Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Kid Congo Powers swing at TWIST ALL NIGHT!

This November, the Commodore Boogaloo Night fell on the day after Thanksgiving (the 27th)—as it does most years. When that happens, host Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus brings out a host of food and bird records. He did it this year, when he presented the third TWIST ALL NIGHT, augmented in the most fabulous fashion with guest DJ Kid Congo Powers.

As the Boogaloo Bag reported when The Kid was guest DJ at WHAM-O WATUSI in August, he and The Boog go way back—most likely before most Boogaloo Bag readers were even born. The Kid has spent his entire adult life as a professional musician—playing guitar for (in roughly chronological order) The Creeping Ritual (which became The Gun Club), The Cramps, (then back to) The Gun Club, The Fur Bible, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Congo Norvell, The Knoxville Girls and his current organization The Pink Monkey Birds. Man, that’s a lot of action with top legends. And to top it off, the band that he works with now is one of his best. The Boogaloo Bag writers recently caught his act in person and they will enthusiastically tell you that this is one great Rock’n’Roll teen combo! It is so great to see Kid Congo fronting his own band, writing whack songs and playing stun guitar! When this band comes to your town, by all means, go see it. Also, buy the records!

Meanwhile, back at TWIST ALL NIGHT, The Kid and The Boog spun boss records right up until 4:00 AM, when the Commodore bouncer insisted the music stop. This fellow is much too big for anyone to argue with, so the music ended… but not before these two fine DJs played a ton of great records. As noted, The Boog played a few food records and The Kid played some smokin’ instrumentals. Around about 3:00 AM they alternated the playing of records, which resulted in even more instrumentals being played—including the spinning of Travis Wammack’s “Scratchy” by The Kid followed by the Phast Man spinning “Scratch My Back” by B.J. & the Geminis. The Kid played the hot blues instrumental “The Freeze” by Fenton Robinson which The Boog followed with “Soul Express” by Lonnie Mack. The Kid also played his own answer to all the food songs when he set needle to “It’s a Gas!”

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Kid Congo Powers take special care to select the perfect records to play at TWIST ALL NIGHT!

The Boog also played a little tribute to two recently departed heroes: Allen Toussaint wrote “Candy Yam” for Lee Dorsey (fitting into the Thanksgiving theme); and “Swim Time U.S.A.” by The Life Guards was played in order to remember P.F. Sloan (and to salute our friend DJ Rata, a swim instructor by day, Boogaloo Enthusiast by night!).

Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the third TWIST ALL NIGHT:

• Ray Anthony–Tequila With a Twist (Capitol)
• Tommy Wills and His Twisting Tomcats–Aw Shucks – Go On Twist (Terry)
• Lowell Fulson–Can She (Checker)
• The Marathons–Mashed Potatoes One More Time (Plaza)
• The Jesters–The Jesters Jump (Foxie)
• The Beatles–Mr. Moonlight (Apple; Japan)
• Roy Head–Just a Little Bit (Scepter)
• Chuck Berry–Jaguar and Thunderbird (Chess)
• Little Rose Evans and Chorus–Your Goose Is Cooked (Tahoe)
• Dee Dee Sharp–Do the Bird (Cameo)
• Jamie Ross–Let’s Do the Cat (Coun-Tree)
• Gino Washington–Doing the Pop Corn (Atac)
• Ace St. Clair with Mack Johnson Combo–Doin the Uncle Willie (Stacy)
• Singin’ Sammy Ward–That Child Is Really Wild (Tamla)
• The Magnificents–The Dribble (Twist) (Checker)
• Carlos Malcolm & His Afro-Jamaican Rhythm–Bonanza Ska (Up-Beat; Jamaica)
• Bill Haley and His Comets–Lean Jean (Decca)
• The Jaguars with Tom Looney–Jaguar (Epic)
• Eddie Kochak & His Orch.–Shish-Ka-Bob Rock (Darl)
• Chick Carlton and the Mixtures–Turkey Time – Part I (Faro)
• The Olympics–Mash Them ‘Taters (Arvee)
• Danny and the Juniors–Do the Mashed Potatoes (Swan)
• Robert Williams and the Groovers–Cranberry Blues (Tip Top)
• Warren Smith–Ubangi Stomp (Sun)
• Tom Jones–Chills and Fever (Decca; France)
• Kane & Abel–The Twist Is Back (Red Bird)
• Horace Bailey–Cool Monkey (Delene)
• Hank Diamond–Soul Sauce (Wachi Wara) (World Pacific)
• Ozzie Torrens and His Exciting Orchestra–Tijuana Grass (Decca)
• Pablo Beltran Ruiz y su Orquesta–La Banda Borracha (RCA Victor; Mexico)
• Los Yaki–¡Auxilio! – Help (Capitol; Mexico)
• Los Gatos Negros–La Tierra de las Mil Danzas (Land of 1000 Dances) (Vergara; Spain)
• Link Wray and the Wraymen–Slinky (Epic)
• The Smoke–My Friend Jack (Metronome; Germany)
• Sharp Hawks–Let Me Go! (Seven Seas; Japan)
• Les Lutins–Je Cherche (Carrousel; Canada)
• Dave Clark Five–Can’t You See That She’s Mine (Epic)
• Roy Orbison–Things Go Better With Coke [from EP Let’s Swing the Jingle for Coca-Cola] (McCann-Erickson/Coca-Cola)
• Travis Wammack–Louie Louie (Atlantic)
• Les Problèmes–Il Suffirait d’ Un Rien (Disques Vogue; France)
• Marsha Gee–The Peanut Duck (Joker; UK)
• Four Tees–Funky Duck (Kent)
• Bobby Sax and the Housekeepers–Sock It (DePlace)
• Lacy Gibson–I Am Gonna’ Unmask the Batman (Repetto)
• Bo Diddley–Mush Mouth Millie (Checker)
• Shelton Dunaway with the Cup Cakes–Franko-Chinese Cha Cha Cha (Khoury’s)
• Lee Dorsey–Candy Yam (Amy)
• Russell Evans and the Nite Hawks–Send Me Some Cornbread (Atco)
• Marvin & Johnny–Hot Biscuits and Gravy (Felsted)
• Dee Dee Sharp–Mashed Potato Time (Cameo)
• The Triads–Bacon Fat (Dilly Dilly Womp Womp) (Ringo)
• Dick and Libby Halleman and Their Society Orchestra vs Tom and Ray–Pizza Sure Is Good (Summit)
• Boyd Bennett–Hershey Bar (Mercury)
• Leroy Washington–Wild Cherry (Excello)
• Russ Lewis–Brand New Recipe (Sharp)
• Sly Stewart–I Just Learned How to Swim (Autumn)
• The Life Guards–Swimtime U.S.A. (Reprise)
• The Creations–Shang Shang (Jamie)
• Jimmy McCracklin–Georgia Slop (Mercury)
• Dossie (Thunderbird) Terry and Orchestra–Skinny Ginny (Amp 3)
• Wailers–Out of Our Tree (Etiquette)
• The South Street Soul Guitars–Soul Fire (Silver Fox)
• Ronny Kae–Twistin’ Rumble (Band Box)
• Maximillian at the Piano–Gee Baby, You’re the Utmost (Cub)
• Willie Wright and His Sparklers–Bloodhound (Federal)
• B.J. and the Geminis–Scratch My Back (Part 2) (Atco)
• Hugo Montenegro & Orch.–Hot Crawfish (Time)
• Lonnie Mack–Soul Express (Fraternity)
• Hal Blaine–Secret Agent Man (Dunhill)

