The Andrews Sisters - Bei Mir Bistu Sheyn, 1937

I’m sad to hear about Patty Andrews, who died today at the age of 94.  

The Andrews Sisters were sassy as hell, and this recording of “Bei Mir Bistu Sheyn” was, rightfully, their very first big hit.  

Fact: The Andrews Sisters were the coolest and sexiest sounding girl group, to date.  (Sorry, Girls’ Generation, you know I love you.)

John Cale - Macbeth, 1973

Hope everyone blasted all their New Years celebrations out of their butt and whatnot.  WWJCD?*

*What Would John Cale Do?  (obviously.)

Nico Fidenco & Lida Lu - Clayton, 1968

Play this song in a soundtrack to your morning routine.  Close-up on your toothbrush, the running shower water.  Step out of the steam.  Dress in black.  Grab a muffin and your trusty gun, and step out into the light.

Composed by Nico Fidenco for the Italian revenge tale,  Lo Voglio Morto, or, I Want Him Dead.

Betty Everett - Until You Were Gone, 1963

Lovely Betty Everett is best known for “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss),” and slightly less well known for her early recording of (the later Linda Ronstadt hit) “You’re No Good.”  Under Vee-Jay records, Betty put out some really tight, well-produced pop songs, and this is one of my favorites.  It’s only when you get past the ubiquitous “Shoop Shoop” (which is a great recording, but so classic that it’s hard to take a good look at it) that you can see the close attention that was paid to all of Everett’s songs.  She made some really great music.

Fun fact about the influential R&B label of Vee-Jay Records: in the early 60s, Capitol records passed on selling the early Beatles recordings in the US.  I’m guessing the person who passed on both the oncoming British Invasion and also the most influential band of all time… was probably fired.  I mean, I’m guessing.

Vee-Jay released these early singles instead (including “Please Please Me” and “P.S. I Love You,” among others), and made a killing when the British Invasion took hold of the US.

Jackson C. Frank - Blues Run the Game, 1965

Jackson C. Frank is so perfect, it’s like he was programmed to be the quintessential mysterious 60’s singer/songwriter:

• made just the one (hauntingly beautiful) album, produced by Paul Simon
• possessor of crippling stage fright (rumor has it, he had to have screens put in the studio to hide behind while singing)
• influenced the likes of Nick Drake, Marianne Faithful, and Bert Jansch, to name just a few

He died fairly young, and his story is incredibly sad.  You can read about it, inevitably, in just about any story printed about him, a case of the sad story being almost greater than the work he left behind.

But the work is very, very good.  And also, he sounds like a more palatable Tim Buckley.  Check out Frank’s 1965 self-titled album, should you find the time.

Ken Idaho - School of Love, 1959

Ken Idaho resides in the realm of “so bad, it’s good.”  Probably.  I mean, look at that guy.

According to what little information there is to be found about Ken Idaho, he gave up his legitimate attempt at a recording career after producing one lukewarm hit and basically falling off the radar.  He came back with songs (and an outfit) like this one, hoping to establish himself as a comic / novelty act.  

Always a good career move.

Recorded for the Fame record label in 1959.  

Tom Northcott - I Think It’s Going to Rain Today, 1971

Rhino Handmade just released a collection of Canadian obscurofolk (TM, y’all) artist Tom Northcott.

This is a pretty fantastic cover of an otherwise pretty dull standard.  (Sorry, Randy Newman.)  It sounds not unlike a track from a lot of Northcott’s cooler contemporaries, namely Big Star, who also debuted in ‘71.

/blows into mic

Is this thing still on?

Why Queen?  20 Reasons to Appreciate the Greatest Rock Band on Earth (and Why You Should Know More Than “Bohemian Rhapsody”)

Reason #6: This. Fucking. Song.  (Or: Brian May Is a God)

Queen - Brighton Rock, from Live Killers (1979)

Put on your favorite pair o’ headphones, kids, and light one up because it’s going to be a long ride.  Twelve minutes and thirteen seconds to be exact, making this live version of “Brighton Rock” the longest track in the Queen catalogue.

I don’t want to say too much about this version of “Brighton Rock” (which kicks the studio version square in the teeth), but it’s basically Brian May orchestrating a live piece of goddamn classical music with his guitar and amps (which create two distinct delays, something May uses to great effect, letting the echoes roll as he pushes the song forward).

The epic starts at 5:45, just after Roger kills it on the timpani, and goes on for another 6 minutes after that.  

Enjoy!

Up next: John Deacon, the Quiet Beatle.  The most popular songs, written by the man who never sang a single note.

