Update Time!

The Monday MAcIDOL Update is evolving into the Every Other Monday MacIDOL Update, which is especially true in the Up'n'coming as I'm away next weekend. So Adjust your straps accordingly and get your ears on coz the gangs all here.

Maggie Osterberg - An Appointment MP3
A deep and righteous groove, with Maggie's characteristically rich soundscape.


Me And Boris The Bull - Lighthouse Made Of Gold MP3 'A demo' he said but who cares when it's this good.


KATCHOOLIK - Dreaming MP3 Down Tempo from the Soul.


Sp3ccylad - I Fall Through Clouds MP3 Damn. Another great driving song. Is Summer on the way or what? This is something of a homage to the Fab Four circa Revolver and as fresh as fuck. Wonderful.

MUDBAY - EL MP3 Check Out this group. Their jamroom is chock full of ambient goodness.


RC Andrews and Matt Griffin - Greyhound Run MP3 This has all the right grooves for me - wonderful mix and funked up the kind of Southern Rock Tom Petty would be envious of, plus Matt Griffin's great bass playing.


Ed Dobeas - Crystal Moments MP3 This is beautiful. Lovely texture from the acoustic guitar and Ed's voice, combine into a joyful, happy and above all uplifting tune.


aka Gumbo - Under That Hood MP3 A slice of raw rockabilly from aka Gumbo ... I love this stuff, and why not!


Ruthie - My Short Boyfriend MP3 This is a treat. I hope you appreciate it. Ruth was/is the vocalist on Midnight Train for you regulars. This was her messing about in her dad's studio, composing as she went. Watch this Gal!

When Apes Rule The Earth!

There are currently some amazing pre-VU Lou Reed tracks from as early as 1958 over at When Apes Rule The Earth!

Scoot over and blow your wig.

The Jacks/The Cadets

You have to go to Marv's Jacks-Cadets Page for the full story, but here is the lowdown, as promised.

They signed with the Bihari Brothers' Modern Records in April 1955 and their first single (as the Cadets) was Don't Be Angry. A cover of Nappy Brown's Savoy hit. You know the one ... L'L L'L L'L L'L L'L L'L Don'ta Be Angry ...

Almost straight away a group called The Feathers released a song called Why Don't You Write Me and Joe Bihari got that feeling in his back pocket. He brought The Cadets in to record it and sneaked it past the Music Press by releasing it under the name The Jacks on brother Saul's RPM label. It's a great record and blew The Feathers away (groan), reaching number 3 in the R'n'B charts.

The two groups continued rack up hits, but will always be remembered in R'n'R history books for covering The Jayhawks' Stranded In The Jungle where (thanks to Dub Jones and Prentice Moreland) they sounded more like a Coasters record than anybody before or since. This record lifted them up into the Pop charts and kept them touring all year, including a week long residency at the New York Apollo Theatre.

Prentice Moreland just happened to be in the studio that day, and only released two singles himself (according to Marv, who ought to know). Does anyone know anything else about him (he asked lazily)?

In 1957 Modern started releasing LPs and of course there were two by our heroes. Today's tracks are from the Jacks' "Jumpin With The Jacks" (and mine is the $1.98 Crown version, apparently released a few weeks later, at that). Oo Wee Baby from that LP was also released as Fine Lookin Baby - The Cadets 2nd single.

When the group (and the label) broke up in late '57 Aaron Collins joined The Flairs/Flares and Dub Jones went where he belonged, joining The Coasters in time to record Yakety Yak and Three Cool Cats.



Let's Make Up MP3

Why Don't You Write Me MP3

Oo Wee Baby MP3

Jungle Rock

This is a celebration. It was one of the first rockabilly singles I ever bought, maybe the first, so it has a special place. It was a bit of a flop when it came out in 1958 but, for an obscure single on the Chicago Eko label it must have seemed like the big time when King records bought the master and released it nationwide. It sold around a hundred copies (it says here) and Hank didn't record anything else until Charly Records released Jungle Rock in the 1976 as part of their wonderful re-issue series. The single went to number 3 in the UK national charts! With seven weeks in the Top Ten. Number 1 in Holland!!

At that point Hank came out to Europe and played some great shows, and even recorded a few new tunes. Black Cat Rockabilly has archived the story.

I just love the lyrics to this! Online lyric sites can't even agree on the first verse! Black Cat Lyrics, or Wonderlyrics - what d'you reckon? a "fish stepping by" or "beasts that fly" (??) in verse three! Or maybe you have your own version (Rev?)
Jungle Rock MP3 - Hank Mizell


This cover of The Jayhawks was a huge hit for The Cadets in 1956. More about The Cadets will be coming soon.
EDIT:In the meantime check out Locust St for some background.
Stranded In The Jungle MP3 - The Cadets


I know nothing about this one, except that Hank Thompson would pretty much try his hand at most things, and always did it with style. This a great little rocker with a delightfully catchy drum fill. 1957 on Capitol.
Rockin In The Congo MP3 - Hank Thompson

And as a special bonus we have CCR from Cosmo's Factory in 1970 - and an interesting read at Songfacts
Run Through The Jungle MP3 Creedence Clearwater Revival

MacIDOL Update

Me and Boris The Bull - Sable For George MP3
This is a mesmerising Ambient Folk track with artist 'Me and Boris The Bull' stretching back into his roots. A "heartful tale of two old friends, grinding through the world trying to make some sense of it all." The song art (above) is by George Selleck, which might help you make sense of the title. Sense isn't high on my list here though. Bask in it.