None of these records are for sale. Photos by Nancy “Jeannie” Gardner.

Kid Congo Powers and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus sample the fantastic French fries at the Commodore!

All the DJs swing at Botanica: Eli “Paperboy” Reed, One Mint Julep, Miss Jenny Wasserman, Sheila B, Todd-O-Phonic Todd, Rata, Mr. Fine Wine, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. Photo curtesy of Sheila B.

What is there to say about Mr. Fine Wine that has not already been said about Mr. Fine Wine here in the Boogaloo Bag? If you have not been listening in to his radio show every Friday night on radio station WFMU then you must do so as soon as you come out of your coma! If you need to know more about Mr. Fine Wine, you can read previous remarks about him in these Boogaloo Bag posts… here, here and here, or at the precursor to the Boogaloo Bag, the Boogaloo Blog where you can read about him here.

Suffice it to say, he is a happening cat with a rope to swing on! Seems he always has something happening. On Wednesday November 18, Mr. Fine Wine was celebrating the release of R&B Hipshakers #4: Bossa Nova and Grits, a collection of R&B and soul records culled from the vaults of King and Federal Records that he compiled. These collections are released on a 20-track CD as well as a 10-disc box set of 7-inch 45 RPM records and are jam packed with some of the finest music of all time; essential listening for the Boogaloo Bag reader.

So on this evening, Mr. Fine Wine turned his weekly DJ night at Botanica into a record release party that featured some of his friends DJing—including One Mint Julep, Eli “Paperboy” Reed, DJ Rata, Jonathan Toubin and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. In attendance were many other friends including his fellow WFMU DJs Todd-O-Phonic Todd and Sheila B; J.B. Flatt of the Brooklyn Rhythm Band; and Miss Jenny Wasserman who has recently returned to New York City after a year in San Francisco.

Highlights of the evening include the playing of some fabulous gospel records by the Paperboy, a couple wild Mexican records played by DJ Rata—who also won the raffle for the box set of the celebrated new release! Also, Mr. Fine Wine played an acetate demo of a new Eli “Paperboy” Reed track that was absolutely killer—one of the best things we’ve heard all year! The Boogaloo Bag is looking forward to the Paperboy’s next album, that’s for sure.

Each guest DJ was given about 20 minutes to swing. Although Wednesdays at Botanic is regularly reserved for the playing of soul music, Mr. Fine Wine did not expect the guest DJs to adhere to that policy. Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus led off with a reggae version of a song written by the recently departed Allen Toussaint. Here’s a list of all of the records the Phastman played:

• The Heptones; Impact Allstars–Soul Sister (Giant; Jamaica)
• The Crowns–Jerking the Dog (Pama; UK)
• Gregory Isaaes (sic)–Open the Door to Your Heart (Sydna)
• Charlie McCoy & the Escorts–Screamin’, Shoutin’, Beggin’, Pleadin’ (Monument)
• Beverly Ann Gibson–Do the Monkey (Jubilee)
• Johnny Laboriel–Cafe Del Rock (Orfeon)
• The Atlantics–Sloop Dance (Rampart)
• Lacy Gibson–I Am Gonna’ Unmask the Batman (Repetto)
• Amos Milburn–Christmas (Comes But Once A Year) (King)

None of these records are for sale.

DJ Rata wins the raffle for the 10-disc box set! Yayyyy!!! Photo curtesy of Javier Roa.

After taking a brief sabbatical (for the Subway Soul Club event in October), WHAM-O WATUSI returned to the Bootleg Bar in downtown Bushwick, Brooklyn with the super guest DJ action of Sir Charles Gaskins on Saturday November 7. Mr. Gaskins has been involved in all sorts of reet projects, including playing in several bands, publishing a cool fanzine (Bananas), running a a hep record label (Killer Diller), swingin’ at several DJ nights (most recently Finger Lickin’ Friday) and, correct us if we are incorrect, he is studying to be a full-time comedian! Mr. Gaskins is truly a whacked cat and he can play some pretty whacked records, as was seen at the WHAM-O WATUSI! Or should we say, WHACK-O WATUSI!!

The Bootleg Bar clientele certainly enjoyed the records played by Mr. Gaskins and WHAM host Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, as several bravely approached the DJ booth and voiced their approval of the selections these two DJs were presenting that evening. Others showed solidarity by dropping their drink glasses! All night, folks held their drinks and moved their heads in rhythm with the beat, as if we all were in a store of life-sized bobble-head figures. You should have been there…

Hey, you’ll get your chance, as WHAM-O WATUSI returns to the Bootleg Bar on the first Saturday of each month—so set your calendars for December 6, and watch this space for who will be the guest DJ.

