The Bat Signal at the Salt Box signifies that Funky Kingston is happening!!Stuart Millman of The Greyhounds and Miss Nancy dig it!
In 2023, the last fifth Saturday of the month fell on December 30—the day before New Year’s Eve! It was the perfect time for folks to celebrate the New Year without dealing with amateur drinkers. Some folks took advantage of that by attending Funky Kingston at the Salt Boxin Kingston, NY.
Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Scott Boyko swing at Funky Kingston!
Funky Kingston is the groovy new DJ night hosted by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. It features all sorts of funky music (see list below) as well as special guest DJs. For this occasion, we were able to fly in Scott Boyko from south central Pennsylvania and he dropped some heavy, heavy funk and really righteous reggae jams. Mr. Boyko is a serious record collector and has been sharing his sounds at DJ events for more than 20 years. He once was a host of the Garden State Soul Club. Now he guests all over the place: Keystone State Soul Weekender (Lancaster, PA), Soul Finger (New York City), etc.
Scott Boyko in action!Scott Boyko keeps the action going!
This particular Funky Kingston event went swingin’ly—with all sorts of friends showing up. Some friends even insisted on making this a sort of a late birthday party for Mr. Phreddie as he turned 70 two days before! 70! Wow! That means Phast Phreddie has been DJing for folks for about fifty years—since the early seventies when he worked at keg ’n’ Quaalude parties in San Pedro and Carson, California. Those were the days: trying to play records with one Garrard turntable hooked up to somebody’s guitar amplifier!!
Birthday cupcakes at Funky Kingston!
Anyway, the Funky Kingston had folks funkin’ all over the place. The historic stone building that houses The Salt Box could barely contain the fantastic rhythms that Mr. Boyko and The Phast One were letting loose! Miss Nancy baked some pumpkin/chocolate birthday cupcakes that were devoured pretty quickly.
These Funky Kingston happenings take place on the fifth Saturday of the month, when there is one. The next one will be March 30. Start planning now to make the scene for this fabulous party.
Here’s a list of records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Funky Kingston:
The Keystone State Northern Soul Weekender is perhaps the premier soul music dance party in the United States—certainly east of the Mississippi River, anyway. Every year for the last eight years (skipping 2020 because of the pandemic) a bunch of world class soul music DJs (and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, for some reason) are rounded up and together they present a high class event at the Elks Lodge in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In previous years it was held in November, but this year—the seventh in the series—it took place on December 8, 9 and 10 (2023).
Julio Fernandez is a Spaniard who now lives in Lancaster and he is the chief architect of the event. He produced another excellent experience.
Folks came from all over the east coast to dance and to dig. We’re always happy to see the contingent from New York City. We understand that folks also came from California, Maryland and Virginia and probably places we’ve never been. Plus, record dealers from around the area–and even Georgia!–were on hand to sell records—mostly 45s— and folks—mostly the DJs—dropped some heavy, heavy loot on them. Not only that, but this year KSNSW corresponded with the monthly record show hosted by the Keystone Record Collectors. More records!!!
There were a bunch of new faces selecting records this year: Ed Maruscello (Sweet Side Records, Glens Falls), David McDaniel (Nor’Easter Soul Club, Albany), David John (DJ) Bywell (an English fellow now living in Southern California), Sean Connors and Eric Zimmerman (both of the Philly Soul Club), Debbie Benjamin-Koller (Heart of Chicago Soul Club) and Mr. Finewine (Down Town Soulville, WFMU). Returning for more action were Tony Chackal (Atlanta), Chey Frazier (Easton), Mikey Post (Daptone), Eric Svirida (Long Island), Paula Carrillo (Minneapolis), George Rodriguez (Hipshaker, Minneapolis), Cher Gingras (Slow Fizz, Toronto), Big Al Aitchison (Soulfinger, NYC), Yana Lil’ Jerk (Soul, Soul, Soul, NYC), Scott Boyko (Garden State Soul Club), and the tag-team of Chas Gibson & Ivy A. Gogo (New Paltz). Plus, there was an unexpected extra DJ when Kenny McDonald, a fellow from Scotland who is associated with the Emerald City Soul Club, tag-teamed with his friend George Rodriguez on Saturday night.
