to delight folks with her artistic rhythmic gyrations. That’s not all, Miss Nancy the official Boogaloo Bag photographer has become the Boogaloo Baker with her vegan brownies and chocolate cookies—so yummy!!!
Miss Nancy’s yummy treats!
This just in: Management of the Jet Set have shown interest in making the Jet Set a’ Go-Go scene happen every Friday! Wow, that Pete Pop is going to be busy!
Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at Pete Pop’s Jet Set a’ Go-Go:
This is The GO Mechanism, an audio odyssey that will take you through a journey to the empty place in my fire engine. It is hosted by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and initially airs as a Saturday Night Special on the Luxuria Music interweb streaming hustle—this one on September 23. It is important for the listener to reference this Boogaloo Bag entry when digging the GO in order to reach a full understanding of The GO experience. During the audio portion of the program, songs are not back-announced so this information may be helpful.
An hour into the trip there is a Science Corner—the segment of the show were TheGO Mechanism producers bring a subject of no importance to your attention. For this edition of The GO Mechanism, we present three great rhythm & blues records that deal with Santa Claus.
First up is “Santa Done Got Hip” by The Marquees. This was a vocal group from Los Angeles and shouldn’t be confused with several other groups of the same or similar name, especially the group from Washington, D.C. that included a young Marvin Gaye. Somehow, this group was under the guidance of brothers Bob and Dick Sherman. With the Sherman brothers writing most of the songs, The Marquees released three professionally sounding records on Warner Bros. Records—including “Santa Done Got Hip,” which they co-wrote with The Marquees’ singer Andrew Fisher. Around this time, the Shermans wrote a hit for Annette Funicello which brought them to the attention of Walt Disney Productions where they would ply their trade for about a dozen Disney musicals. The Marquees, however, weren’t so lucky. In fact, no one seems to know the names of all the members of the group.
“Mr. Santa Claus (Bring Me My Baby)” was written by Devora Brown, who was co-owner, along with her husband, of Fortune Records, a small but mighty company based in Detroit. Singer Nathaniel Mayer was one of the label’s stars and his earthy, expressive voice brings this record home. For more information on Nathaniel Mayer and Fortune Records it is strongly suggested that one reads Mind Over Matter: The Myths & Mysteries of Detroit’s Fortune Records (Kicks Books). Written by Billy Miller and Michael Hurt, they tell Nathaniel Mayer’s story way better than any attempt by The Boogaloo Bag writers.
Choker Campbell
Not much is known about Horace Williams, whose “Santa Goofed (And Fell Off the Roof)” is another great Santa Claus record. One would suspect that he is another Detroit singer, as this record was issued on Magic City—another independent Motor City record company. However, we know a lot about the leader of the backing band—Choker Campbell. Campbell was a tenor saxophonist who cut some jump blues 78s in the late forties and early fifties, during which time he also led a band that backed artists on tour and he recorded with Big Joe Turner. During the sixties, Campbell was the touring bandleader for Motown Records revues. He also cut a cool album of instrumentals for Motown.
Tapper Zukie is a Jamaican toaster who may still be around. “Man a Warrior” is from the album of the same name that was reissued in the U.S. on Mer Records—a company run by Lenny Kaye. We dig this track for its clever use of the “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” bass riff.
About a dozen years ago, The GO Mechanism producers purchased some records from a friend who often traveled to Thailand. This one, “Waiting for an Answer” by Yordrak Salakjai, is one of our favorites. Salakjai, whose real name was Niphon Praiwan, was a popular singer in Thailand and he seems to also have been a police corporal. He died of liver cancer in 2008 at the age of 52.
Les Yper Sound was a rock/pop project by French composers Michel Colombier and Pierre Henry. Colombier composed the score for a bunch of movies and worked with pop stars. Henry was pioneer in electronic music. A 1967 collaboration resulted in four very groovy attempts at mixing electronic concrète sounds with pop music. The songs appeared on an EP in France, and then an album. In the U.S., the album was called Mass for Today/The Green Queen on Limelight Records. One of the songs, “Psyché Rock,” was the basis for the theme to the cartoon show Futurama. “Teen Tonic,” the track heard in this episode of The GO Mechanism, was issued as a single in America as “Far Out” but credited to The Hip Sound. And so it is.