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

• Jay Bentley and the Jet Set–Watusi ’64 (G.N.P. Crescendo)
• Lonnie Mack–Wham! (Fraternity)
• The Spacewalkers–Gemini, Go Baby Go! (Moonglow)
• The Showboats–Too Much (Goldband)
• Jimmy Elledge–Pink Dally Rue (Hickory)
• Freddie Cannon–O.K. Wheeler, the Used Car Dealer (Warner Bros.)
• The Will-O-Bees–If You’re Ready (Date)
• The Peels–Scrooey Mooey (Karate)
• The Empires–(Boop-Boop-Dit-Tem-Dat-Tem-What-Tem-Chu) Three Little Fishes (Itty-Bitty-Poo) (Colpix)
• Clyde McPhatter–Happy Good Times (Mercury)
• The Kingsmen–Dig This (Jalynne)
• Mary Wells–Bye Bye Baby (Motown)
• Jimmy Tyrell and the Joy Vendors—-Popeye Line (Pawn)
• Rocky Roberts and the Airdales–Got a Thing Going (Brunswick)
• Clifford Curry–Miss Shake-A-Plenty (In the Micro-Mini) (Elf)
• James Duncan and the Duncan Trio–I’ll Be Gone (King)
• Hatti & the Heavywights–Chicken Shack (Hirl)
• Ted Cassidy as Lurch with the music of Gary Paxton–The Lurch (Capitol)
• The Nomads–I’m Popeye the Sailor Man (ABC-Paramount)
• The Hueys–You Ain’t No Hippie (Instant)
• Bo Diddley–Doin’ the Jaguar (Pye International; UK)
• The Lovers–Security (Checker)
• The Hawks–Grasshopper (ABC-Paramount)
• The Challengers–Goofus (Triodex)
• The Elite–One Potato (Charay)
• Piano Red–Rock Baby (RCA Victor)
• The Searchers–Alright (Pye; Greece)
• Fleshtones–The Girl From Baltimore (I.R.S.; UK)
• The Astronauts–Hot-Doggin’ (RCA-Victor)
• The Bluebeards–Come On-a My House (Date)
• Les Stratones–Petite Soeur (TC Loir; Canada)
• The Zombies–Road Runner (Parrot; Canada)
• Bobby Comstock–I’ll Make You Glad (Ascot)
• The Beatles–Boys (Capitol Star Line)
• Sadina–I Want That Boy (Smash)
• [unknown singer]–I’m Gonna Destroy That Boy (Munster; Spain)
• The Del Satins–The Throwaway Song (B.T. Puppy)
• Joe Tex–Looking for My Pig (Parrot)
• Jerry Palmer–Walking the Dog (Gaiety)
• The Boots–In the Midnight Hour (Telefunken; Germany)
• Jim Doval and the Gauchos–Baracuda (Dot)
• Beverly Ann Gibson–Do the Monkey (Jubilee)
• The Vice-Roys–Not Too Much Twist – Not Too Much Shout (Bethlehem)
• Big Maybelle–That’s a Pretty Good Love (Savoy)
• The Suberbs–The Fish (Heritage)
• Little Richard–Money (OKeh)
• Jamie Mahar–Slippin’ and Slidin’ (Warner Bros.)
• The Isley Brothers–Twist and Shout (Wand)
• The Fourmost–Respectable (Atco)
• Clyde McPhatter–Lover Please (Mercury)
• The Four Lovers–Honey Love (RCA Victor)
• Mary Weiss–A Certain Guy (Norton)
• Tony Harris–Chicken Baby Chicken (Ebb)
• Link Wray and the Wraymen–Slinky (Epic)
• Luke & the Apostles–Been Burnt (Elektra; Canada)
• The Guess Who?–It’s My Pride (Amy)
• The Revels–Foo Man Choo (Norgolde)
• Nolan Strong–(What Did That Genie Mean When He Said) Ali Coochie Ca La Moochie Cu Cu Monga Cha La Chunga (Fortune)
• Huey ‘ Piano’ Smith & the Clowns–Pop-Eye (Ace)
• Hasil Adkins the One Man Band–Chicken Shake (Norton)
• César et ses Romains–Splish – Splash (Choc!; Canada)
• Barbara Lynn–Oh! Baby (We Got a Good Thing Goin’) (Jamie)
• The Deejays–I Can Tell (Poydor; Sweden)
• Tommy James and the Shondells–I’ll Go Crazy (Hit; Spain)
• James Brown and the Famous Flames–This Old Heart (Federal)
• Sunny and the Sunliners–Trick Bag (Tear Drop)
• J.L. Smith–Do the Mosquito (Friendly Five)
• Chris Allen–Saxophone Pete (Hollywood)
• John Lee Hooker–Onions (Charly; UK)
• Lonnie Brooks–The Popeye (Midas)
• Henry Mancini and his Orchestra–Tooty Twist (RCA Victor)
• James Brown & the Famous Flames–(A Short Personal Message by James Brown) Don’t Be a Drop-Out (King)
• Henry Lumpkin–Mo Jo Hanna (Motown)
• Chris Kenner–Sick and Tired (Imperial)
• Jimmy Moore–Crawlin’ (Legrand)
• Nat Wright–For You My Love (ABC-Paramount)
• Eddie Bo–Now Let’s Pop-Eye (Swan)
• Otis Redding and the Shooters–She’s All Right (Finer Arts)
• The Rosaletts and the Kinfolks Orchestra–Do You Wanna Dance (Revis)
• Sally and the Roses–Chicken Back (Columbia)
• Eddy Bell & the Bel-Aires–The Masked Man (Hi Yo Silver) (Mercury)
• Danny & the Juniors–At the Hop (Singular)
• Chuck Berry–Promised Land (Chess)
• The Sherry’s–No No Baby (Mercury)
• Willy and His Giants–Huckleberry Beat (Union; Japan)

None of these records are for sale.

