Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Forbidden City Dog Food


By request, here's a compilation LP that was taken from a tape that Lux Interior made many years ago, probably the late 70's is my guess.

It always amazed me that Lux was able to make tapes like these back then with all analog equipment. Today, I can wip up a compilation like this in a few hours (not counting the time it takes to pick the songs, and trailers, etc) on my computer (see my May 29th posting). It must have taken him forever to do this back then.

So legend has it that Lux made this tape. Then it got into the hands of some bootleggers, and they pressed it to vinyl.

Its a classic of its kind and is partly responsible for me making compilations all the time.

If you dig this LP, do yourself a favor and track down the compilations called MELLO JELLO. Basically the same idea, great music mixed with exploitation trailers. 2 volumes with a 3rd on the way (although it seems like its been delayed indefinitely). Also of note is the WAVY GRAVY series of LP's. Same idea...


Forbidden_City_Dog_Food

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Johnny & the Debonairs - The Bonecracker


Here's a piece of Pittsburgh history. I guess this 45 was a big Pittsburgh dance hit probably played by Mad Mike back in the day (not this 45, but one probably just like it).

Pittsburgian's (?) were famous for label defacement to keep those pesky kids from knowing who the actual artist was or what the song title was, etc. But you should know ALL about that from checking out the liner notes to the fabulous MAD MIKE MONSTERS on Norton Records.


A little side note: Ever see records with holes in them like that? Ever wonder what the hell it meant? Well back in the day if a record didn't sell, it was returned to the distributor. The distributor would refund the record dealer's money and resell the record to somebody else. They wouldn't take returns on records with holes in them because they knew they had already been returned.

Dig this great sleazy grinder...

The_Bonecracker!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Las Dilly Sisters!



Here's a great 45 by a mexican "novelty" act, I guess you'd call them. Legend has it that their father flew them to California to cut this record. A steller piss take of Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White for the Gordo Record Label. I think it was on one of the Girls in the Garage Albums.

Here are Las Dilly's on one of the greatest tv shows of all time...



And here is a rip of the original 45 at the proper speed.

Las_Dilly_Sisters_-_Sometimes_Goodguys_Don't_Wear_White

And here's a rip of it at 33 rpm's that make it sound like its by Las Dilly Brothers!

Las_Dilly_"Brothers"_-_Sometimes Goodguys Don't Wear White

Friday, December 4, 2009

The Conclusion of The Tale of The Mad Daddy Acetates!



After barely escaping with my life, from another misadventure that I won't get into here, I made it back to the to the bus area to get back to my hotel.

To my dismay, I noticed the little man at the bus station waiting with a few other people. The thought of being on a four-hour bus trip with the sniveling little man made my stomach crawl and my head ache.

I hailed a burro and decided to take the train instead.

In my compartment I finally got to take a close look at the acetates. My hands shook as I took off the banana leaf wrapping. The proprietor had used the banana leaves as a sort of bubble wrap for the package.

I wondered to myself what could possibly be on these discs? Could they be long lost recordings of The Mad Daddy, aka "The Joker", like his lone 45, WHAT IS A FISTERIS/I LOVE A GOOD PRACTICAL JOKE? The mind reeled at such a prospect!

I took a look at the tan folders the acetates came in. They were labeled TRANSCO. A little quote below the name said; …A "SOUND" INVESTMENT. I chuckled at the horrible pun. According to the sleeve, the company was located in Linden, NJ.

Once back at the hotel, I decided that I had to listen to the acetates, just once! I had to hear what were on these discs! I had my primitive set up to transfer vinyl to compact disc ready and waiting for me.

I lit some candles and got to work.

Here is what I discovered…

Disc One: Crystal Ball (all cuts identical)

Hmmm, this is interesting; its just 20 odd seconds of a sound affect the Mad Daddy used on his show! That's it! It builds slowly with an almost theremin/ethereal quality to it. It's a very recognizable sound if you've ever heard any of the Mad Daddy air checks floating around.

Crystal_Ball

Disc Two: "UMUMH!" (1-8 all cuts identical) recorded 10/13/61

Well, this is a head scratcher! It's less than a second long, and it's just an exaltation of "Umumh!"

I have a number of Mad Daddy air checks and I do not ever remember hearing this on one of his shows. Why would he have gone into a studio to record this? What purpose did it serve?

Disc Three: GIMMICK (long play)

This one held the most promise to me. By looking at the grooves, I could tell that the lengths of the tracks were different. It didn't say "all cuts identical" like the other ones did.

Track One: an almost playful sound that I can't quite place. It seems to bounce back and fourth between the speakers. Short beeps, like picking on piano strings.

Track Two: It's that trademark Mad Daddy Laugh! I don't know much about radio of the time, but I'm guessing this was a way for Pete Myers to get some sounds that he wanted for his radio show in NY. Since these are acetates he couldn't have played them again and again, they would have deteriorated. So he must have used these as a way to put them down onto tape?

Mad_Laugh!

Track Three: It's more laughter! But this laugh is the lesser of the two. It's not the "main" laugh he used, but the one he used between songs, etc.

Track Four: Ah, the "wavy gravy" bubbling sound! A minute and 30 seconds of bubbling sounds…

Wavy_Gravy!

Track Five: More otherworldly sounds, 15 seconds or so long. It sort of sounded like something from "FANTATSICA", the LP by Russ Garcia. The Mad Daddy used songs from this LP for his show.

