Dave Alvin - Perdido Street Blues

A few years ago a photographer friend of mine named Regis Lefebure turned me on to this wonderfully different song. And this week, it's our SoTW. The song is called Perdido Street Blues, a song first performed by Louis Armstrong back in 1926. In fact, the song is credited to Satchmo's then wife, Lil' Hardin Armstrong. But the version we are looking at today is by Dave Alvin.

Hipsters (and perhaps even you) may know Dave Alvin from his stint with his brother Phil Alvin in the rockabilly/Americana group, The Blasters who roamed this earth starting back in the early 80's. Or maybe you know him from his association with members of the punk band, X, in a loose affiliation band they called The Knitters. Or maybe you know him from that afternoon paper route you had in Downey, California back in the early 70's when he and his brother would throw water balloons at you as you rode by on your Schwinn Stingray. (Probably not. Now that I think about it, that would be real unlikely.) Or maybe you just know him. Whatever. Let's get to the song.

Dave Alvin's version of Perdido Street Blues really caught my attention for a number of reasons. First, it has a killer little stutter stop riff played on a National steel bodied guitar. Second, it has a peculiar sort of Russian flavored martial back beat. Third, it switches between major and minor chords more often than a frat boy downs a cheap beer. Last, the musicianship is knock your socks off. Well, heck, let's hear about from the artist himself:

I was 14 when I first heard his version and, besides being blown away by Dodds' clarinet virtuosity, what captivated me was the minor/major key modulations that make up the song structure. With its low down almost spooky groove and melody, "Perdido Street Blues" is definitely some old time, back-in-the-alley viper music.

To read more about Dave Alvin's take on recording this song, please click here to be taken to the Yep Roc site. In the meantime, sit back and listen to this wonderfully arranged and recorded song. And if that is not enough, Mr. Flippy is giving you a chance to see a Blasters video from back in the unforgiving 80's.

Song of the Week: George Jones -- Revenooer Man. RIP

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.

See you on the Flip-Side.

Video Diary: Tielman Brothers, "Rollin' Rock"

So it would seem that we're huge in Indonesia. Yep, a quick look at our "hit registry" reveals that On The Flip-Side has multiple hits from Siberia, Croatia, Iceland and even New Caledonia (we had to get the Atlas out for that one). But it's our brothers and sisters in Indonesia that we are giving some love to today with a video of one of their own. The Tielman Brothers hailed from Semarang, Indonesia and, starting in 1957, began performing together as a rock band. They soon moved to Holland (where all budding rock stars aspire to move one day) and became exposed to a larger audience. Today's Video Diary captures the Tielman Brothers on Dutch TV around 1960. Here they perform their original composition, Rollin' Rock. Enjoy the weekend my friends. Particularly you cats in Indonesia.

Melakukan hal-hal besar.

See you on the flip-side.

Video Diary: Marty Robbins, "Singing The Blues"

I don't know how anybody could have the blues if they owned a blue leather guitar protector with their own name on it...and wore a matching suit to boot. One of my all time favorite songs.

Song of the Week: "Brand New Cadillac", Vince Taylor & The Playboys

In a little exercise we're calling "Under the Covers", we're still exploring the original versions of songs that have been made popular by the cover artist. Today we're getting under the covers with a Brand New Cadillac.

Brand New Cadillac hit the ears of the masses when The Clash recorded it for their third album, the mega great London Calling. The song is a powerful romp that doesn't stray all that far away from it's roots as a rockabilly song. Joe Strummer, one of my all time favorite singers, rasps away in perfection as he makes the song his own: "I said 'Jesus Christ, where'd you get that Cadillac?' She said, 'balls to you daddy'. She ain't never coming back." Strummer's use of a vintage 50's Fender Telecaster to play the main riff ensures that the song keeps it's original feel and restraint. Mick Jones' use of the Gibson Les Paul and Marshall amps ensures the song is given a fresh coat of paint.

So where did The Clash find this gem? From 1950's British Rockabilly artist Vince Taylor. The leather-clad Vince Taylor and his Play-Boys recorded the number for Parlaphone records in 1959. The guitarist was one Joe Moretti who played on the original version of Shakin' All Over. The drummer was none other than Tony Meehan who went on to drum for The Shadows and later for Jet Harris.

Click here to listen to both versions of Brand New Cadillac.

Song of the Week: "Summertime", Gene Vincent

And now for something completely different. Here is perhaps the most unique arrangement of Summertime I have ever heard. And considering the Billy Stewart scat-version posted just two days ago, that is really something. It's by rockabilly legend Gene Vincent and it was released on the album A Gene Vincent Record Date in 1958. (Me thinks Vincent did NOT choose the name on the album). I'm not even sure what genre or style this would be? It's not rockabilly is it? Rumba with Jazz influences? All I know is that it is an absolutely fab version of the song that owes parentage to know one but Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps. Guitarist Johnny Meeks -- who spent a career being referred to as the lesser guitarist in the Blue Caps (to guitar recluse Cliff Gallup) -- is absolutely brilliant here on his out-of-phase Telecaster. Meeks' guitar work is a constant shiv to the ear and it gets a well deserved lead in the middle, the highlight of which is the single note stutter stop in the middle right before he switches pickups. Listen for the second guitar on this. It's got a cool little budda-dump-bum-bum-bump-dee-dum-dum riff played throughout that is buried deep into the mix. It can be heard best in the background during the guitar lead. Rumor has it that Eddie Cochran played on some tracks of this album. Could that be him on second guitar? The piano work, which also gets a nice little lead, is spritely and tips its hat to jazz influences. The drumming propels the song along with a wicked little Caribbean backbeat. Back up vocals (done perhaps by the Jordanaires) give a creamy smooth feel to the song. And Gene Vincent himself, drenched in echo -- croons through the song with complete confidence. Bottom line -- this is not the dark brooding version done by so many others (see the Zombies' take on Summertime). I absolutely love this version of the song and am willing to bet that you will too. Click here to listen to Gene Vincent's radical take on Summertime. Until tomorrow, enjoy your Summertime.