Sir Charles Gaskins swings at WHAM-O WATUSI!

On Sunday October 18, The BIG TEN INCH returned to action with many familiar faces and some new ones. The most prominent of the new faces was the new location, Club Hi-Fi in the East Village of Manhattan, and its affable owner Mike Stuto.

The BIG TEN INCH has been looking for a new home ever since it was given the boot from the Bell House a few years ago. As a regular reader of the BOOGALOO BAG you certainly must remember back in May that Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus DJed for The Mighty Fine show at Club Hi-Fi. While he was there, the Phast One noted that the club utilized a pair of Audio-Technica AT-LP 120 direct drive turntables that have the capability of operating at three speeds—suitable for playing records that must rotate at 78 RPM.

By the end of the summer, The Boog was able to contact Mr. Stuto and negotiate a date for The BIG TEN INCH to take place, plus the delivery of pizza! The BOOGALOO BAG is happy to report that the event was a great success, with many great records played.

If you have been following the Boogaloo Omnibus exploits since the days of the Boogaloo Blog, you will already be familiar with the way The BIG TEN INCH works. Host DJ Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus invites his friends, friends of friends, and anyone else who may be interested, to bring a handful of 78s to play. That way no one has to bring a heavy, heavy load of fragile, brittle shellac to the club—anyone who shows up with some 78s can play them. On this particular evening, a full dozen participants were involved and all got to play at least a half-dozen records. Even better: there were no reports of broken records!

Among those who brought and played shellac discs were Alex de Laszlo, Bob Pomeroy, Jukejoint Jonny, Mr. Fine Wine, One Mint Julep, Ted Barron, Adam Lore, Andy Upsetter FC, Rich Sibello, Michael McMahon, DJ Rata and host Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. The club echoed with hillbilly, jump blues, rock’n’roll, mambo, big band swing and other fine sounds, including Jamaican mento. The exceptional amount of high quality ten-inch platters sounded fantastic and Club Hi-Fi jumped with five exciting hours of surface noise hiss!!!

As this Boogaloo Bag is being filled, negotiations are in progress to make The BIG TEN INCH a regular event on the Reet Music Scene. Watch this space for further developments. Below is a gallery of some of the records played…

Here’s a list of all the 78s played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the new and improved BIG TEN INCH:

• Noro Morales y su Orquesta; canta: ‘El Boy’–Dame un Cacho (Give Me a Slice) (Seeco)
• Spike Jones and his City Slickers–The Jones Laughing Record (Introducing the Flight of the Bumble Bee) (RCA Victor)
• Al Sears and His Orchestra–Huffin’ and Puffin’ (RCA Victor)
• Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra; vocal refrain by Ace Harris and Chorus–Let’s Have Fun Tonight (RCA Victor)
• Gerald Wilson Orchestra–One O’Clock Jump (Tops)
• Chinese artist–Chinese Song (Columbia; Calcutta)
• The Hearts–Oo-Wee (Baton)
• Hoosier Hot Shots–Bull Frog Serenade (OKeh)
• Al ‘Jazzbo’ Collins–Little Red Riding Hood (Brunswick)
• Jimmie Rodgers–The Brakeman’s Blues (RCA Victor)
• Jimmy Reed–Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby (Vee Jay)
• Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five–Put Some Money in the Pot Boy ‘Cause the Juice Is Running Low (Aladdin)
• Teen Tops–Popotitos (Columbia; Argentina)
• Von Streeter and His Wig Poppers–Landslide (Scoop)
• Wynonie Harris–All She Wants to Do Is Mambo (King)
• James Brown–Chonnie-On-Chon (Federal)
• Moose Jackson–Big Ten-Inch Record (King)

None of these records are for sale!

New comer DJ Rata swings at the BIG TEN INCH!

The Subway Soul Club Crew swings at Lucille’s… Warren Boogaloo, Jeff Valle, Lady Dawn, Val Palmer and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus.

Although The Subway Soul Club only seems to operate twice a year these days, it truly is the premier soul music dance party in New York City. Saturday October 3 was plenty of proof. In order to liven things up a bit, hostess Lady Dawn invited some of her British buddies to come be guest DJs, including Val Palmer, Warren Boogaloo and Jeff Valle to join resident DJ Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus in the making of the joyful noise.

But wait, the day didn’t start for Phast Phreddie at 10:00 PM when the first needle was dropped on a cool BB King record. No! It started much earlier… The Boogaloo household was buzzing with activity by 5 o’clock that morning, as it was the day of the most holiest of record collectors’ holy days: The Allentown 45s and 78s-Only Record Show in Allentown, PA, which commences at 8:00 AM and is a good hour and 45-minute drive from the greater Brooklyn area.

The record fair proved to be a fruitful one—as it always is. The Boog picked up more than three dozen 45s without going into his emergency money! Among the records he brought home were twist records (“Twistin’ Pony” by The Hi-Lites, “The Dribble Twist” by The Magnificents), blues records (“Wild Cherry” by Leroy Washington, “Hype You Into Sellin’ Your Head” by Bobby Davis), wild R&B (“Looby Doo” by Bobby Byrd, “Brassette Rock” by The Brassettes), doo wop (“Bermuda Shorts” by The Delroys, “There’s a Love” by The Del-Rios), jazz (“Walk on By” by Roland Kirk, “Dragnet” by Stan Kenton), boss instrumentals (“Scratch My Back” by B.J. and the Geminis, “Plunkin’ by The Musclemen) and some frat rock stompers (“Work With Me Annie” by The Explosions, “Part Time Job” by Mark Valentino). Here are a couple of odd things he picked up: “Harpoon Man” by Charlie McCoy and the Escorts (a cool Bo Diddley-influenced rocker backed with a version of Muddy Waters’ “I’m Ready;” McCoy was the primary Nashville studio harmonica player during the sixties and seventies, so this sort of exuberant R&B tinge is not expected of him) and a very hip garage rock version of Gary U.S. Bonds’ “Working for My Baby” by John Frogg. Of course some soul records were picked up and four of them (noted by an asterisk* below) were played that very night.