Track Six: 15 more seconds of ethereal sounds, this time with women's voices. I think he used this during the final seconds of his show?

You_Have_Reached_Your_Destination!

After listening, I sat back with a far off look on my face.

I had to digest what I had just heard. While not as earth shattering as I had hoped, the acetates were still a lost relic of a hero of mine. Relics that could have easily ended up as a joke gift to someone and lost to history.

The thought of this unnerved me. What other items could be out there, or could already be lost because people didn't know what they had?

This is what makes record hunting so amazing. It really is like excavating. And like excavating, sometimes you uncover gold, and sometimes, like this case, you just uncover something really cool.

I was hoping beyond hope that these acetates held some amazing lost track that Pete Myers had recorded, ala "Fisteris", but it wasn't meant to be. But what I did end up with was something that Pete Myers had held onto for a number of years until his death. Something he had personally used to produce his beloved radio programs.

I had snatched these items from the brink of destruction. That was pretty satisfying.

My only wish is that these had been uncovered before the Norton Records Mad Daddy CD.

If there is ever a volume 2 of WAVY GRAVY, maybe all the acetate's tracks can be included there.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Mad Daddy Aircheck 1958


As a companion to The Tale of the Mad Daddy Acetates (part 2 coming soon) here is one of my favorite airchecks of The Mad Daddy. It's from 1958 when he was in his prime. Great song selection and Mad Daddy patter.

This is the first 58 minutes or so of an overall 2 and half hour aircheck. Probably the closest we can come to actually having a complete Mad Daddy show.

Enjoy!


The_Mad_Daddy_-_WJW_1958

Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Tale of The Mad Daddy Acetates




This originally appeared over at the Mad Daddy Myspace Page a few years back. Figured I'd share it here. Sadly no more gold has appeared since this writing. Oh well, that's the bane of record buying; you are always searching for the next fix.

As a bit of an introduction, for those who don't know who Pete Myers is, he created the radio DJ persona of The Mad Daddy on Cleveland radio back in the late 50's. His radio shows are the stuff of legend. He spoke entirely in rhyme. He played music parents hated. Crazy instrumentals, rock and roll, etc. All punctuated with his trade mark insane laughter. For more on the wonder that is The Mad Daddy, check out the amazing CD on Norton Records called WAVY GRAVY: ATOM SMASHIN’ ZOOMERATIN’ MELLO JELLO RADIO BROADCASTS 1958-1964. For some quick samples of his DJ patter zoom on over to The Mad Daddy Myspace page. There is some memorabilia over there as well.

www.myspace.com/themaddaddy

Part One:

*Warning some of the following may contain falsehoods, and or deceptions, but more than likely most of it is true (no, really)!

While hunting in the Congo for records I came upon a record shop in a most unusual place.

Having just hewn my way thru miles of dense undergrowth I came across a dark and foreboding cave.

I had heard from the natives that many riches could be found there. Many had come before me, but none had ever been seen again. The natives did not care for records, but the white man, the white man kept coming.

The stench that emitted from the cave was nauseating. My eyes began to sting and water profusely...

I had to tie my bandana around my mouth and nose in order to keep from retching. Sancho, my dear departed steward, had given me some ointment to swab underneath my nose to help quell the fetid odor. I can't quite remember what he said it was made of, but thank god he had given it to me, for it helped me in this, my darkest hour.

The cave was like any other I had encountered in my many years of travel. Littered outside were the bones of collectors past, who had come like I had come, with a wad full of cash and thoughts of rare records in their heads.

The jungle was on my side this day, and I had made it unscathed...maybe it was because I regularly bathe and comb my hair, or because I don't like to spend endless hours talking about mono vs. stereo, or the difference between vg+ and vg++!

As I entered the cave I could hear a bubbling cauldron echoing through the entry chamber. It wasn’t a cave at all, but a very well concealed record store!

But this was no ordinary record store! The walls glistened with some sort of green iridescence. A dense fog covered the floor. Things moved in that fog…but I’d rather not think of that right now.

It reminded me of some sort of sick butcher shop. There were no records to peruse! There were no record bins to browse through! There were no records to be seen anywhere in front of the counter!

Everything was behind the counter! You had to ask the proprietor what he had for sale! What manner of store was this? None I had ever talked to had ever been here before, so I did not know what to expect!

As I neared the counter, I realized someone else was in the “store” with me! He was a mealy little fellow and he seemed very happy to be talking with the proprietor.

Ah, the proprietor. He was a site to behold. He appeared to be an amalgam of all I had come across before. He was stout, like a man who had just eaten a pile of sweaty kielbasa! He was dressed in the cheapest stuff imaginable. Clothing was like an afterthought to this strange perspiration covered man. He was balding, but appeared otherwise to be completely covered with matted damp looking hair. Even his ears had sprouted with the stuff!

Very disconcerting…

It was then that I heard something that peaked my interest!

“….Pete Myers…”



I moved closer, tripping over some sort of creepy crawly in the mist, trying to hear more…

“Yeah, my boss’s name is Pete Myers, so I figured I’d buy them for him! He would get a big kick out of that!”

“Ahem”, I said, as I moved closer to the counter. “What’s this about Pete Myers?”

“You know him?!” Gasped the clueless stranger.

I was amazed at this person’s idiocy. “No I don’t know your boss, but Pete Myers was a radio DJ in Cleveland in the late 50’s.”