The DJs played fantastic records all weekend long and the Elks Lodge’s fabulous wooden dance floor was crowded nearly the entire time. With so many DJs on hand, Mr. Fernandez had to ‘double deck’ them during the afternoon sessions—that is, two DJs split the 30 minute slots. Some approached this by each DJ taking 15 minutes. Others took turns spinning a disc. Phast Phreddie took the latter approach when he double decked with Mikey Post during the Saturday afternoon gig and with Chey Frazier on the Sunday Soul Day. Brother Weems, once a member of the legendary Empire State Soul Club organization, was the MC on Friday and Saturday nights and he did a splendid job.
Miss Nancy was on hand with double-chocolate cookies and her signature vegan brownies. Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Seventh Keystone State Northern Soul Weekender:
This is The GO Mechanism, an audio Odyssey that will take you to the empty place in your fire engine. It is conducted by Phast Phreddie, who is inclined to share musical discoveries with those whose minds are open and mouths are shut.
The GO Mechanism first airs as a Saturday Night Special on the Luxuria Music interweb streaming hustle—this one will air (aired) on November 18—and will hang there as a podcast for a few weeks until The GO Mechanism producers get around to mounting it on the mixclouds and here in The Boogaloo Bag.
In order to achieve a complete GO Mechanism experience, the listener is strongly urged to read this post before, after or during the time that you listen to the show in order to understand what’s happening. We don’t stop for red lights, nor do we stop the action in order to back-announce records. A complete track listing of the songs heard in the GO is here in The Bag.
An hour into the trip there will be a Science Corner where we discuss some interesting musical matters. For some reason, this Science Corner will feature the song “Night Train.”
Original 45 RPM pressing with red vinyl!
“Night Train” is a song that was derived from a Duke Ellington composition called “Happy Go Lucky Local.” That composition was part of a four part larger composition by Ellington known as “The Deep South Suite,” as heard in The Science Corner. As per Ellington, “The Happy Go Lucky Local” refers to a slow moving train that travels through the South picking up passengers along the way in towns no one has ever heard of. The original composition is about six minutes long, but was cut in two—Part 1, Part 2, to fit on each side of a 10” 78 RPM record. It was recorded on November 25, 1946—two days after the entire “Deep South Suite” was performed at Carnegie Hall. Part 1 is rather abstract and modern sounding, without a distinctive theme, but with some very cool playing by the members of the Famous Orchestra—the horns squawk and go ‘wah wah’ as the train goes by. In Part 2, the musical theme that we all know as “Night Train” appears and is heard through the rest of the composition.
The Ellington Orchestra employed a series of fantastic tenor saxophonists, including Ben Webster, Al Sears, Jimmy Forrest, and Paul Gonzalves. Forrest was the lead tenor soloist only for about six months or so, from the summer of 1949 to January 1950. When he left he formed his own group and soon scored a recording contract with United Records, a Chicago-based label. His first session produced “Night Train,” incorporating the melody he must have heard when he was working with Ellington. This version of “Night Train” was a Number One R&B hit in early 1952. Its moody and greasy feel made it a favorite in jukeboxes all over the country. It would receive many cover versions, including one by Buddy Morrow—a swing-era trombonist whose recording was a pop hit internationally.
There is also a vocal version, with lyrics written by Lew Simpkins—who was a co-owner of United Records—and guitarist Oscar Washington and it was first sung by an early R&B vocal group called The Four Blazes which also recorded for United Records. Although the song is almost always performed as a an instrumental, the names of Simpkins and Washington have since been attached and thus they share in the songwriting royalties. The vocal version heard in The Science Corner is by Wynonie Harris. He was a great blues shouter who had more than a dozen major R&B hits through the last half of the forties. Somehow, he was not able to transfer this success into Rock’n’Roll stardom the way others, like Big Joe Turner, did. Harris’ career floundered after about 1953. His version of “Night Train” has been a favorite of The GO Mechanism producers ever since they found the 78 way back in the seventies.