After a quick dinner, The Boog and Nancy “Jeannie” Gardner, the lovely Boogaloo Bag photographer, rushed to Times Square for the evening’s main event.

Soul music enthusiasts swing at Subway Soul Club!

British Night at Subway Soul Club is always special. The last one was held back at Rififi—wow, a long time ago! Lady Dawn has been trying to organize another ever since, but timing and distance were always an issue. Somehow she was able to get it together with three of the DJs who appeared last time.

Val Palmer selects another fabulous track to play at Subway Soul Club!

Val Palmer is quite possibly one of the finest female soul music DJs in the world. She really knows her stuff. She has been DJing regularly at the 100 Club in London since the eighties. She blew people’s minds the last time she worked the Subway Soul Club and she did it again this time. Man, that gal can swing!

Warren Boogaloo and Val Palmer swing at Subway Soul Club!

Jeff Valle swings with the legendary Northern Soul DJ Dave Withers at Subway Soul Club!

Speaking of swingin’—Waren Boogaloo is no slouch, either. He blends the sixties soul 45s we all know and love—as well as some pretty great ones we’ve got to find!—with Latin soul and Boogaloo records in order to present a very highly rhythmic mix. He’s based in London, but he works all over Europe, much to the delight of Europeans!

Back in December 2001, Jeff Valle was one of the founders of Subway Soul Club, along with Dr. Scott and Lady Dawn. The three of them created a really great scene, one that basically filled the gap created when the legendary Empire State Soul Club stopped operating around that time. During the summer of ’02, he returned to London from whence he came. So it is like a homecoming when Jeff blows into town and plays a few records for us.

Jeff Valle and Warren Boogaloo discuss the finer points of a great sixties soul record at Subway Soul Club!

Subway Soul Club, presented in conjunction with our friends at Cavestomp, was held once again at Lucille’s, the groovy nightclub that is adjacent to BB King’s Blues Club on 42^nd Street in Manhattan. With it’s great big wooden dance floor and plenty of room at the bar, the room is the perfect place for these kinds of events. Lady Dawn was very much on the scene, chattin’ up attendees, taking pictures with the Boogaloo Bag camera, and you know she was out on the dance floor!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and his fan club swing at Subway Soul Club!

Resident DJ Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, although not hailing from England, also played a few soul records—all of which are listed below:

• BB King–The B.B. Jones (Bluesway)
• The One-Derful Band–Honey in the Bee-Bo (One-Derful)*
• Leonard King & the Soul Messengers–The Barracuda (Inferno)
• Brown Brothers of Soul–Cholo (Specialty)
• Carolyn Crawford–I’ll Come Running (Motown)
• Bobby Scott–Moanin’ (Mercury)
• Nella Dodds–Maybe Baby (Wand)
• Kathy and the Calendars–Please Don’t Go (Port)
• Bobby White–It’s a Great Life (Kent)
• The Chi-Lites–Stoned Out of My Mind (Brunswick)
• Tony Owens–This Heart Can’t Take No More (Soul Sound)*
• The Volcanos–Storm Warning (Arctic)
• Pat Lewis–Warning (Solid Hit)
• Phil Flowers–Discontented (Dot)
• Shirley Scott–Soul Sauce (Impulse)
• Linda Lyndell–Bring Your Love Back to Me (Volt)
• Dick Hyman and His Orchestra–Agent Double-O-Soul (Command)*
• Jimmy Hanna with the Dynamics–Leavin’ Here (Seafair Bolo)
• Mickey Denton–Ain’t Love Grand (Impact)
• Pat Lewis–Look What I Almost Missed (Solid Hit)
• The Chessmen–Why Can’t I Be Your Man (Chess)*
• The Temptations–All I Need (Gordy)
• Sonny & Cher–Good Combination (Atco)
• The Exception–You Always Hurt Me (Capitol)
• Lynne Randell–Stranger in My Arms (Epic)
• Billy Butler–Right Track (OKeh)
• Eddie Palmieri & His Orchestra–The African Twist (Tico)
• J.J. Barnes–Chains of Love (Groovesville)
• Clydie King–’Bout Love (Lizard)
• Booker T. & the M.G.’s–Time Is Tight (Stax)
• James Brown and the Famous Flames–Night Train (King)
• Roosevelt Matthews with Billy Ball & the Upsetters–Tighten Up (King)
• Lee Dorsey–Four Corners – Part 1 (Amy)
• The Wailers–The Jerk (Island; UK)
• Millie Small–Carry Go Bring Come (Fontana; UK)
• Timmy Thomas–Have Some Boogaloo (Goldwax)
• The Coasters–Cool Jerk (King)
• The Mohawks–The Champ (Cotillion)
• Lou Courtney–Skate Now (Riverside)
• Marvin Gaye–Baby Don’t You Do It (Tamla)
• Laura Lee–To Win Your Heart (Ric-Tic)
• Willie Mitchell–That Driving Beat (Hi)
• Cliff Nobles & Co.–Is It the Way (J-V)
• The Combo Kings–I’m at My Best When I’m Down (Arctic)
• The Magnificent Men–You Changed My Life for the Better (Capitol)

None of these records are for sale.

The Boog swingin’!!! Photos were taken by Lady Dawn, Nancy “Jeannie” Gardner and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus.

DJ Rata swings at TWIST ALL NIGHT!

Friday September 25 was a busy night for Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus.

One of our pals is the great DJ Mr. Fine Wine. For the last several years, his radio show on radio station WFMU Downtown Soulville (Fridays from 8:00 to 9:00 PM) has been mandatory listening for the Boogaloo Bag writers and readers. In fact, he’s been on the air for the last 21 years! A celebration of this 21^st anniversary took place on that very same Friday September 25 with a great big soul party held at Monty Hall, the elegant showroom located in the WFMU Tower in Jersey City.  Mr. Fine Wine and his guest DJs played great soul records from 7:00 until 10:30 PM, with the 8 to 9 hour aired over the WFMU airwaves. The Boog could not miss this—even though he had a DJ night later that night at The Commodore.