“Oh”, he said sadly. His face brightened as he continued; “Well, this gentleman has something called the Pete Myers astitates!”

I looked at him like he had two heads. “Astitates? Do you mean Acetates?” Clearly this person had just stumbled into this place and didn’t have a clue about anything….

“ACETATES!” grunted the proprietor, drool hanging from the corner of his mouth, his belly protruding over his dirty unwashed jeans.

“Oh, YES, acetates, that’s what they are! What fun this shop is! Can you believe I would stumble across something like this? Especially something that I could buy as a joke gift for my boss!? Its just delightful!” As he said this he clapped his hands in the most annoying manner.

I backed away not knowing if I should cry, or punch the little sniveling man in the mouth.

“Have you already bought them?” I asked wearily? Having been beaten to the punch so many times before, I expected the worst.

“Actually, no, this fine gentlemen and I were just coming to terms.”

During this whole time the proprietor was staring dumbly, as is their want. The drool slowly elongating till it rested softly on his stained wife beater t-shirt. His glistening, beady eyes stared back… He almost looked like he could understand us.

“Well, I just might be interested in these ‘astitates’ myself…”

“ACETATES!” grunted the proprietor once again.

“Yes, yes, acetates. What are you offering him?” I asked, as I jerked by thumb towards the proprietor.

The man opened his “fanny-pack” (my fingers shudder just typing the word) and peered inside. “Well, let me see what I have.”

The proprietor began sniffing and grunting at the air, his hands twitching uncontrollably. He could smell a bidding war beginning to brew. His mouth opened and closed as he breathed in and out.

Before the little man could say anymore, I asked the proprietor to see the actual acetates. He grunted his approval and shuffled off further behind the counter. He approached what appeared to be a black velvet curtain. He parted it with the wave of one big flabby hair covered arm and roared; “Maaaa, get me my purple record carrier!”

Before long he reappeared with 3 acetates all bearing the GOTHAM record label.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Here was something that, as far as I knew, had never been heard of before! 3 of Pete Myers’s personal acetates! What could they be? What could be on them? What untold treasures could those black and oily crevices contain?

I picked up the first one. It said simply, CRYSTAL BALL. Hmm, what could that be?

The second: GIMMICK. It had a date of 2/29/60. Hmm, interesting. It must have been after Pete had left the Cleveland area to “make it big” in New York City.

The third one read simply; UMUMH!, and was dated 10/13/61.



Now the proprietor was not the only one who was salivating in a most disturbing way.

I tried vainly to compose myself. It is important in times like these to keep a straight face (which was easy for me, since half of my face was concealed beneath my kerchief!).

“So you want to buy the acetates. And I want to buy the acetates. What do you think we should do?”

“AUCTION!” Grunted the proprietor, as he slammed his flabby palm against the counter. Little bits of spittle landing on the stranger and I.

At this suggestion I grinned as I felt the bulge of money in my pocket. Money that I had saved for just such an encounter.

“Oh dear!” Said the little man as he looked thru his change purse. “It seems that I only have 120 American dollars!”

The proprietor bristled at the little man for showing his hand too soon! He looked at me expectantly…

I offered up a pittance more than the 120 offered by the little man.

The proprietor looked back at the little man, expecting a counter bid….

The little man cowered. “If I give any more, I won’t have enough for bus fair to get back to the resort!”

He sighed and slowly turned to leave the store. Looking back once with the look of the defeated.

The proprietor looked at me as I took out my billfold and peeled off the 120 and change. His eyes gleaming in the green iridescence.

He pushed the acetates towards me. I carefully gathered them and got them ready for my return trip home.

End of part one.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Trash is Neat Volume One



Trash is neat is a series of cd (and soon to be DVD) compilations put together by a member of the Stay Sick Cramps Yahoo group. Volume One is made up of bootleg live versions of songs The Cramps never really got around to recording on legit albums (during the 2 guitar era).

As the cover above says, all the material is taken from 1977 to 1984. Volume One was limited to 30 copies and mailed out to various members of the Stay Sick Group. Just recently, I noticed someone sold their copy on ebay and it went for well over a 100 dollars. A 100 dollars for a CD-R! That's totally crazy. So here it is in all its glory.

Thanks go out to MondoSean for all his hard work on the series. Volume 4 should be out any week now. This might be a good time to join the Stay Sick Group if you want more info. I'll post volume 2 (Songs We Taught the Bass Player) and volume 3 (bands covering The Cramps) sometime soon.

There used to be a Trash is Neat website, but I'm not sure its around anymore. Do a search for it online, some sites still pop up!

http://www.mediafire.com/?mzygdleu2wz

Monday, October 19, 2009

Wrapped up and Tangled Up in The Cramps






Well, this Wednesday would have been Lux's 63rd birthday. Here is an article I wrote for a canadian fanzine that has yet to materialize. I wrote it shortly after Lux passed away. I don't know if the fanzine will ever see the light of day, so here it is in all its "glory". Sorry if it seems all over the place, but when I was writing it, I was pretty emotional. Still am, I guess...




(pics above: a super young looking Lux with his homemade Mad Daddy shirt and a picture taken by Mark Mucker at the Trocadero show in Philidelphia.)






