[originally posted 9/13/2010] We just read at the hep-cat blog, Nitro-Retro, that Stooges drummer Scott Asheton has died at 64. RIP. Here is an old post on The Stooges regurgitated for you to enjoy Scott's work today.
Detroit is a rough and tumble town. Broken windows, broken concrete and broken noses abound in this city of a broken economy. That profile fits it's music too. In the late 60's Detroit birthed two of the most violent, ugly, out of time bands that ever committed noise to wax. One was the way cool MC5 (watch their way cool live vid here), and the other is the karate blow of a band, The Stooges, the band best known for thrusting Iggy Pop onto the world.
Today's SOTW, is Search and Destroy, the single from Iggy and The Stooges critically acclaimed third album, Raw Power and was recorded in the Fall of '72. I think the name of the song and the name of the album say everything that needs to be said. So sit back, and enjoy.
Two posts in as many hours. And for very good reason. We just learned that Bobby Bland has died. He was 83. Major bummer. Great, great, great voice.
To go with this week's theme of Under The Covers, we're presenting Bobby Bland performing his 1961 stunner on Duke Records, I Pity The Fool. It's, in my humble opinion, Bobby Bland's greatest recording of many great recordings he made in a career that started in Memphis, Tennessee way back in 1955. Not only does the song kick ass on it's own rights, but it inspired the catch phrase from brilliant actor, Mr. T! You can't go wrong with that.
Bobby Bland
We first came to this record from a very mediocre version performed by Davy Jones and the Mannish Boys. The blonde haired ace-face of a mod front and center on the sleeve would soon change his name to David Bowie and would go on to more original works.
The Manish Boys
We did a post on Bobby Bland's 1960 song, I've Been Wrong So Long way back in 2011. You can listen to that kick ass song here.
R.I.P. Bobby Bland. We'll see you On The Flip-Side.
The news just hit that George Jones died today. He was 81 years old. Here is an article we posted on the man and his music back in January of 2010.
George Jones always scared me. Back in the '70s he was a dead ringer for cult leader, the Reverend Jim Jones. Dark glasses, overly sculpted hair, and an intoxicated swagger. Not cool. And his songs stank too (at least that was my opinion). Sometime when I was about 17, I ran across a Mercury Records release called George Jones: Rockin' The Country. For some unknown reason I picked it up and held it in my little hands and flipped it over a time or two. George Jones sure looked different here. He didn't have much hair, just a real geeky flat top. And he didn't have on those dark lens "mood maker transition"Foster Grant glasses that made him look like that creepy guy who hangs around the playground after school. For the low-low price of $3.00, I was able to carry it out of Barney's Records in Davis California and back to my not-so-swingin' pad.
It's a damn good record filled with upbeat rockabilly numbers and stellar production. It includes Jones' first (of many to come) #1 Country and Western hit, White Lightning(see video below). The standout on that record, however, is the fast paced Revenooer Man, our SOTW. I'm not sure of the history of the recording, but by the sound of it, I assume it was recorded in Bradley's Barn outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Moreover, I assume that my favorite Nashville session man, Grady Martin is on the baritone guitar here. Flip-side devotees may recall that we sang Martin's praises on his uncredited role on The Johnny Burnette Trio's mind blowing Train Kept-a Rollin' and on Johnny Horton's Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor.
On Revenooer Man, Jones and the session men, run through the tale of a G-man hot on the trail of moonshiners fleeing at a break neck speed. The tempo and the acoustic guitar intro are reminiscent of some of those early Everly Brothers songs, some of which were also recorded at Bradley's Barn. The baritone guitar harkens to early work of Johnny Horton. Jones' vocal style, like those of early Conway Twitty, clearly reveal his and the producers knowledge of the dominating presence of people like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis who were taking away the younger audiences from the country stars.
In all my years of hitting clubs, I have never, ever heard anyone cover this song. White Lightning? A million times. Revenooer Man? Not once. What's up with that? Sit back and enjoy this scratchy recording of George Jones performing Revenooer Man.
