Songs Of Sex Workers Vol. 1 - A Tribute To The World’s Oldest Profession

 Songs Of Sex Workers Vol. 1

There’s no questioning that prostitution is the world’s oldest profession—which may explain why there are so many songs written about it.  The Songs Of Sex Workers series is heavy on oldies but goodies… but then, so is the staff here at JOKONKY!

One of the strangest songs recorded in the sixties leads off Vol. 1.  Bobby Gentry sings in Fancy about how her mother turned her out!  Merle Haggard’s experience was similar—except it was his mother turning tricks.  Shel Silverstein’s classic Acapulco Goldie is exactly the kind of Shel song that no one could deliver better than Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show.

There are always a few tracks that almost have to be included.  Cher’s #1 hit Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves, for instance.  The narrative also involves a mother who’s a dancer in a traveling show, and: “Every night the men would come around, and lay their money down.”    Mothers who polite society frowned upon are a common theme in this installment.

You don’t even have to listen to Donna Summer’s Bad Girls to know it’s about prostitution (Beep beep!  Toot toot!). Surprisingly, Summer later turned down It's Raining Men--which was written especially for her--because she was newly born again.  Everyone knows Roxanne is about a streetwalker—but I’d guess fewer knew that Killer Queen or Island Girl are.  

If I ever put together a comp about songs that should never be covered, Lady Marmalade would have to be on it.  Did you know it was written by Bob Crewe of Four Seasons' fame, and Kenny Nolan of I Like Dreaming’ fame?  Who could ever top New Orleans legends The Meters backing Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx, & Sarah Dash?

Notorious grouchy pants Johnny Ramone never liked main songwriter Dee Dee’s song about hustling on 53rd & 3rd.  What was he whining about?  Joey had to sing it!  Longtime Ramones running buddy Debbie Harry gave the topic a female spin with Call Me, as did Sade.  

The Beatles and their musical offspring, Cheap Trick, both had songs that were about sex workers.  I don’t think I knew that Candy’s Room and Janie Jones were--before I started looking for songs for this comp.  Apparently Janie Jones was the first song written by The Clash.  Joe Strummer helped Mick Jones with the narrative after the music & chorus came to Jones while riding the bus.  According to legend, famous bass-smasher Paul Simonon’s part is one note because he hadn’t learned to play his instrument yet!  The titular character was an actual cabaret singer/vice queen who was embroiled in the 1960’s BBC Radio One “sex for airplay” scandal. 

Should we ever do our version of Desert Island Discs, Nick Gilder’s Hot Child In The City would likely be one of mine.  Harder to decide would be whether to pick the hit version or this fantastic live version from Midnight Special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEAcTAHxJiY.  

And while we’re on the subject, if you’ve never heard The Animals’ 1964 rendition of House Of The Rising Sun on The Ed Sullivan Show, you’re simply not living your best life.  Not to worry.  I’ve got you!

20 Space Oddities

Here’s a limited deep dive into songs about the FUTURE, incl. flying saucers, cyberpunk wastelands, space, moons, UFOs, rocket ships, astronauts, Elvis, and more.

The music is varied to say the least, from jazz to trip-hop and anything in between.

I tried to avoid the most obvious candidates, but felt it was still necessary to include Major Tom and Captain Kirk/William Shatner…

 The cover is a classic case of ‘back to the future’ as it is based on the cover of an old pulp Sci-Fi magazine: Wonder Stories, from Oct. 1931, I love recycling old art!

All I Want For Christmas Is Christmas (The Band)

I remember 1986 like it was yesterday...

The rock band Christmas had a few things in common with Redd Kross.  Both groups were signed to Big Time Records (which went bankrupt, big time).  Michael Cudahy (Christmas singer/guitarist) cowrote "Annie's Gone" with Jeff & Steven McDonald.  

Both bands had a second act, which (we're told) never happens in American lives.  Redd Kross' second act was their 21st Century comeback. The second coming of Christmas was Combustible Edison.  And there's another similarity: Combustible Edison celebrated lounge music without irony, just as Redd Kross sincerely appreciates the Partridge Family and the Osmonds. 