I went to fishin’ one day
And I put my hook out in the water
And somethin’ got a hold to it
And tried to get loose

When I pulled it up there was a big fish on the hook
He was twistin’ and turning there
Tryin to get loose
But the hook had him there
And he couldn’t get loose

And I said I wished the Lord would hook me one day
Like this hook has hooked his fin
And on one Friday evenin’, he came into my soul
And hooked he me with his spirit

And ever since that day
A song come into my mind
I had to say like Jerimiah say…
There’s a ffffffiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrre keep on burnin’
Shadow up in my bones…
And I couldn’t hold my pee

-The Reverend Charlie Jackson – Wrapped up and Tangled Up in Jesus




The Cramps got their hook in me around 1989 or so.

Hearing The Cramps for the first time completed my musical puzzle. Up until that point, music wasn’t a big part of my life. It was just something I listened to passively. There was nothing I was hearing that was really moving me. Certainly I had not heard anything that I would want to collect or devote any serious time to.

Growing up, I was into all the “weird stuff” you’d expect me to be into if you know me now. I liked monsters, books, books about monsters, monster movies, comic books, etc. I spent hours and hours scouring the TV guide trying to find horror movies to watch.

My parents had decent taste in music. My dad was a teenager in the 50’s and 60’s, a glorious time for music. We always had music in the house, but it was as most people listen to music today; as a background, something to fill the empty air. It may have meant something to them, but it didn’t connect with me. Blue suede shoes? Who gave a fuck about blue suede shoes?! I was a kid that liked giant monkey movies for god sake!

Myself, growing up in the 70’s, in New Hampshire no less, there really wasn’t a lot musically going on. For some, the 70’s were a great time for music. But as an adolescent without a car, you were kind of at the mercy of geography. All the radio stations I could tune in at the time played 70’s arena rock or dance music.

At some point, I started running with a different crowd and a friend introduced me to punk, and then later, The Cramps.

At first I didn’t know what to make of them. I simply could not comprehend what I was hearing. It sort of sounded like the music my dad was always playing when I was younger, but it was somehow new and exciting. It seriously confused me. Being in my late teens, Punk was a no brainer. It was loud, fast, out of control. But The Cramps were different. It just seemed more real somehow.

The Cramps opened up a whole new world for me. I was amazed to find a band that seemed to be influenced (at least in part) by the movies I grew up watching! You could just hear it in the music. You could see it in their look. Hell, you could even see it in their amazing logo.

Songs like WHAT’S BEHIND THE MASK had me doing double takes. Surely this song was based on a segment of TALES FROM THE CRYPT, the classic comic from the 50’s read by JD’s and wide-eyed innocents alike.

Pretty soon I was a fanatic; I had to have everything they ever put out. I went from release to release aurally devouring everything within earshot. It was Cramps overload.

It is at this point where you can distinguish two kinds of Cramps fans. The casual fan that goes to the shows, buys the records, etc., and The Cramps fan that delves a little deeper, tries to find out what made this band the way they were. A truly rewarding experience waits for those who wish to dig deeper into the history of the band and where they came from.

Since Lux’s passing a back in February, there has been a lot written about the band and Lux in particular. Many of the hastily written pieces that appeared soon after his death were shoddy and, to be quite frank, embarrassing. Some even got his age incorrect, others had no idea how to describe their music. It was a sad tribute.

As the weeks went by, and more and more people put their thoughts on paper, or on the Internet, it really helped me deal with my grief and I think it was helpful for others as well. People I talked to were shocked at how bad they felt about Lux’s passing. We all felt like we lost a family member. A lot of people were in the same boat. I mentioned as much to my amazing and understanding wife (who is also a fan) and she said something that has really stuck with me. She said; “Of course you feel bad, The Cramps, in some way, have had an impact on your life almost every day.”

She was right; a day probably doesn’t go by when I’m not affected by The Cramps. Whether it be putting together the Lux and Ivy’s Favorites series or hearing a Link Wray tune, buying some 45 on Ebay, or watching some exploitation movie; The Cramps have had a wild impact on my life. I can honestly say I would not be the person I am today if I had never listened to The Cramps.

Since Lux’s passing, I’ve been trying to sort out my thoughts about this band that I completely love and that changed the direction of my life.

The Cramps are more than a band. Lux and Ivy, the driving force behind the band, are history teachers for those who care to listen. Read their interviews, listen to their records, listen to the records they listen to, watch the movies they like to watch. If you do, there is a whole world that will open to you, if you are willing to take the time to explore.

I transitioned from a casual fan to an obsessed nut job when I heard, THE PURPLE KNIF SHOW. It had to have been 91 or 92. I saw the CD in The Cramps CD section. I didn’t even know what the hell it was. It had a picture of Lux and Ivy on it, and wording that said; RADIO CRAMPS. I had no idea what it was, but I had to have it. Maybe it was a live show or something. Most of you probably know, it was a radio show that Lux had hosted where he had complete control over the play list.

The stuff he played was mind blowing. The door to my musical awakening was creaking open even further, like you’d see in an old Boris Karloff movie. Here were songs that defied description; a song about a baby brother that crawled around on the ceiling and then flew away into space, another song about turkey decapitation, further still a song about a Bohemian Café that I search for to this day (not the record, but the physical place!).

Then shortly after that, it was the BORN BAD LP’s. Here were songs The Cramps liberated from the past and incorporated into their music. I knew some of their songs were covers, but this series of LP’s opened my eyes wider to what The Cramps were doing with songs and artists from the past.

The door opened even more.

Link Wray, Hasil Adkins, Andre Williams, The Mad Daddy, Mad Mike Metrovich, Ghoulardi, Russ Meyer, these are just some of the names they have introduced me to.