Joanna Sandsmark - Whiskey Neat, Water Back MP3 part two of a trilogy of Barroom tales has Joanna in her element, ready for anythink. Gotta love that voice.

aka Gumbo - Warmongers MP3 A Peace Camp at the Gates of Heaven. A Delta Blues for the Dead.

And at the other end of the musical sp3ctrum is the burlesque of Love Theme for the Deputy Prime Minister MP3 by Sp3ccylad (as far as I know it's unrequited but we shall keep you posted).

Frogmorton (Matt Griffin) - I Got Trouble! MP3
Driving blues based rock, and driving somewhere hot 'cause it sure cooks.

B&Massa - A Gallant Attempt At Immortality MP3 I was going to post B&Massa's Dark DownTempo 'InshAllah' but he knocked us for a six with this gloriously catchy new tune. So check his Jamroom if you're missing out.

MUDBABY - Dreamcatcher MP3 This band are just bliss. Thanks for the reminder Dava.

Soul Shower Anniversary

There are a few places I check in with regularly. A few places where I can pretty much Guarantee that I will be uplifted and my ears will be soothed, my brain put at it's ease, and my feet made to MOVE.

One of those places is the Soul Shower currently celebrating it's first anniversary. 12 months of some of the sweetest, the earthiest and the funkiest Soul Music you will ever get to hear.

Well a word to the wise.
Shimmy on over and join the party.

Don't tell em I sent you, though, NO!

Just grin.

Sweet Baby Doll

Johnny and Dorsey Burnette came out to Los Angeles in 1957 after the break up of The Rock'n'Roll Trio. They decided to sit on Ricky Nelson's porch til he came home. Nobody seems to know how long that took, but it worked. Ricky recorded several of their songs, and they became known around his Imperial label, and released a single as the Burnette Brothers (Warm Love/My Honey). Dorsey stayed on as a solo artist, and Johnny went with Freedom Records. They were still working very much together as songwriters and musians, and you can hear the songs from this era on the Rockstar CD The Burnette Brothers and Wampus Cat at Raucous Records


Here are a couple of Johnny's singles from Freedom

Sweet Baby Doll MP3
Me And The Bear MP3


If you're suitably impressed/rich etc then check out the Complete Johnny Burnette recordings at Amazon

There is a wonderful article about the Trio recording with Owen Bradley at Rockabilly Central based on interviews with Paul Burlinson, and another interview with Paul at Vintage Guitar where he tells about playing guitar for Howling Wolf

America

I read this in the early days,
when youthful spring and optimism shone on the dancing waters
where my soul cried in th' city, where my heart leapt for glory,
the kind you could savour like the glory of your car keys,
like the glory of new kittens,
like the glory of walkin' down the street lovin people,
the glory of feeling the pavement, my feet ecstatic with dances unfathomed,
and my poor eyes filled with lust on the subway where my peers stretch out and SURRENDER
carried away with the click clack of appointments, rendezvous
stop signs and buskers, all the great distractions of the universe
conspiring against me
continuously
AND I LET THEM.
Oh The Glory!

America by Allen Ginsberg

at an inspired poetry reading somewhere, way back, even before The Beatles.

Hey Jeb!

I heard it from Shiloh Lindsey. And when Shiloh tells you, you'd better do it!

Go See Swank!

So I took the quick road to Kilkenny and got in before dark. Sat watching the rain til it stopped and then made my way up to Paris, Texas. The guys were setting up and they looked a bit subdued, but I didn't know they'd just flown in today. Lost guitars en route and generally had a fine time of it. They soon got into the groove though, and the place was packed to the gills. And what a great show. Gritty blues and stompin country all influenced i guess by that thriving Vancouver Punkabily scene. They got an edge alright!

I realise (since I bought their complete back catalogue) that they played tons of there own stuff and a smattering of blues and country covers (Screamin' Jay's 'Little Demon' and Little Wille John's 'Leave My Kitten Alone', and some obscure Johnny Cash number about Folsom Prison ;~) In the first set they switched around with the drummer and second guitar player trading places for a few songs, while lead player, Doug switched to banjo. The bass player had a bass banjo which there may well be a proper name for, but who cares, he laid down a solid backbeat and was much appreciated.

You can get a selection from their albums off of their Myspace site including the 'Hey Jeb (with intro)'. I love this song - it deserves to be a tearaway success - somebody is gonna have the balls to pick it up and run with it, the crowd loved it too, especially the guy with the crewcut who kept holding up his hand - he could see four of everybody in the band I'm sure.

During the second set Luke from Leafhound guested on guitar and shifted the balance yet again into a very cool Creedence Clearwater type sound. People were still trying to get in off the street, but the night was drawing to a close, and they finished off with a riproaring 'I Saw The Light' which did my heart good, I can tell you.

I left town northwest along the river straight for that huge crescent moon sitting on the horizon, passed the Devil's Bit and headed West into the night.

If ever you get the chance to see 'em you take it, y'hear. They're in the UK next week (see the myspace site again), and the rest is up to you.
What? Oh! OK Listen up! Time is short, and we ain't been behavin', and the Big Man ain't far away. Ever

How Do We Do MP3 You can still see the Great video animation for this track at their (you guessed it) Myspace site.

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EXTRA!

Dublin photographer Jeannie Wenham was at the gig and very kindly sent us these two shots of the boys in action.
(ph. +353 86 351 4303 - email jeanniew@o2.ie)