There are three Christmas albums, each presented here with bonus tracks from singles, compilations and collaborations.  In Excelsior Dayglo was their 1986 debut.  Ultraprophets Of Thee Psykick Revolution followed in 1989 and is my favorite of their albums.  They were at their best as performers and songwriters.  The last Christmas album (Vortex) was completed in 1991.  It went unreleased until 1993, by which time Christmas had disbanded -- or rather, rebranded as Combustible Edison.

I frontloaded the Vortex tracklist, putting my favorites first.  Liz had a great voice.  She and Michael harmonized beautifully.  After the self-immolation of Combustible Edison, Liz sang a Lesley Gore song on the Grace Of My Heart soundtrack (and Redd Kross appeared in the film as "The Riptides"!) Liz also sang "Oahu" with The 6ths (which is included in abbreviated form).

Did you know that Michael Cudahy almost beat Ken Jennings on Jeopardy?  In 2022 he posted two new songs on Bandcamp.   Lots of odds and ends here, including Christmas collabs with Peter Prescott, Pep Lester, Dredd Foole, Ellie Marshall and Lisa Carver.  I wish I had the 1987 demo tape, but a few songs have appeared on Youtube.  As I wrote on my Hypnolovewheel blog post a few years ago, my favorite American bands of the 80's and 90's "made music that was brainy, noisy, eccentric and fun."  Christmas is one of those favorites. 

SIDEMEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT VOL. 1

SIDEMEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT shines a light on the guy standing to one side of the lead singer.  Some of the artists showcased on VOL. 1 basked in the light, and others stepped quickly back into the shadows.

Songwriter P.F. Sloan was also a performer, but it was his songs that first put him in the spotlight; having written the #1 hit Eve Of Destruction among others.  Here he’s playing that very song with a little help from his friends Frank Black and Buddy Miller (one of the all-time greatest sidemen!)

Ringo Starr was my favorite Beatle when I was a kid—which lead to my big sister pushing a thumbtack into his forehead & through the cover of our first Beatle’s album.  Luckily the record was always being played and escaped unscathed.  Ringo was allotted one track an album with his former group.  Comfortable with the fact that a drummer is almost always a sideman, he continues to share the spotlight today, in concert, and on his albums.  To fellow fans of the ringed one, here's a great interview with Ringo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=GVgUBZnm_KQ

Another drummer who enjoyed a long career centerstage is Sandy Nelson—here playing his best-known song as a solo artist.  The Stray Cats’ Lee Rocker got a turn up front for Drink That Bottle Down in the band’s first go-round, but here he belts out the Eddie Cochran classic Twenty Flight Rock.  His latest album, 2021’s Gather Round is worth a listen!

This edition also features artists who were in bands so packed with talent that each could have led the band in a pinch, had everyone else lost their voice: Randy Meisner, Jim Messina, Andrew Gold, Joey Holland, Johnny Marr, J.D. Souther, & The Georgia Satellites’ Rick Richards (here with The Western Sizzlers).

Ian McLagan had an amazing career backing others—most notably The Rolling Stones, and is joined here by Ronnie Wood, who did the same.  The Faces were la veritable rock & roll AAA team.  The Jayhawks are one of my favorite bands—they've gotten short shrift on Jokonky—which I vow to change.  Until then, here’s Tim O'Reagan’s These Things from his solo album.

Bringing it home are southern rocker Les Dudek (who once dated Cher), Skunk Baxter, & Andy Taylor!

Here’s today’s question:  What is the most heinous musical offense that you know of committed by a sibling (your own, a famous musician's, or by a friend's sibling?). There’s still a hole in Ringo’s head on my album (and as we all know, he’s already got blisters on his fingers).