The door was blown off its hinges!

Soon, I was buying music like crazy. There were frequent trips to Boston; mail order; downloading; anything to get my music fix. Most, if not all of my disposable income went to the purchase of records, video tapes (later DVD’s), movie posters, etc. All of this can most likely be traced back to my discovery of The Cramps.

Over the years I saw The Cramps 8 or 9 times. A Cramps show was always an amazing experience. There was always something that happened to make it memorable. One time I got an empty wine bottle that Lux had drank from during a show, another time Lux used me as a lean post to get closer to the crowd (I spent the bulk of this show just looking up at him as he leaned on my shoulders to berate the crowd.), one time my friends and I fed him lines during the introduction for Alligator Stomp, another time a 5 foot tall girl physically attacked me for having the nerve to be standing in front of her (where I had been for 3 hours before she got there!). Blood, sweat, urine, wine, flying bodies, all par for the course at a Cramps show.

The last time I saw The Cramps live was a special one off show in NYC. It ended up being the last time they ever played in the city that sort of spawned them. That night they were on fire. Lux was like a man possessed. Drinking wine bottle after wine bottle, climbing speakers, bending mic stands.

At one point, while Lux was draping the club’s black curtains around himself (mimicking the Mad Daddy’s famous pose?), while teetering atop a 15-20 foot speaker stack. The crowd was going bonkers. All eyes were on Lux. What would he do next?

I guess I should say, all eyes weren’t on Lux, most of them were. I was watching Ivy. She was playing with here usual sneer, but you could see the concern in her eyes for Lux as he balanced precariously atop the speakers. For a good 5-8 minutes she watched his antics and only went back to torturing her guitar with reckless abandon when he was safe back down on the stage.

At times like that I think of how lucky Lux and Ivy were to have found each other. For over 30 years they have been together. They started a band, toured the world dozens of times, helping create an interest in music of the past while always seeming to be looking towards the future.

While traveling the country together in the mid-seventies they were on a quest for the soul of rock and roll. They found it in junk shops, record stores, record warehouses, distributorships, etc. Buying 45 records all along the way that held the key to their musical future. This time spent together would eventually lead them to starting this amazingly influential band.

Lux said in an interview he and Ivy did with Rex Doane on WFMU’s Fool’s Paradise, in which he believed that ideas for musicians are floating around in space. Those ideas are then picked up by entities and shot like lightening bolts into the heads of people, and that’s how you end up with crazy, awe inspiring songs. Basically alluding to the fact that humans need a little cosmic interference once and I while. This is a fascinating concept. How else do you explain The Musical Linn Twins Rockin out the Blues? Surely extraterrestrial influence abounds on this absolutely insane 45.

I like to think that even though Lux isn’t on this world anymore, that he just may have graduated to being one of those entities in outer space. And if that’s the case, we can only hope that his touch will be shooting ideas into people’s heads for a very, very long time.


Addendumb: Please do yourself a favor and check out Chuck Miller's Cramps Blog. It truly is an amazing page of Cramps related stuff. Hours of fun is guaranteed!

http://suchbeautifulgardens.blogspot.com/

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Takers



Here's in intersting 45 from Indiana in the 60's.

One side is a half way decent 60's garage jangler, but the b-side features a kick ass little instrumental with some great guitar work and some Nick Knox type drumming. To my knowlege neither of these songs have been comped.

Here they are.

I can Say no More

http://www.mediafire.com/?ntkvn1ltirz


Wondur

http://www.mediafire.com/?jewouazzzwz

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

"keep twistin'"



Ok, I know I'm cheating a bit by posting this here, because I already posted it over at the WFMU Ichiban Blog (which you should totally be checking out, as it will "go live" any day now!), but here it is again, with a little bonus.

Years ago, I came across something called "the vip vop tapes". Tapes made by Lux Interior that featured all kinds of great tracks, some well known, and some damn near UNknown. One of the tracks was this P-A-T-I-O twist. Only half the track was really included (or so I thought, it ends up being a really short track), plus it was in less then steller quality.

For years I had been trying to find the PATIO TWIST. At one point, someone uncovered this 45 called the WAKR TWIST, and it was damn near the same song, but with slightly different lyrics!

Turns out it was a Pepsi Cola Promo 45!

As soon as I posted this people from all over were emailing me about the fact that the PATIO drink was featured on MAD MEN. I wouldn't know as I don't watch that show.

The funny thing is, that the people behind these 45's were probably from some ad agency that sold the jingle to various people all over the US. WAKR being a famous Ohio radio station. The Pepsi 45 coming from Missouri.

So, needless to say, the PATIO TWIST will be on the (far off) upcoming edition of Lux and Ivy's Favorites.

Here, for your listening enjoyment (?) are rips of both records.

WAKR TWIST

http://www.mediafire.com/?zozhdtckmzw

PATIO TWIST

http://www.mediafire.com/?kjidky5twaz

Sunday, September 13, 2009

The Complete Voodoo Idols Bootleg




Here is the complete recording that was used for the classic Cramps bootleg, Voodoo Idols. It's a great soundboard recording of a show The Cramps played at a place called Crazy Al's in Indianapolis in 1981.

Enjoy!

http://www.mediafire.com/?jxgdmm4hynt

Thursday, August 20, 2009



(preview) Cover of Lux and Ivy's Favorites Volume 6!