In GO Mechanism Number Fifteen, we heard a B-side of a Phil Spector-produced record by The Ronettes that didn’t feature any Ronettes. It was an instrumental. GO Eighteen presents another B-side instrumental, “Nino & Sonny (Big Trouble).” It is the flip to Darlene Love’s “A Fine Fine Boy.” “Nino” refers to Nino Tempo, who was a sax player on many of the records Phil Spector produced and it is most likely Tempo taking the first chorus. “Sonny” refers to Sonny Bono who played percussion on some of Spector’s records and perhaps it is he on the vibraphone. Like the other instrumental, this track fades exactly at the two-minute mark.
Just before we get into The Science Corner, Ranking Jeffrey Lee performs a novelty number called “This Old Hammer” and it is presented here for the first time anywhere. This is Jeffrey Lee Pierce, who was writing songs long before he formed The Gun Club. His early band, The Red Lights, cut some demos that were actually released a few years ago. Some time between The Red Lights and The Gun Club, he handed GO Mechanism host Phast Phreddie a tape of songs he recorded on an acoustic guitar (most of them have appeared on the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project series of previously unreleased songs). “This Old Hammer” was on the tape. Incidentally, no cats were harmed during the recording of the track and The GO Mechanism producers do not endorse the message of the song.
Big Jay McNeely is one of the most fabulous tenor saxophonists of all time—man that cat can honk! However, presented here in The GO is a more relaxed, jazzy performance by him called “Whipped Cream.” It is from his album Big “J” in 3-D.
Susan Barrett was a cabaret singer whose repertoire consisted mostly of show tunes and similar ditties. She cut two albums for Capitol (1959, 1960), two singles for Philips (1963, 1965), four more singles and an LP for RCA Victor (1966, 1967). The best ones are the two Philips singles (including a fantastic version of “Chico’s Girl”) and this RCA Victor 45 with her cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “It’s No Secret” backed with her version of “What’s It Gonna Be,” a track made famous by Dusty Springfield—but Barrett’s may have been the first one released. She was also known as Marie and she was married to the songwriter/bluegrass performer John Hartford.
The Spiders were a Japanese rock’n’roll band from the sixties. In Japan, they were one of the most popular proponents of the Group Sound movement. The group recorded nine albums, more than 40 singles and appeared in about a dozen movies. The song presented here, “Mira Mira,” is from a double 7” EP soundtrack to a movie called Attack of the Spiders.
Bob Seger & the Last Heard
In this episode of The GO Mechanism, we close with another Greatest Record Of All Time. Here is another Santa Claus record, but a rockin’ one by Bob Seger & the Last Heard. Yes, this is the same Bob Seger who came to prominence during the seventies with his take on corporate rock. However, in 1966 and 1967, Bob Seger & the Last Heard released five fantastic singles. In a perfect world, Bob Seger would be inducted into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame for these records alone! One of these 45s is “Sock It to Me Santa.” It starts by riffing on James Brown’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” then goes on to raise some Xmas hell! It is a tremendous achievement in recorded sound and it is most definitely one of the Greatest Records Of All Time!
The GO Mechanism is produced whenever we feel like it and it incorporates exclusive, copyrighted Vitaphonic, Ultra-sonic and Quasi-Tonal methods in order to provide a higher standard of standardness. Legacy GO Mechanisms may be found on the Mixclouds as well as here in the Boogaloo Bag.
The GO Mechanism originates on the Luxuria Music interweb streaming hustle as a Saturday Night Special. We thank the Luxuria Music powers-that-be for giving us the opportunity to present this program over their deluxe electronic audio delivery system for your edification. Please support Luxuria Music any way you can. We suggest you get as much money as you can—preferably unmarked tens and twenties—load it all into a shoe box and send it to Luxuria Music. Or just go to the Luxuria Music web site and buy something from the store.
Here is a complete list of all the songs played on GO Mechanism Number Eighteen:
…That’s the day I’ll always remember, because that’s the day of the Seafood Boil at the Funky Brunch! For this event, DJ Pete Pop asked Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to join him in order to swing at Mama Roux. This was a particularly fun Funky Brunch since it was the day before Labor Day—no school the next day—which called for a Seafood Boil to be tacked on at the end.
The Boog and Pete Pop swing at the Funky Brunch!Pete Pop does his thing at the Funky Brunch!