One Mint Julep, Mr. Fine Wine and Gaylord Fields swing at the DOWNTOWN SOULVILLE TURNS 21 party at Monty Hall!

The party proceeded with Mr. Fine Wine playing his excellent records, along with his two guest DJs: One Mint Julep and Gaylord Fields. Both of these folks are also WFMU DJs. One Mint Julep has a super-fine show (Wednesdays from 8:00 to 9:00 PM) called Honky Tonk Radio Girl where she plays country, hillbilly and rockabilly records. Mr. Fields’ show (Sundays from 5:00 to 7:00 PM) is an eclectic mix of groovy sounds. Both of these folks also have superb soul music records and they sure as heck can play them, as was seen at this here party of which we are writing. It seemed that just about everyone in attendance was a personage of some importance in the local Hep Cat Daddy scene, including WFMU DJs Sheila B, Joe Belock and Todd-O-Phonic Todd; Juke Joint Jonny (Susquehanna Tool and Die Co.), Karen McBurnie (Grade “A” Fancy, Goofballs), Paul Lukas (Uni Watch), Matt Clarke (Quitty & the Don’ts, The Above), author P.J. Lozito, Mr. Robinson (Dig Deeper) and Heather Propes (daughter of über record collector Steve Propes). There were so many that there is no way the Boogaloo Bag writers can remember them all, so if your name is missing, we offer humble apologies! (Better yet, let us know and we will add it!!)

Why wouldn’t all these important people be there? Mr. Fine Wine is one of the world’s foremost soul music DJs and is an inspiration to us all. His long-lived radio show and his long-lived residency Wednesday nights at Botanica are two of the things that make living in the New York City area so fabulous. Indeed, anytime Mr. Fine Wine is playing records—and he also does so regularly at The Commodore and Friends & Lovers in Brooklyn—it is the best place in the world to be! PLUS, he compiles box sets called Hip Shakers, each containing 10 seven-inch singles of hot R&B recordings culled from the vaults of King Records, for the cool Spanish label Vampi Soul. One can say that Mr. Fine Wine is heavily involved in the music he loves.

So is Gaylord Fields! On the evening being discussed herein, he had to leave the party early, as he was scheduled to be guest DJ at TWIST ALL NIGHT!—a great DJ night presented by the WANG DANG DOODLE people—at The Commodore in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He drove TWIST ALL NIGHT host Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus back to the City in order to make the scene. There they met up with fellow guest DJ Rata and the three of these folks made a super boss noise all night long playing their favorite 45 RPM recordings for the Commodore faithful.

Gaylord Fields and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus display groovy jackets at TWIST ALL NIGHT!

As mentioned earlier, Gaylord Fields’ WFMU program is very eclectic. He can swing with a French chanteuse, a be-bop jazz number, mellow sunshine pop or a recent recording by Yo La Tengo. At TWIST ALL NIGHT, he presented non-stop stomping R&B and garage rock gems. Gaylord Fields is a very heavy cat!

DJ Rata and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus display groovy head-gear at TWIST ALL NIGHT!

DJ Rata is also a very heavy cat. He’s from Venezuela, where he was one of the top party DJs in Caracas until he moved to Brooklyn a few years ago. His Mambo Jambo nights at Otto’s Shrunken Head are always a gas and the summers around here have been intensely improved by his Sunday afternoon DJ sessions at Rockaway Beach. He plays boss R&B records, as well, but spices up his sets with top mambo and Latin soul numbers—perfect for TWIST ALL NIGHT!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus (who ate some of The Commodore’s fabulous fried chicken!!) knew that he had to pull out some pretty bitchen records in order to stay in the same league as these two heavy cats! Here is a complete list of every record he played at TWIST ALL NIGHT! Some of them have links to the youtubes for you to judge for yourself…

• The Dartells–Dartell Stomp (Dot)
• The Fabulous Four–Oop-Shoobie-Doop Bam-A-Lam (Melic)
• Eddie Bo–We Like Mambo (Ace)
• The Turbans–The Wadda-Do (Herald)
• Solomon Burke–Peepin’ (Atlantic)
• Barbara Greene–Slippin and Slidin’ (Atco)
• Bill Wendry & the Boss Tweeds–Fire (Columbia)
• Ramona King–Hey Everybody (Warner Bros.)
• Los Salvajes–Es La Edad (Regal; Spain)
• Dickey Doo and the Don’ts–Nee Nee Na Na Na Nu Nu (Casino)
• Dusty Springfield–Do Re Mi (Forget About the Do and Think About Me) (Philips)
• Aretha Franklin–Hands Off (Columbia)
• Tony Farrell–Stumpy Stump (Time)
• Willy and His Giants–Ajoen Ajoen (Union; Japan)
• Los Brincos–Baila La Pulga [from EP ¡Brincosis!] (NoVola; Spain)
• George Hudson and the Kings of Twist–Little Twister (Capitol)
• Sunny Gale–Mama – Papa Do the Twist (Stage)
• The Buttons–Shimmy Shimmy Watusi (Columbia)
• King Curtis–Low Down (Tru-Sound)
• Leo Wright–Bops-A-Bops Love (Perico)
• Carlos Roman y su Conjunto–Swing Colombiano (Welcome Twist) (Son-Art; Mexico)
• Juanucho Lopez and His Orchestra; vocalist: Mon Rivera–El Twist (Spanoramic)
• The Tokens–Swing (B.T. Puppy)
• Jimmy Moore–Crawlin’ (Legrand)
• Sonny & Cher–You Don’t Love Me (Atco; France)
• Del Shannon–Keep Searchin’ (We’ll Follow the Sun) (Amy)
• The Upperclassmen–Cha Cha With the Zombies (Freedom)
• The Latin All Stars–Ring a Ding (Roper)
• Sonora Santanera; cantan: Juanito Slivestre y Andres–El Orangutan (Discos Columbia)
• Big Sambo and the House Wreckers–At the Party (Eric)
• Owen Gray–Best Twist (Blue Beat; UK)
• The Soul-Men–Road House (Lola)
• Elvis Presley and the Jordanaires–A Big Hunk o’ Love (RCA Victor)
• Guy Ferrel–Dansez (Come On Let’s Go) (Apex; Canada)
• Ray Allen & the Upbeats–La Bamba (Blast)
• Chico Holiday–Cuckoo Girl (RCA Victor)
• Good-Time Charlie (The Sheik)–Watch That Stuff (Galaxy)
• The Boots–Watch Your Step (Telefunken; Germany)
• The Coasters–The P.T.A. (Atco)
• The Upsettes–Draggin’ the Main (Autumn)
• Los Yaki–Serafin Y Tres Pescaditos (Too Many Fish in the Sea/Three Little Fishes) (Capitol; Mexico)
• Alan Vallone–Mambo Twist (Audicon)
• Dave Hamilton and His Peppers–Donna’s Cha-Cha (Hi-Q)
• Chauncey Huff–Swimmin’ U.S.A. (Fantasy)
• Jim Doval and the Gouchos–Scrub (Dot)