About ten years after Jimmy Forrest cut “Night Train,” James Brown re-worked the melody—he sped it up, messed with the rhythm and, contrary to Duke Ellington’s initial concept, shouted out major cities as destinations that the “Night Train” was taking him to. It was a big hit for him in 1962. The music behind the Science Corner narration is a James Brown version of the song, but without the cities shouted out. It is only found on the album Mighty Instrumentals. The J.B. version continues to be the most popular recording. It has inspired a lot of cover versions by garage bands and R&B combos. Some of our favorites include versions by Buddy Lucas, Paul Revere & the Raiders, The Champs and especially the Travis Wammack version that ends this episode of The GO Mechanism.
What did Duke Ellington think about “Night Train.” Not much. Read an account of it in All About Jazz.
The Willows were a girl group from Canada. Originally called The Girlfriends, they appeared regularly on a local TV show. In 1966, they were signed to M-G-M records and cut two singles with producer Tom Wilson. “Outside the City” is our favorite.
Ambrose Brazelton was a physical education teacher who recorded several albums of workout programs. Some of them have been kept in print by Smithsonian/Folkways. Presented here he directs the listener for a workout to the tune of The Beatles song “Ticket to Ride.” The Go Mechanism producers encourage all listeners/readers to exercise regularly in order to maintain good physical and mental health.
“Nuttin’ Out Jones” by the Elvin Jones/Jimmy GarrisonSextet features a solo by Sonny Simmons on the English horn—a double-reed instrument usually heard in symphony orchestras, not post bop jazz combos. It is the perfect background for Danny Weizmann’s recitation of his “For Jack Jones” poem.
When The GO Mechanism producers briefly lived in Hermosa Beach, California (circa 1973), Terry Riley’s “In C” was often on the turntable when they were discussing matters of great importance with roommates. Thus the track was referred to as “the talking record.” It is incorporated here as the bed music for resident GO Mechanism narrator Oweinama Biu to read the tortoise parable from the novel Things Fall Apart by the African writer Chinua Achebe.
Captain Beefheart with Zoot Horn Rollo in a photo taken by one of my high school chums at a gig we were at during the early seventies
Ya gotta like box set anthologies and deluxe edition reissues. Sometimes, in order to fill them out, the compilers will add weird in-studio recordings that didn’t make it to the real record or album during its natural life. We have two examples in this GO. The first is The Yardbirds studio recording of “Here ’Tis” in an instrumental version. The song was previously available as a live recording on the Having a Rave Up album. This version comes to us via the Train Kept a Rollin’ box set that Charly Records of England issued a bunch of years ago. The second example is “Big Eyed Beans From Venus” by Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band—but without Captain Beefheart!! It appears on a deluxe, two-disc version of Clear Spot that came out last year.
Guitar Ray’s version of “You’re Gonna Wreck My Life” is a mind blower. The song was written and first recorded by Howlin’ Wolf in his inimitable style. Guitar Ray took the track into a smooth, seventies soul territory. Ray—real name Raymond Washington—was a New Orleans cat, but this song sounds like some of the cool Tyrone Davis records that were recorded in Chicago around this time. The record is very rare and highly desired; original copies on the Shag label have fetched more than a thousand dollars! Luckily, we have a cheap reissue!!!
Juan Virginio Rodriguez Acosta is the real name of Willie Baby—who also recorded as Willy El Baby and as Willie (Baby) Rodriguez. He was born in Cuba and once sang for the legendary mambo/salsa band La Sonora Matancera that included Celia Cruz early in her career. Who knows how this hot “Hot Buns – Part 1” record was recorded and released—with distribution by Atlantic Records! It’s a great, drum-heavy, boogaloo that drives folks nuts. The flip, “Hot Buns – Part 2,” is even crazier and we will feature it in a future GO.
Willis Jackson
Willis Jackson was a great tenor saxophonist who worked in R&B as well as jazz fields during his career, which began with a stint in the Cootie Williams Orchestra. He then cut several early R&B records for the King and Atlantic labels and was married to Ruth Brown for a while. He is a GO Mechanism favorite—many of his singles are in the library of the GO Mechanism producers. In this GO we present “Goose Pimples,” a Mod jazz raver that, for some reason, Jackson forgot to solo on. Instead, the track features the organ playing of Butch Cornell, a little known keyboard player who also made records with Boogaloo Joe Jones and Stanley Turrnetine. Why wouldn’t he be featured on the composition, since he wrote it! Cornell’s playing on this track is excellent so we’d like to ask him to stand up and take a bow!