Why Queen?  20 Reasons to Appreciate the Greatest Rock Band on Earth (and Why You Should Know More Than “Bohemian Rhapsody”)

Reason #5: Punk As Fuck

Queen - Sheer Heart Attack, from Live Killers, 1979

As the punk movement took hold of the UK in the late 70s, Queen was nailed by the press for being out of touch.  Queen’s live shows— by now the stuff of legend— became more lavish, with massive lighting rigs and explosive pyrotechnics (the crown-shaped lighting rig they commissioned for Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee set them back about £50,000), and music critics who backed the punk movement scoffed at Queen’s efforts.

It was around this time that Queen stopped talking to the press, having taken enough flack for being “not punk enough.”  But they brushed shoulders with punk itself sometime in the late 70s when, after recording “God Save the Queen” in Wessex Studios (in a studio just next door to Queen’s), Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols reportedly tore through Queen’s studio, getting on his hands and knees to crawl through Freddie Mercury’s legs.

Take a second and try to picture that.

Anyway, strange collisions of the music world aside, I think this song proves that Queen could tear it up with the best of punk bands.  This track was recorded live on tour during the making of the magnificent Live Killers double album.  Drummer Roger Taylor wrote this song (allegedly a jab at people who thought Queen were no longer relevant, hence the lyric “I feel so inarticulate”), and you can hear him vocalizing with Freddie as he tears into his drum kit.  

Playing from the balls in perfect harmony.  Punk or not, it’s fucking talent.

Up next: This. Fucking. Song.  An orchestral symphony of one, courtesy of Brian May.

The Wind in the Willows - Uptown Girl, 1968

I have an early Christmas present for you guys.  

Did you know that before she was in Blondie, Debbie Harry was in a 1960s psychedelic rock group?  She mostly did background vocals, but that voice is completely unmistakable.  

Have you ever been so grateful for Blondie as we know it?  Because even I have to admit that The Wind in the Willows is just the tiniest bit awful.  (This is the only halfway decent cut from their self titled album. For taking the burden of listening to it upon myself, you are welcome, dearest readers.)

Gentlehood - Can I Be Your Man, 1973

An ultra-rare track from psychedelic California band Gentlehood.  Every song on their self titled album sounds like it was inspired by another great band— this one and a few others reek of Zeppelin, another (“Closer to Me”) sounds like early Queen / Larry Lurex, and from another album, “Soliloque” sounds something like a baroque pop Billy Joel.  

With all this going on, maybe it’s no wonder that Gentlehood never quite caught on with the general public.  They sound so much like other, more popular bands, and maybe fall just the tiniest bit short… almost perfect, but not quite.  Still, though.  

That this album is so scarcely heard is downright criminal— every song on it, each one different from the last, is still really great (maybe a little dated, but they can definitely stand alongside the other radio hits of their day).  There’s really not one dead track in the bunch.

I’m going to try and post some more of these every now and then.  Listen, enjoy, and share!  (ETA: Track is working properly now.  Sorry about that!)

Why Queen?  20 Reasons to Appreciate the Greatest Rock Band on Earth (and Why You Should Know More Than “Bohemian Rhapsody”)

Reason #3: Vengeance!  Vengeance!

Queen - Flick of the Wrist and Lily of the Valley, from Sheer Heart Attack (1974)

Short and sweet, because we’ve got some catching up to do, kids!

This song was supposedly written about Queen’s band manager, Norman Sheffield, who should probably know better than to piss off the talent (and from the looks of things, could go down as one of the most unsatisfying managers in rock history).

Seduce you with his money-make machine
Cross-collateralise (big time money-money)
Reduce you to a muzak-make machine
Then the last goodbye…

It’s like a slap in the face… followed by a gentle stroke to the cheek with the much sweeter “Lily of the Valley.”  Sheer poetry, presented together for your listening pleasure.

Further listening: “Great King Rat” from Queen.  Choice lyrics:

Great King Rat died today
Born on the twenty-first of May
Died syphilis forty four on his birthday.
Every second word he swore
Yes he was a son of a whore
Always wanted by the law.

And of course, “Death on Two Legs (Dedicated To…)” from A Night at the Opera.  Another great spit-in-your-face rock song about the aforementioned Sheffield.  On the Live Killers album, Freddie introduces this song by telling the audience it’s “about a mother-fucker of a gentleman…”

You’re just an old barrow boy
Have you found a new toy to replace me?
Can you face me?
Well now you can kiss my ass goodbye…
Feel good, are you satisfied?
Do you feel like suicide?  (I think you should)
Is your conscience all right?
Does it plague you at night?
Do you feel good? (Feel good?)

Up next: Punk As Fuck.  When worlds collide…