Here is the the absolutely stunning cover done by Michael DeForge for Lux and Ivy’s Favorites Volume 6. He contacted me and asked me to do a cover. I checked out his work and it blew me away. This is what he came up with in about 2 weeks time.

I’m still in the process of “remastering” that volume (getting better quality mp3’s). It should be available (with the actual cover…this is just a preview) in a few weeks or so.

Check out his website at:

http://www.kingtrash.com/

Thanks!


KIPPER AND THE EXCITERS!



Here’s an amazing instrumental double hitter from KIPPER AND THE EXCITERS!

I think the A side was just compiled on the HIGH SCHOOL RUMBLE LP volume 3, but the b-side has never been re-ished to my knowledge.

I’m a huge Kip Tyler fan. Tyler was responsible from some truly amazing “switchblade sound” type tunes. I’m sure most everyone familiar with his killer songs, SHE’S MY WITCH and JUNGLE HOP, but you HAVE to track down songs like RUMBLE ROCK, and to a lesser extent, SHE GOT EYES and WAIL MAN WAIL.

I guess at some point he cut this 45 for the TORCH record label. He’s listed as producer and has “writing” credit. These are 2 phenomenal instrumentals that have that “Kip Tyler” sound.

For more info on Kip check out this website:

http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/kip_tyler.htm

Also be sure to check out a reissue cd of lots of his material called OOH, YEAH BABY on the Hydra label.

Drum Twist Part One

http://www.mediafire.com/?yjnjtztwqz2

Drum Twist Part Two

http://www.mediafire.com/?ndhwonyzggo

So have a listen and start twistin'.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009


GHOULARDI!!!



Here’s a compilation I made a looooonnnnngggg time ago. I decided to dust it off and share it here. It is a cd I put together using songs Ghoulardi played on his show back in the 60’s.

The songs were culled from The Psychotronic Video Magazine, as well as the Ghoulardi book that came out back in ’97.

It’s hard to sum up Ghoulardi in a few sentences but here’s what you need to know. Ghoulardi was a character created by the brilliant voice over artist Ernie Anderson (ever heard the radio trailer for FROGS? That’s him!) back in the 60’s. He hosted a show called SHOCK THEATER on WJW in Cleveland that showed horror movies. Ghoulardi wore outrageous attire, spoke in a language that “parents just didn’t understand”, played crazy music and did little things like blow up action figures during the breaks from the movies. Movies included; THE MONSTER AND THE GIRL, THE BRAIN EATERS, and THE BRAIN FROM THE PLANET AROUS. Kids ate it up.

It was television, so anything could have happened. The execs at the station were terrified at what he might say or do on any given show. But since his ratings were so great, they kind of let him do his thing.

Lux Interior was quoted once as saying; “When Ghoulardi was on T.V. crime went down!” Presumably because all the J.D.’s stayed home to watch his show!

For more info on Ernie Anderson/Ghoulardi check out GHOULARDI: INSIDE CLEVELAND’S WILDEST RIDE by Tom Feran and R.D. Heldenfels.

I included a few sound samples of Ghoulardi doing his thing from back in the day. There were downloaded off of the internet at the time I made the cd.

“Cool it with the boom booms!”

http://www.mediafire.com/?qyhjtmt4zwm

Thursday, July 30, 2009




The Reverend Charlie Jackson




All right, back to the glorious 45!

This week’s 45 offering comes from the Reverend Charlie Jackson!

Back in 2003, Case Quarter issued a CD made up of the good Reverend’s recordings. It was a revelation. Blues fans, garage fans (crypt put out the vinyl, I think?), punk rockers…everyone was getting’ down to what the Reverend Charlie Jackson was slingin’. To me it was one of the releases of the year that year.

I had heard about Jackson through the Lux and Ivy Interview in the INCREDIBLY STRANGE MUSIC book. The way they described the song, “Wrapped up and Tangled Up in Jesus” made me want to hear the song immediately! I had to wait a few years till this cd hit the shelves.

Jackson was a blues man first, and at some point became a Reverend. He played crazy, dirty sounding guitar and used to play and sing during his sermons. At some point he started recording some of these songs to give to his parishioners.

The CD is called God's Got It: The Legendary Booker and Jackson Singles, and is higly recommended!

At some point, he formed his own label and started releasing his material.

Here are the 2 songs from his 45 released on his own JACKSON record label. Both of these songs have not be re-released in any form! One is a re-recording of Wrapped Up (although, its spelled “Wraped” Up!?).

Enjoy

And if they still have them, you can get your own copy of the 45 from the great website;

http://www.50milesofelbowroom.com/

Tell em, Kogar send you!

Wraped Up and Tangled Up in Jesus

http://www.mediafire.com/?zwgy3iwy0ni

Lord Your so Good (no spell check in the 70’s, I guess…)

http://www.mediafire.com/?tjg5jmmzghy

Also, I wanted to mention that Debbie D was awesome enough to invite me to join the new WFMU blog! I don’t think the site is “live” yet (you can certainly go there and check it out, you just can’t “add it” to your favorite “blogger” list of blogs).

My only post so far is a review and links to download the new bootleg of MILAN, aka The Leather Boy,’s re-issue LP; HELL BENT FOR LEATHER. A great collection of the work of Milan!

I will also be doing a DJ set for the page once I can figure out this whole “record your voice onto your computer” thing….