Plus, the Funky Brunch DJ crew were able to partake in some especially good Mama Roux vittles! Pete Pop had the shrimp & grits, Boogaloo Bag photographer Miss Nancy had the Burrata Shakshuka (man, she loves that!) and the Phast Man had a shrimp po’boy.
DJ Pete Pop and the Phast One played their usual assortment of funk, mambo and New Orleans records—the kind that keeps the Funky Brunch faithful coming back for more every week. The two DJs played records until about five o’clock or so, then packed up. Afterwords, a seafood boil event took place on Mama’s outdoor patio. The local New Orleans music band The Big Easy Crewe played some funky rhythms and everybody chowed heavy on the seafood boil—a stew of sorts that included crabs, crawfish, shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes and spicy sausages in a yummy broth. How do the Mama Roux folks do it? Food is GOOOOOOD!!!
Shrimp & GritsBurrata ShakshukaShrimp Po’Boy
The Big Easy Krewe
Seafood Boil!
Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Funky Brunch:
If you’ve been following the Boogaloo Bag for the last few years then you’ll know all about the Funky Brunch: How it is most expertly hosted by DJ Pete Pop every Sunday; how Mr. Pop occasionally asks Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to guest DJ with him or even take his place; and that Mama Roux is the very hip New Orleans-themed eatery located in the heart of beautiful downtown Newburgh, NY.
Mama Roux’s amazing Parmesan truffle fries
The food at Mama Roux is gooooood! On this day, The Boogaloo Omnibus and Boogaloo Bag photographer Miss Nancy were able to partake in the Parmesan truffle fries and the fried chicken. That was delicious.
Oh, yeah, and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus played a bunch of records—nearly 120 of them! He got all kinds of compliments as well as almost $20 in tips! Here’s a list of all the records he played:
Mickey Baker et Les Midnighters–Shaking at Buttercups [from EP Mickey Baker] (RCA Victor; France)
A few months ago, our pal Dungaroos Kipawah arranged for Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus to swing at the beautiful Kingston, NY bar for which Mr. Kipawah bartends. The Boog named the event Funky Kingston. It took place on July 29. For this event he rounded up some of his favorite funk, hard soul and boogaloo records, and spiced it up with a few Afro-beats and Jamaican rhythms.
It all happened at The Salt Box, a fairly new but very groovy drinkery located in beautiful downtown Kingston—New York State’s first capitol city. One of the great things about the place is the historic building it resides in—it even has its own Wikipedia entry! The building was constructed during the 18th century with uncut stones. This makes it very difficult for audio wires to be strung through the walls for the disco system. Instead The Salt Box utilizes a wireless system that has a two-second delay from needle hitting a groove until it bursts out of the speakers. The Salt Box DJs need to be awake in order not to miss a transition mix. Luckily, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus had been to the venue several times before in order to observe top local DJs Pete Pop, Peter Aaron and Sean McDevitt work the hustle, and so he was prepared.
The Funky Kingston experience took place on the upper floor of the building. The Boog had to lug his turntables and records up a narrow flight of pre-regulation stairs and set up in the corner. The room had some tables and chairs and some games for folks to fool with. The Bat Signal was employed in order to ensure a full-on Wang Dang Doodle event was taking place. Miss Nancy had several flavors of her homemade fudge and vegan brownies available for attendees with sweet teeth.
For this initial Funky Kingston, we are happy to report that plenty of folks came out to groove to the scene, including some old friends and some of our new Hudson Valley friends. It’s always a gas to see familiar smiling faces.
The Funky Kingston will take place on the fifth Saturday of the month, when there is one. There are two more this year, September 30 and December 30. For this Funky Kingston, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was the only DJ. Future Funky Kingstons may feature guest DJs brought in from New York City or parts unknown. Make your plans now to make the scene.
Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the very first Funky Kingston:
This is The GO Mechanism, an audio odyssey that tunes out all un-hip and un-clean finkdom! The GO is a program that is periodically produced by its host, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. It initiates on the fantabulous Luxuria Music radio stream as a Saturday Night Special before it resides on the mixclouds and here in the Boogaloo Bag. That’s G-O GO! G is for Groove. O is for O’Rooney. We have an exciting one in store for you. It will be loaded with fabulous Groove and dressed up in some fantastic O’Rooney.