None of these records are for sale.

Peter Zaremba, Carlos Grasso and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at the Third Copycat Cover Song Night Tribute to Nuggets!

Everybody always has a great time at Copycat Cover Song Night, hosted by DJ Xerox and held at Otto’s Shrunken Head in Manhattan. When it pays tribute to the great garage rock compilation Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era 1965 – 1968 the boss quotient is immeasurably magnified. Such was the case on September 23^rd when the third tribute to that great compilation album was held. As per the others, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was asked to be guest DJ. Also, at the last two the creator of Nuggets Lenny Kaye was a special guest DJ. However, he couldn’t make the scene this time. In his stead there was someone who many regard as one of Lenny Kaye’s greatest disciples, a man who definitely studied the Nuggets album and used those lessons to create a whole new scene called Super Rock. We are talking about Peter Zaremba of The Fleshtones.

The bands that played were Giant Fingers…

The Unaccounted Four, which was formed just for the occasion, played ALL garage rock and freakbeat favorites, and featured some of our favorite local musicians and personalities…

Mothers Little Helpers…

For his part, Peter Zaremba played a wide variety of garage rock-styled records from Ohio, Detroit, Canada and France. In keeping with the “cover song” theme of the night, he played the fine version of “The Green Slime” by The Fuzztones! Also, our pal Carlos Grasso was in town. Mr. Grasso is a hip video director who we first met when he was the producer of the MTV program The Cutting Edge back in the eighties. At one point, Mr. Grasso grabbed the official Boogaloo Bag camera and took some art shots of Peter Z and The Boog as they spun records and goofed off.

Here’s a list of all the songs played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus:

• The Hogs–Loose Lip Sync Ship (HBR)
• Bobby Arlin with the Hustlers–Mushroom Machine (Part 2) (Tiki)
• The Sonics–Any Way the Wind Blows (Uni)
• Dick Dodd–Lonely Weekends (Tower)
• Cher–For What It’s Worth (Atco)
• The Chords–Incense and Peppermints (Hit)
• The Lost–Back Door Blues (Capitol)
• The Seeds–The Wind Blows Your Hair (GNP Crescendo)
• The Sinners–You Don’t Love Me (Mercury)
• The Electric Prunes–I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) (Reprise)
• Les Aristocrates–Je Ne Vois Qu’Elle (Choc!; Canada)
• The Light–Back Up (A&M)
• The Odds and Ends–(Cause) You Don’t Love Me (South Bay)
• Ox-Bow Incident–Reach Out (Smash)
• The Ventures–Eight Miles High (Liberty; Japan)
• Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs–Red Hot (M-G-M)
• Harbinger Complex–I Think I’m Down (Brent)
• The Other Half–Mr. Pharmacist (G.N.P. Crescendo)
• The Stillroven–Hey Joe (Falcon)
• The Ides of March–Sha-La-La-La-Lee (Parrot)
• The Leaves–Love Minus Zero (Mira)
• The Sloths–Makin’ Love (Ugly Things)
• Love–Stephanie Knows Who (Elektra)
• The Druids–It’s a Day (Columbia)
• The Uniques–You Ain’t Tuff (Paula)
• Liverpool Five–The Snake (RCA Victor)
• The Sonics–Do You Love Me (Norton)

None of these records are for sale!

The Boss Groover Todd-O-Phonic Todd and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at WHAM-O WATUSI!

The third WHAM-O WATUSI may have been the bossest yet. On September 5, The WHAM returned to the Bootleg Bar with guest DJ Todd-O-Phonic Todd.

Todd-O-Phonic Todd, known far and wide as The Boss Groover, is now a regular DJ on radio station WFMU—The Fun 91. His show can be heard every Saturday afternoon from 3 to 6 PM and it is a great one! On it, Mr. Todd plays a wide assortment of music that can only be termed Rock’n’Roll. For more than ten years, Mr. Todd’s radio shenanigans could only be heard when he was filling in for other DJs. Then, in November of last year, the powers-that-be at the radio station gave him the Cherry Blossom Clinic slot on Saturdays soon after it was vacated by the great Terre T. Saturday radio has not been the same ever since!

At the WHAM-O WATUSI, Todd-O played some great records, much like the stuff he plays on his radio show—some of the records can be seen below (click on them and they will big-o-fi using a secret electronic process). He is a great fan of Philadelphia radio legend Jerry Blavat—The Geater With The Heater. So, as Mr. Todd was gearing up for his first set, WHAM-O host Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus played “Jerry’s Theme.”

Todd-O-Phonic Todd digs the scene at WHAM-O WATUSI!