Check it out here:

http://wfmuichiban.blogspot.com/

Next Thursday, I’m heading up to Montreal for the WOOLY WEEKEND, so there may not be a Blog.

Thanks

Kogar

Wednesday, July 22, 2009


Lux and Ivy's Favorites Volume 13
This is the first Lux and Ivy's Favorites to include artwork. I worked closely with a friend of mine to come up with some cool artwork that would fit in with the theme of the series.

At some point, all of the other volumes will have artwork as well.

This one was a tough one to put together. It just took a lot out of me for some reason. As time goes on, there are less and less L and I interviews, etc to take from.

You'll notice a bunch of "modern bands" this time around. An interview with Lux and Ivy from the 90's was posted online some point after Lux's passing. L and I mentioned some current bands that they liked. Of these bands (The Mummies, The Oblivians, The Gories, The Demolition Doll Rods, the 5.6.7.8's), I picked songs that I thought fit in (i.e. Queen Bee Drag Racin because of the car theme, Pinball party because of the Cramps riff lifted in the middle of the song, they mentioned The Mummies, who "covered Sonic's tunes!"). I didn't think it was too much of a stretch to include them on this edition.

Lux also said in effect, "The most Cramps influenced band he had heard in a long time was Guitar Wolf." He mentioned that the album they were working on was called "Planet of the Wolves", so I chose that song. Plus with the theme of the last volume being outer space, I thought it made a good continuation of that theme.

I also lifted bits from some of their favorite movies; The Devil on Wheels, and The Horror of Party Beach (Zombie Stomp).

The Devil on Wheels was interesting in that I read an interview with The Cramps that appeared in "the ancient knowledge" book and it mentioned "cassette tapes" in their hotel room and that one of them was the "soundtrack" of the film The Devil on Wheels. I searched for a while, but came up empty on an actual soundtrack. I don't think one was ever issued. What I DO think is that Lux recorded the whole movie (it's a slick 70 minutes or so) onto audiocassette and listened to it while driving around!

The last thing I want to mention is that for years people have been asking me about covers for this series. I was really hesitant to do anything, because I thought that it would lead to bootlegging. I am adamant about these cd's being as free as free can be. There is no fucking way anyone should be paying for these. Download them, copy them for friends, but please do not sell these cd's!

In the long run, I decided to take an active part in coming up with "official" covers for the series. So that's all these are. I hope you like what we come up with. There also might be a guest artist or two. Keep an eye out for them, and the re-mastered editions of some of the early volumes of LAIF right here.

Enjoy everybody!

Kogar the Swinging Ape

Cover concept by Kogar
Everything else by Adam Fitch 2009


Thursday, July 16, 2009



Songs we Taught Walter Daniels (The Jack O' Fire)

Geez, sorry about the lack of blogs lately. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks since getting back from Memphis.

Here is the last of the “songs we taught” comps I’ve made.

This “Songs we taught” is for the Jack O' Fire!

The Jack O’ Fire was a great band that released a bunch of stuff back in the early to mid 90’s. It featured Tim Kerr on guitar and Walter Daniels on harp and vocals.

Man, what a band. The basic principal of the band was to do fucked up blues cover songs. But going further than that, they would “blues-ify” punk rock classics. The sound they got on their recordings was fucking outstanding.

On certain albums you’d get covers of chuck berry right next to a version of a minutemen song! All done like fucked up blues tunes.

Amazing stuff. Track down their albums; BEWARE THE SOULESS COOL, FOREVER, and THE DESTRUCTION OF SQUARESVILLE …good listening is guaranteed!

So, this is a compilation I made of songs that the jack o’ fire covered.

Songs we taught Walter Daniels

http://www.mediafire.com/?yj2zjzj3n2a

Wednesday, July 8, 2009


The Gories and The Oblivians Live in Paris!
A friend of mine recorded both sets by garage legends The Gories and The Oblivians last night. Here is the result.
I'm gonna let the music speak for itself on this one...
Thanks to Patrick for sharing these great recordings!
The Gories
The Oblivians

Thursday, July 2, 2009


Songs we Taught Billy Childish Volume One
Next to The Cramps, I think the artst who introduced me to the most interesting stuff is Billy Childish. On his 100 or so releases he's covered, copped, outright stole some fantastic songs. I think I made this "songs we taught" compilation right after The Mummies one. I think I jokingly called this one "volume one" because if you had the desire, or the time, you could make 50 volumes of songs Childish covered!
I never really got past this volume. But if you have a decent punk or 60's garage collection, you can make your own volume 2 pretty easily!
Here is SONGS WE TAUGHT BILLY CHILDISH VOLUME ONE!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009


Songs we Taught Jack, Eric and Greg (Oblivian)

Seeing The Oblivians for the first time since 95 was a total revelation. What a great fucking band.
Here is another volume of "songs we taught..." that I made after The Mummies volume. It was meant to be mostly centered around the Oblivians, but I stretched it out a bit by including songs from the Compulsive Gamblers, the Reigning Sound, etc. Some of the songs I think I grabbed from the liner notes of an Oblivians cd (BEST OF THE WORST). Others were from live bootlegs or songs from their albums.
Enjoy!

Songs we Taught The Mummies!



Wow, what a crazy rock and roll month it’s been!

Saw The Mummies, The Gories, and The Oblivians (all twice!) in the span of two weeks! Yow!