Another Stinky Production 

 

20 Sonic Salutes - From Adam Ant To XTC

I can’t remember what exactly triggered this compilation but I guess like a pot of coffee it must have percolating in my mind for quite some time.
Perhaps it was Phil Lynott’s tribute to Elvis (King’s Call) that got me out of my lazy chair, put on my Indiana Jones’ hat and started digging around the internet.
Within a relatively short time I had collected a decent amount of tracks which all mentioned singers, groups, and a DJ.
Most were respectful, others definitely not, a few did a good tongue in cheek job and some weird ones…
Of course this is not an exactly original concept (both Stinky & Unherdmusic made similar) but I think I managed to collect a nice bunch (hopefully!) without any overlaps.

Adam Ant, Beatles, Bo Diddley, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Carl Perkins, Edith Piaf, Eddie Cochran, Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent, Jet Harris, John Peel, Johnny Ace, Johnny Cash, Little Richard, Mose Allison, Nick Drake, Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, Willie Dixon, and XTC

Redd Kross - This Way Up (b-sides, demos, live tracks)

2024 was The Year of Redd Kross:  a self-titled double album of new songs, a documentary film (Born Innocent) and a memoir (Now You’re One Of Us). 

In some ways, 2024 was the year that 1990 should have been for Redd Kross.  Third Eye was their first major label album, and Jeff & Steven costarred in a film called Spirit of '76.  Unfortunately, neither the movie nor the record was a success, and the perception in the music industry was that Redd Kross had failed to grab the brass ring.  

Lead guitarist Robert Hecker left after Third Eye. Robert's band It’s OK will release a new album in 2025 (with Roy McDonald on drums). Jeff and Steven focused on the UK, Europe and Australia for most of the 90’s, touring and recording with a new lineup.  

I had always assumed that Redd Kross left Atlantic and signed with Mercury Records after Third Eye.  I learned from the book that they actually signed with Andrew Lauder’s UK label This Way Up (which was distributed by Mercury in the US).  This Way Up released a number of RK singles and EP’s with non-LP b-sides.

Near the end of the book, Steven McDonald laments that the band has not been more prolific.  There are enough b-sides, demos and other stray tracks to make Deluxxe Editions of Third Eye, Phaseshifter and Show World (similar to the Merge Records reissue of Neurotica).  Say, there’s an idea!

ELSEWHERE ON THE BLOG: Songs That Redd Kross Taught Us and Tween Baes From Tostardo.

LOU REED SAMPLER - Take A Walk On The Mild Side

 

Happy New Year, everyone!  May we at JOKONKY BLOG suggest you start your year with a newly minted LOU REED SAMPLER?

For a guy who was known for being bristly, LOU REED sure wrote a lot of sweet love songs—which are the main focus of today’s offering.    

It starts off with the soundtrack staple Perfect Day, Think It Over, & Satellite Of Love.  Lady Day and I Love You Suzanne made the grade as well.  It ends with a little more muscle: Ride Into The Sun, I Can’t Stand It, and White Light/White Heat.  

Walk On The Wild Side is included—which some readers may have heard enough--but it’s a song I never get tired of.  When Walk On The Wild Side or Golden Earring’s Radar Love came on 70’s AOR radio, when I was driving late at night, those songs always took me somewhere other than where I was going.  They made me feel adult and altered--long before I was an adult, and before I started getting altered.

This LOU REED SAMPLER isn’t a greatest hits, or a deep cut comp—just the Lou Reed songs I like best.  

Regular visitors will recall that I tend to like albums that the artists themselves didn’t care for, as evidenced by the two Jon-Ky Disowned & Derided comps we imaginatively titled Vol. 1 & Vol. 2:

https://jonderblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/disowned-derided-and-deleted.html

https://jonderblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/disowned-derided-volume-2.html

So even though Lou’s MISTRIAL isn’t well-remembered (the AllMusic review says: “Reed didn't have an album's worth of top-shelf songs on tap”) both the title track & Video Violence made the cut, while bigger selling albums only landed one track.

I gave the sampler our patented long-drive test, and it passed with flying colors.  

Your results may vary.

What are your three favorite Lou Reed songs/performances?