Song of the Week: "Purr, Kitty, Purr", Sid King & the Five Strings

The Flip-Side central command has many pleasures in life. Some of them to which we even admit publicly. One of those is turning people on to hep-cat (ooh, did we just try to get away with that term?) music that -- in all likelihood -- the aforementioned "people" have never heard before. And so it is, with great pleasure, that we present today's song of the week. The song is Purr, Kitty, Purr, by Denton, Texas band, Sid King and the Five Strings.

Sid King was actually a lad from Denton, Texas born with the un-rock-n-roll name Sid Erwin. Sid and his gang made a (new) name for themselves playing radio stations, school dances, roller rink "all night" hops and other assorted local gigs in the early to mid 1950s. Like the teenage Buddy Holly way over in Lubbock, The Five Strings were playing a steady dose of Bob Wills influenced Western Swing. Then they began flirting with a new sound. That sound, of course, is rockabilly. But unlike Holly or Elvis or the Johnny Burnette Trio, The Five Strings never quite stepped wholly into the nascent rockabilly craze. In fact, they remained, at heart, a western swing band. And a dang good one indeed. But, in the flip-side's humble opinion, their best work was their rockabilly forays. But even those weren't wild ravers like the other cats we mentioned. No, they were more in the vein of Carl Perkins: country boys at heart flirting, but never quite becoming, rock-n-roll. Their best songs, like Purr, or Shake the Shack, are a study in restrained power. Songs which hint at a break out, but never quite make that break. Songs that play with lyrical coyness but never quite turn into the bathroom-wall expose it may have become under a different band.

Purr, Kitty, Purr is a wonderful song with a snappy "tom-cat" beat and a lyrical guitar up front and center. But, again, the guitar, like the whole song, is restrained. Even Sid's kitty-cat growls seem innocent and somewhat humorous by today's standards.

I'm sure you'll agree, this kitty-cat is the type of song you'll enjoy making purr over and over again. Enjoy. And enjoy with a person you love. Or by yourself, if that's your thing, you know. I won't tell.  

Song of the Week: "Thunderstorms & Neon Signs", Wayne Hancock

Imagine for a moment, you are traveling alone. It can be anywhere you want. Anywhere in the World. You've been traveling this path for days now. This is a lonesome travel. Not an "ideal vacation" travel. I don't care your mode of transportation. You can be gliding along in a '63 Cadillac, or saddled high upon a palomino, or running on cruise control in your minivan, or walking with a pack on your back. That's entirely up to you. Imagine again, you come over a gentle hill and take in the landscape ahead of you. Nobody is in sight. Your mind fills with a strange mix of emotions: awe, emptiness, a sense of being, loneliness, purposeful, separate, grandeur, insignifigance. Now tell me, where are you? And tell me one more thing, to what are you listening?

Me? I'm in sight of the lonely little town of Austin, Nevada. It's just off of isolated Highway 50, on the Eastern edge of the Silver State. It's just a speck of a town perched on a red, dusty hill and it looks as if it was created by Hollywood set builders making the next great Western film starring Glenn Ford. This is nobody's destination. At least not on purpose. But to be sure, it grabs your attention. And to be sure, at this sight I'm listening to some good old lonesome Western Honky Tonk music. It's a unique form of music. It's American. Nobody else does it and nobody else can. The British can't do it. Nor can the French. They don't have the same history with the Manifest Destiny experience. This is the music of open plains, diesel driven roads, burnt coffee, and beer soaked hardwood floors. This is the music you listen to as you drink to celebrate hard fought memories that keep you going late at night. But it's also the music to which you drink to forget all those other memories. The memories that put you on this lonesome road in the first place.

This is the music of Wayne Hancock. And this is the title song from his 1995 debut album, Thunderstorms and Neon Signs. In one breath, it's celebration; in the next despondence. It's up to you to decide which emotion. "There's a big black cloud blowin' in from the West. I've been drivin' all day, I sure could use some rest. There's a motel up ahead where I can unwind, 'cause I sure do love thunderstorms and neon signs."

Make no mistake, in a world of pretenders, Wayne Hancock is the real deal. Hancock's voice and dusty accent naturally take the listener, to paraphrase the song, to another time. What time that is, I don't know. But it's a voice from the past. A voice you used to know but can't quite pinpoint. It's a voice that says more in the one second of Buddy Holly-like hiccup or off note twang accenting the last gasp of a syllable than most artists can say in an entire album. And the band is first rate. What more does a weary traveler need? A hard slapping upright bass, country-swing guitar runs which impeccably blend that improbable mix of hillbilly and jazz, and, of course, that most lonesome of all the instruments, the pedal steel. A guitar that bends your heart as hard as it bends the gliding notes. 

To note, unlike each of the previous song of the week entrants, you can go see Wayne Hancock at your local bar. He's alive, he's touring, and he's damn good.

So, give Thunderstorms and Neon Signs a quick spin and let me know exactly where your imagined solitary-travel exercise took you...and what song you are listening to. Really, I would love to know.