Larry Vivo Cappel was an excellent but way underrated, gospel-influenced soul singer who cut records as both Larry Hale and Tony Fox (dig his “I Dream One Day” in GO Mechanism Number Seven). He was also the lead singer for The African Beavers, a soul group that has been mistaken for The Isley Brothers with Jimi Hendrix recording under another name; that’s how good the records are. “Shout and Do the Duck” is a fantastic duck record that puts his gospel influences on full display.
Travis Wammack
This GO closes out with another version of the subject of this Science Corner—“Night Train.” This one is by Travis Wammack, a Mississippi-born guitarist who made his mark in Memphis. When he was about 17, he had a hit record with “Scratchy,” a wild guitar workout instrumental that is not too loosely based on “Comin’ Home Baby.” Wammack was a pioneer in distorting his guitar and using unusual effects. His version of “Night Train” is another wild guitar workout. He upped the tempo to punk rock speed and just whammed the heck out of his guitar for about two and a half minutes. It is one of the greatest records of all time and it closes out this edition of The Go Mechanism.
The graphic image employed to represent this GO Mechanism is a painting by our friend Deneane Niebergall. The piece is titled “Cool Orbs” and we display it here sideways. Miss Deneane is a Kingston, NY artist who has exhibited her work in San Francisco, as well in galleries around the Hudson Valley. Also, she has worked in film and even appeared as a zombie in Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die. The Boogaloo Bag writers have an unwritten agreement with her—she comes to our DJ gigs and we go to her art openings!
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.
Dig the show here:
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:
Earl Bostic—Lester Leaps In (King—opening theme)
Bud Powell—Bouncing With Bud (from album Complete Blue Note and Roost Recordings; Blue Note)
Jon Thomas—Tizzy (Junior)
The Willows—Outside the City (M-G-M)
Les and Larry Elgart—The Garbage (Columbia)
The Quartet Trés Bien—Caravan (from LP Bully!; Atlantic)
Ambrose Brazelton—Ticket to Ride with narration (from LP And The BEATles Go On and On—Hits of The Beatles; KBH Productions)
Enoch Light—Over Under Sideways Down (from LP Enoch Light’s Action; Project 3 Total Sound)
Elvin Jones & Jimmy Garrison Sextet featuring McCoy Tyner—Nuttin’ Out Jones (from LP Illumination!; Impulse)
—Danny Weizmann—For Jack Jones
Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited—Phantom Rider (Sheep; Switzerland)
Terry Riley—In C (excerpt) (from LP In C; Columbia Masterworks)
—Oweima Biu recites the tortoise story from “Things Fall Apart,” a novel by Chinua Achebe.
Orlando Julius—Wakalole (from LP Super Afro Soul)
Howlin’ Wolf—Mr. Airplane Man (Chess)
Sounds Incorporated—Taboo (Decca; UK)
Toussaint McCall—The Title Escapes Me (Ronn)
Terry Snyder & the All Stars—Mambo Jambo (from LP Persuasive Percussion Vol. 2; Command)
The Yardbirds—Here ’Tis (from album Train Kept a Rollin’; Charley; UK)
The Kingston Trio—Parchman Farm (Decca)
Oscar Peterson Trio, vocal by Clark Terry—Mumbles (Mercury)
Son House—Death Letter Blues (from LP Father of Folk Blues; Columbia)
Guitar Ray—You’re Gonna Wreck My Life (Shag)
Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra—Happy Go Lucky Local – Part 2 (Musicraft)
James Brown—Night Train (from LP Mighty Instrumentals; King)
Jimmy Forrest—Night Train (United)
Wynonie Harris—Night Train (King)
Bettini & His Orchestra—Tequila (from LP Cha-Cha-Chas, Mambos, Rhumbas; Vox)
Willie Baby—Hot Buns Part 1 (Ding Dong)
Willis Jackson—Goose Pimples (Cadet)
The Dee Felice Trio—In Heat (Bethlehem)
Chuck Edwards—Bullfight #2 (Rene)
Steel Pulse—Babylon Makes the Rules (Island; UK)
Johnny Otis & His Orchestra—Boogie Guitar (from LP The Original Johnny Otis Show; Savoy)
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.
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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:
boogaloobag 