All night long, Todd-O-Phonic Todd played fabulous record after fabulous record—many of which are coveted by The Boog and others who were attending. In fact, it was very much as if his radio show had come to life, only louder. That Mr. Todd can really swing!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Todd-O-Phonic Todd discuss the finer points of a Del Shannon record at WHAM-O WATUSI!

Toward the end of the evening, our pals Charles Gaskins, Brandon Pierce Peck and Javier Roa showed up and began to Watusi with The Boog!

Starting in November, the WHAM-O WATUSI will be held on the first Saturday of every month at the Bootleg Bar—a fine place to dig reet music and drink! There will be some surprise DJs and all sorts of wild records will be played each month. With any luck, there will be a DOO WOP HOP in February and we are hoping to bring back a full-scale WANG DANG DOODLE. Make your plans now to attend as many as possible.

Here is a list of all the records played at WHAM-O WATUSI by its host, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibnus:

• Sandy Nelson–Jive Talk (Imperial)
• The Gallants–The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (Capitol)
• The Jesters–Peter Gunn Twist (Foxie)
• Russell Byrd–Hitch Hike Part I (Symbol)
• Little Frankie–I’m Not Gonna Do It (Capitol)
• The Jagged Edge–Baby You Don’t Know (RCA-Victor)
• Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band–Yellow Brick Road (Buddah)
• The Astronauts–Tomorrow’s Gonna Be a Another Day (RCA Victor)
• Little Joe and the Mustangs–South Swell (Challenge)
• The American Breed–Short Skirts (Acta)
• The Everly Brothers–(You Got) The Power of Love (Warner Bros.)
• Len Barry–Don’t Come Back (Cameo)
• Micky Dolenz–Don’t Do It (Challenge)
• The Deejays–Long Tall Shorty (Polydor; Sweden)
• B.J. Thomas and the Triumphs–Candy Baby (Pacemaker)
• The Johnny Otis Show vocal by Johnny Otis–Three Girls Named Molly Doin’ the Hully Gully (Capitol)
• John Lee Hooker–Let’s Make It Baby (Polydor; France)
• George (Wild Child) Butler–Hold Me Baby (Jewel)
• Jerry Blavat – The Geater with the Heater–Jerry’s Theme (Epic)
• The Invictas–Do It (Sahara)
• Bobby Fuller–Saturday Night (Todd)
• Gloria Tracy–I’ve Never Known (HBR)
• Jim Jones and the Chaunteys–One Fine Mice (Sunglow)
• Bo Diddley–Let the Kids Dance (Checker)
• The Defenders–Jump Back Baby (Sonet; Europe)
• The Crawdaddys–Lolette [from EP 5×4] (Voxx)
• The Lyres–Don’t Give It Up Now (Sounds Interesting)
• The Seeds–Satisfy You (GNP Crescendo)
• Boy’s Wonder–All Tied Up (Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace) (Lowland; Europe)
• The Dave Clark Five–Good Time Woman (Epic)
• Roy Wood–Forever (United Artists)
• Chuck Berry–Go, Bobby Soxer (Chess)
• Hal Blaine (The Drummer Man) and The Young Cougars–Challenger II (RCA Victor)
• Olympic – Big Beat, Prag–Hully-Gully (Amiga; Germany)
• The Shadows–Rhythm & Greens (Columbia; UK)
• Chubby Checker–Popeye The Hitchhiker (Parkway)
• Sammy Reynolds–Olive Oyl (Dore)
• Freddie Cannon—Summerime, U.S.A. (Warner Bros.)
• The Surfaris–I’m a Hog for You Baby (Decca)
• Los Brillos–Sookie Sookie (Falcon)
• Los Rockin’ Devils–Caperucita Roja (Lil’ Red Riding Hood) (Orfeon)
• Steve Alaimo–Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Atco)
• The Arrows featuring Davie Allan–Granny Goose (Tower)
• Nero and the Gladiators–Boots (Decca; UK)
• Cliff Richard and the Shadows–Nine Times Out of Ten (Columbia; UK)
• The Nomads–Good Times (Parlophone; Australia)
• Opposite Six–Church Key (Pt. 68) (South Shore)
• Lindy Blaskey–You Ain’t Tuff (Challenge)
• The Rationals–Look What You’re Doin’ (To Me Baby) (A Squared)
• David Clayton Thomas–Brain Washed (Tower)
• The Guess Who?–It’s My Pride (Quality; Canada)
• The Fleshtones–I Surrender (Yeproc)
• Del Shannon–Stranger in Town (Amy)
• Bob Dylan–Mixed Up Confusion (CBS; France)
• Mighty Sparrow–Calypso Boogaloo (RA; West Indies)
• The Stereo’s–Stereo Freeze Part 1 (Cadet)
• Hank Ballard–Do It Zulu Style (King)
• The Summits–Hanky Panky (Harmon)
• Cliff Nobles–Judge Baby, I’m Back (Phil-L.A.)
• Zoot Money–The Uncle Willie (Decca; UK)
• Jimmy Stokley and the Exiles–It’s Alligator Time (LTD International)
• The Atlantics–Beaver Shot (Rampart)
• The Riviaires–The Bug (Aden)
• E. Rodney Jones–R&B Time (Part 1) (Tuff)
• Johnny Honeycut–Get to That (Willow)
• James Brown and the Famous Flames–Fine Old Foxy Self (King)
• Shorty Billups–Hoochie Koo (Blast)
• Little Junior Lewis–Can She Give Me Fever (Fury)
• Wayne Cochran–I’m in Trouble (Mercury)
• Sidney Barnes–Talkin’ ‘Bout a Shindig (Blues Tone)
• The Girls with the Harry Betts Orchestra–Way, Way Out (20th Century)
• The Berrys–Midnight Hour (Apex; Canada)
• Jim Doval and the Gouchos–Scrub (Dot)

None of these records are for sale. Most photos were taken by Nancy “Jeanie” Gardner. Below is a selection of the records played by Todd-O-Phonic Todd at the WHAM-O WATUSI…

After a hard night of DJing, Todd-O-Phonic Todd has packed up his fabulous 45s and leaves the Bootleg Bar.