In order to fully experience The GO Mechanism, it is strongly suggested that all readers listen to the show with it’s corresponding Boogaloo Bag entry in hand. Here is complete track listing of the songs heard on the show and even more information regarding some of these songs and artists, including links and graphics. In a few weeks after its initial air-date, this GO will be archived here and one may listen to it over and over.
Little Willie John was convicted of manslaughter in 1966 and he died in a Washington State prison in May 1968. The very next month, James Brown was in a recording studio where he cut six songs that became side one of this tribute to the great singer. (The other side consists of six organ instrumentals… “a few nice things.”) The album was released that December.
During his career, James Brown did not shy away from recording songs by the artists that influenced him. He cut songs by Roy Brown, Hank Ballard, The “5” Royales, Billy Ward & His Dominoes and Guitar Slim. So perhaps it should be no surprise that he dedicated one full side of an album to Little Willie John so soon after his untimely death.
The songs played in this edition of The Science Corner are: •“Talk to Me, Talk to Me” was a Number 5 R&B and Number 20 pop hit record and one of Little Willie John’s biggest hits. •”Home at Last” was a Number 6 R&B hit that was written by Rudy Toombs, the subject of the Science Corner in GO Mechanism Number 15. •”Heartbreak (It’s Hurting Me)” was a Number 11 R&B hit that squeaked into the pop Top Forty. This latter song was written by Jon Thomas, a keyboard player based in Cincinnati who played on several sessions for King Records (who issued both Little Willie John and James Brown records), including Little Willie John’s hit version of “Fever.”
Little Willie John
The other songs on JB’s tribute are “Suffering With the Blues,” which was likely written for Little Willie John; and two standards, “Cottage for Sale” and “Bill Bailey.” There’s little doubt that Little Willie John learned “Cottage” from the hit version by Billy Eckstine. “Bill Bailey” is a ditty that dates to 1902 and is favored by Dixieland musicians. Little Willie John’s version turns it into a jump blues; James Brown added his own touch of funky swing on this album.
Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things is unlike any other James Brown album. At the time this was recorded and released, 1968, he was riding high with his new heavy funk; “I Can’t Stand Myself (When You Touch Me),” “I Got the Feelin’” and “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)” were all on the charts. This must have sounded like a throw-back to his fans—and the organ cuts may have sounded like throw-aways—thus it did not sell well. One can only imagine that this was a labor of love, a tribute to someone that the Godfather of Soul truly held in high esteem—as we all should. Little Willie John’s music will live forever.
For some reason Red Prysock has two entries in this edition of The GO Mechanism. Coincidentally, both of them have spoken introductions. The great saxophonist and his musicians were clearly having fun recording these tracks. Before striking out on his own, Prysock played with two “Tinys”: Tiny Grimes and Tiny Bradshaw. Prysock’s string of honking R&B instrumentals is matched only by Big Jay McNeely in their fabulousness, with “Hand Clappin’” being Red’s biggest seller.
In case the listener missed the GO Mechanism in-joke, we’ll explain it here: The show goes from Chuck Berry’s instrumental “Liverpool Drive” to “Mashed Potatoes” by a group from Liverpool called The Undertakers. Sandwiched between the two is a bit by Wild Man Fischer where he states, “You can get Herb Alpert and Jackie Lomax for forty cents.” The Undertaker’s lead singer was Jackie Lomax.
Alan Copeland checks into The GO with an early mixing of two different songs—something that the kids today call a “mash-up.” He directed his chorus to sing The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood” to the tune of the theme to “Mission: Impossible.” Somehow it works—mostly because the “Mission: Impossible” theme is so hard to mess with. Copeland had been in the music biz for about 20 years before this. He had been a member of The Modernaires, a vocal group that goes back to its time with Glenn Miller & His Orchestra in the thirties. Copeland wrote a hit song for Jo Stafford and made vocal arrangements for various pop acts and for films. Although “Norwegian/Mission” didn’t make much noise on the pop charts—it bubbled under at Number 120—in 1968 Copeland received the Grammy for Best Contemporary Pop Performance, Chorus. A year later he tried to recreate that magic using Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair” with Mason Williams’ “Classical Gas.” It is not nearly as much fun.