Here is the first “songs we taught….” Compilations I made back in the early 90’s. Obviously, the idea came from the original SONGS WE TAUGHT THE CRAMPS LP that came out in the mid 80’s. It was an LP of songs the Cramps had covered. Since that time, there has been ANOTHER series of compilation/bootlegs with the same name, as well as a series called BORN BAD with the same purpose; to expose songs The Cramps had covered and put them in a handy dandy format.

I just used that same idea and applied it to various other favorite bands of mine. The first one I tackled was THE MUMMIES. There’s a few missteps on the compilation (how the fuck could I make a comp of songs The Mummies covered and omit Don and the fucking Goodtimes?! Pretty much thee blue print for The Mummies as far as I'm concerned!), but I think it gets across what I was going for at the time. There are also a few too many versions of stronger than dirt on it, but what the hell, every version of that song rules!

Funny story about this compilation. I ran into one of the guys in the very Mummies-influenced band, THE BRIMSTONES and we got to talking about The Mummies. He said he been given a compilation of songs The Mummies had originally done from a friend of his in Europe somewhere. I was kind of shocked. I asked him to describe it to me, to tell me what songs were on it. He spoke of all the different versions of “dirt” on it. I told him that was the compilation I had made!

He pretty much didn’t believe me. But he must have gotten it from someone who downloaded it off of napster!

It was then (this was probably 2002?) that I realized that “home made” compilations were starting to really take off over the world due to downloading. ANYONE could take a subject, or theme and make their own compilations and have 100’s (perhaps 1000’s?) of people hear them!

Pretty crazy.

Here is SONGS WE TAUGHT THE MUMMIES

http://www.mediafire.com/?mmihaw1zgtm

Coming soon: Song we taught:
Jack, Eric and Greg (Oblivian)
Billy Childish
Walter Daniels (Jack O’ Fire)

Thursday, June 4, 2009




The Camelots

Here’s a little preview of the upcoming Lux and Ivy’s Favorites Volume Thirteen!

This is a great 45 by THE CAMELOTS. I’ve been looking for this song “charge” for YEARS.

I originally heard it on the VIP VOP TAPES (tapes Lux made back in the 70’s). The tapes had no track listing, so I’ve been slowly piecing them together over the years.

I stumbled across this one on ebay using the “hear it now feature” on an auction.

What a trip it was to accidentally stumble across it.

It’s a great 45. The b-side, SCRATCH, is a total winner too!

CHARGE!

http://www.mediafire.com/?vtjnnlzmzi2

SCRATCH!

http://www.mediafire.com/?qyiyykxjzqd

LAIF 13 should be done sometime soon. I'll post it here when its done.

There might not be a blog next week, as it’s going to be a crazy one…THE MUMMIES at maxwell’s this Tuesday!

kogar

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Bo Diddley

Shit, it's been a year since Bo died.

Here are 2 myspace comps that I made within a few weeks of his passing.

BO DID IT AGAIN -- a compilation of bands doing Bo covers or Bo styled songs. A take off of the BO DID IT LP.

http://www.mediafire.com/?zvnqlzngwgm

and

BO KNOWS INSTRO -- all instrumental Bo songs from his various albums. Bo did some amazing instrumentals. I tried to pick the ones that he definitely was involved with...

http://www.mediafire.com/?mryutymgjzv

Enjoy

Friday, May 29, 2009

Kogar's Big Thrill-O-Rama Trash Show!


Here is a compilation I made for a local music board here in the New England area. It is the second in a series of compilations I have made that are a tribute to THE VIP VOP TAPES.
What are the Vip Vop Tapes? As legend has it, the VVT were a couple of tapes that were made by Lux Interior back in the late 70's for a friend to be played at parties, etc. They featured amazing instrumentals, R and B, garage, etc. Spliced between the songs, and sometimes IN the songs themselves, were amazing exploitation audio trailers.
It's a great listening experience, let me tell you. When I first heard them, it really sent me into collector overload. I wanted to identify all these tracks! The VVT had no track listing, making it pretty hard to identify certain songs (mostly instrumentals). Identifying those tracks has become a life long obsession. All the song I've identified have been comped on my series LUX AND IVY'S FAVORITES (I'll post those later at some point).
The two comps I've made as a tribute to the series (originally called NIM BOP COMP) both start with a track from the VVT as a starting point. I tried to pick songs that were in the spirit of those original tapes.
Besides being a part of the NOISE BOARD cd-trade this comp was originally made available on my Myspace page.

So this is kind of what I'm talking about.
Here's a 45 by LOUIE AND THE FAT MEN. Originally, I stumbled across this 45 on a website of a guy selling stuff. It had a 20 second sound clip to go along with it. Those 20 seconds blew my mind!
How had this song never been comped before?! It's a KILLER Las Vegas Grind style "bump 'n' grind-er"!
Here's the full song.
http://www.mediafire.com/?mzjzzxzjynm

Introductory Post

For years now I've done a blog on my Myspace page. Well, I guess not every body "does" Myspace, so I always get emails saying; "how come you only do this on myspace?!" yadda yadda.

So, since recently discovering THE HOUND's blog page (and the new NORTON RECORDS blog) I figured I'd jump on the bandwagon (not that this blog will be anywhere near as mindblowing as those two) of "blogging".

So over the weeks and months to come I'll post a various bunch of mp3 files for people to download without having to bother with that "pesky" Myspace.

What kind of stuff? Basically various 45's that I find interesting, cd-r compilations that I've made over the years, or anything else that strikes my fancy.

Kogar