The version of “Caravan” in this episode of The GO Mechanism is by Chuck Rio. Other than the fact that it is quite rockin’, we like this rendition because it adheres a little closer to the original version by the Duke Ellington spin-off group Barney Bigard & His Jazzopators; Rio’s version keeps the percussive horn arrangement that most versions omit. On the label of this record, the artist is noted as Chuck “Tequila” Rio. Indeed, Rio was a member of The Champs and wrote their hit “Tequila.” He sought to remind potential record buyers of this with several of his post-Champs recordings. [For more about “Caravan,” see The Science Corner in GO Mechanism Number Three]
Laurel Aitken had one of the longest careers of any Jamaican musician—from about 1958 to a few years into the next century. He recorded in just about every style of music that was ever created in Jamaica, including ska, rocksteady, reggae and dancehall. He even recorded some R&B tracks in the early sixties. The record played here, “Baba Kill Me a Goat,” is in the mento style. Mento predated ska in Jamaica and it is often confused with calypso music. The GO Mechanism producers will cop to the fact that they can’t really tell the two apart; however, suffice it to say, it is boss and thus presented for the listener’s enjoyment.
Charles Lloyd recorded “She’s a Woman” on March 8, 1965 at Columbia Studio A in New York City. The participants were Lloyd on tenor sax, Gabor Szabo on guitar, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums. The track was only released as a single.
While tooling around in Tower Records’ under-stock in the fall of 1974, my friend Tom Gardner and I discovered a box of “Piss Factory” 45s that hadn’t made it to the sell bins yet. Needless to say, we bought a bunch of them and brought them home to our friends—we knew who Patti Smith was at the time—she had written some things in Creem Magazine, co-wrote some songs for The Blue Öyster Cult and was written about in Rock Scene Magazine. Plus, label credits listed our hero Lenny Kaye on guitar. How could it be bad?
In fact, it is one of the greatest records of all time. Subsequent recordings by The Patti Smith Group are all quite fabulous, of course, but this initial offering will always be held in high reverence with the GO Mechanism producers and the Boogaloo Bag writers. Nothing sounds like it, and nothing ever will.
Bo Diddley’s “Somebody Beat Me” is an odd one in his catalog. It was originally issued on the LP 500% More Man, and also twice on 45 in England. The song is about getting beaten up and robbed in Las Vegas. Could this be autobiographical? The subject matter is a long way from Bo Diddley’s braggadocio themes that we have come to know and love. Anyway, it’s got a cool groove.
Mose Allison was an early hero of the Boogaloo Bag writers and GO Mechanism producers. They attended a Mose appearance at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, CA around 1973 where Mr. Allison’s signature was obtained on a napkin. “I’m Not Talking” was written by Mr. Allison and recorded for his 1964 The Word From Mose album. Two years later The Yardbirds covered the song and things haven’t been the same since.
Charlie Parker and Red Rodney dig Dizzy (as seen in the mirror behind them!).
Robert Roland Chudnick was a bebop trumpet player that worked as Red Rodney. “Red’s Mambo” is a Cubano-influenced jump number played at punk rock tempo by a bunch of guys from Philadelphia. Before this, Red Rodney played briefly with a group led by Charlie Parker. When the group toured the South, he was billed as “Albino Red” so they wouldn’t upset the locals who frowned upon mixed-race musical ensembles. Ignorant people are easily fooled.
The Greatest Record Of All Time that ends this edition of The GO Mechanism is “My One And Only Jimmy Boy” by The Girlfriends. The song was written, and most likely produced by David Gates (for Raven Wood Productions, Inc., whatever that is). The record sounds like a Phil Spector record played at 78 RPM; in our book it’s better than any Spector production. This same David Gates went on to produced two great singles by Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band. Gates also wrote and/or produced songs by such artists as The Murmaids, Merry Clayton, Duane Eddy and Dorothy Berry. Somewhere he lost the map and formed the pop group Bread, and that is where he found his success. It’s a shame how mediocrity always seems to be the big money-maker for some folks. At least he made this fantastic girl group record that we in the GO Mechanism studio consider one of the Greatest Records Of All Time!
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.
The GO Mechanism originates on the Luxuria Music web-streaming hustle. The GO Mechanism producers heartily thank the Luxuria Music people for giving us the opportunity to play a few rekkids over their deluxe electronic audio delivery system. Please support Luxuria Music in any way you can. Go to the Luxuria Music web hustle to find out how.
Here’s a list of all the records played on GO Mechanism Number Seventeen:
Earl Bostic—Lester Leaps In (King) [ GO Mechanism Theme Song]
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