Monday, May 4, 2020

Supermoon Martin

Are you sure ol' Hank done it this way?
UPDATE:  JOHN "MOON" MARTIN DIED MAY 11, 2020.  My original post follows....

 Stinky is off somewhere on a secret mission. Before he left, he shared some of Moon Martin's records from the 1990's, and I found the rest.

Moon was dropped by Capitol Records after 1985's Mixed Emotions. He returned in 1992 with the self-produced Dreams On File. 

Bad News Live and Cement Monkey (with old friends Fontaine Brown and Jude Cole on backing vocals) followed in 1993. Lunar Samples (1995) was mostly re-recordings of old songs. 

 Moon's last album was 1999's Louisiana Juke-Box. Fontaine Brown returned again to co-write "Rockin' Little Honky Tonk". The credits thank Moon's manager "for giving me the spirit to make this record" and a friend "without (whom) this record would never have been completed." Sounds like Moon had mixed emotions about the music business. 

 That's five records in a decade, although Cement Monkey only has six tracks. There's some overlap: "Stuck Inside Of Mobile (With The Memphis Blues Again)" appears on four of the five records. Still, Moon wrote some great new songs, and his singing and guitar playing are on par with his classic 80's albums. As the 20th century faded into history, Moon Martin and his cowboy outfit rode off into the sunset. Goodnight, Moon.
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20 comments:

  1. jonderMay 4, 2020 at 12:15 PM

    Dreams On File (92): https://tinyurl.com/y9na32yg

    Bad News Live (93): https://tinyurl.com/ybqtapl6

    Cement Monkey (93): https://tinyurl.com/y6v4skzl

    Lunar Samples (95): https://tinyurl.com/yawhbzog (Who or what is a yawhbzog?)

    Louisiana Jukebox (99): https://tinyurl.com/yb9kmocu

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  2. Viacomclosedmedown on youtubeMay 4, 2020 at 4:35 PM

    wow thanks Jonder, you a true champion for music history!!

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    1. jonderMay 5, 2020 at 9:19 AM

      And thank YOU for helping me with my collection of Moon Martin covers! I still spin those 80's albums, and it was a treat to finally get to hear Moon's records from the 90's.

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  3. ToddMay 4, 2020 at 9:35 PM

    Thanks! I didn't even know these existed!

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    1. jonderMay 5, 2020 at 9:13 AM

      It's a shame, innit? They were released on independent labels, at a time when Moon was more successful in continental Europe than in North America. The last album was also released on mp3.com, but Moon hung up his spurs before the era of streaming services.

      Good to hear from another Moon Martin fan!

      Delete
  4. FiveGunsWestMay 5, 2020 at 12:08 AM

    From one of the four or five guys to another, I didn't know they existed either. Thanks much.

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    1. jonderMay 5, 2020 at 9:36 AM

      You're welcome, my friend! I am mostly a lurker in the shadows of the FOFG encampment, sneaking a little warmth from your bonfire of the inanities (j/k). Considering that Farq is a fan of country rock, I wonder if he digs Southwind. Moon was their lead guitarist, and didn't write much of the material. Fontaine Brown (aka Dugg Brown) produced their debut album, and then joined the band. You can find the three Southwind albums here: https://ezhevika.blogspot.com/search?q=southwind

      To anyone who might wonder who Farq and the 4 or 5 Guys are, I encourage you to visit the Isle of Foam:
      https://falsememoryfoam.blogspot.com/

      As well as my blogging brother Five Guns West's musings on things musical, cinematic, historical and political:
      http://fivegunswest.blogspot.com/

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    2. FiveGunsWestNovember 13, 2020 at 4:23 PM

      Thanks for the kind words jonder! I wish I was at the Gold Dust for an Irish Coffee right now, even if it became trendy....lol.

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  5. art58koenMay 6, 2020 at 5:31 AM

    Many thanks again for Moon & the Southwind link!

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    1. jonderMay 6, 2020 at 9:59 AM

      You're welcome! Before the advent of file sharing, I never saw or heard a Southwind record, much less any of Moon's records from the 90's.

      I will also post this link, just in case other Moon fans missed these covers of his songs:

      https://jonderblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/moon-martin-songbook.html

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  6. jonderMay 7, 2020 at 2:54 PM

    I just received a physical copy of Moon's "Live At Rockpalast", a 1981 concert broadcast that was issued on CD/DVD in 2015. Moon was interviewed for the liner notes and said that his current project involved "trying to use big band in a way that's different. I didn't want a rockabilly big band approach, that's been done. This is different, at least that's what the players say. Hopefully I'll be done mid 2016." He also told the interviewer that he was going to re-record his first two albums. "The vocals on that first album were all first takes. I will include some new songs as well."

    So disregard my corny ending with Moon trotting off into the sunset at the end of the millennium. Fifteen years later (and five years ago), he was making big band music, and it wasn't going to sound like the Brian Setzer Orchestra.

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  7. AnonymousMay 9, 2020 at 7:31 AM

    Hi Jonder! I'm coming back to the surface in a few weeks! And I'm glad to see you're still spreading the gospel of Moon! - Stinky

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    1. jonderMay 9, 2020 at 8:11 PM

      Good to hear from you, sir! Thanks again for sharing more Moon music with me and other fans.

      Delete
  8. PubbiMay 12, 2020 at 6:19 PM

    Hi jonder, great to see that there are more people outside loving the awesome sounds of Moon Martin. I fell in love with his music more than 40 years ago, bought his LPs and listened to them a lot. Only when the garage revival overwhelmed me in the mid-80s with their incredible, although primitive (or maybe because of that) Fuzz, Farfisa & Screams-sounds, Moon Martin was pushed a bit in the background.... but till today he is a regularly guest in my CD-Player with the 22 tracks of his "Very Best Of" collection. Since the last 5 years I tried to catch up with the rest of his discography, but it didn't work out completely...I missed the "Lunar Samples" and half of the "Louisiana Juke-Box". However, this is now history.
    Thank you so much, jonder and Stinky!!!
    My best wishes for everything!!
    Pubbi

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    1. jonderMay 12, 2020 at 9:15 PM

      Pubbi, I am very glad to be able to fill in the gap in your Moon Martin collection. He is underrated but unforgettable! I will always be grateful to you for acquiring the Saddlebop record and sharing it with me. Best wishes for health and happiness to you as well!

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  9. jonderMay 16, 2020 at 8:55 PM

    Today I learned that John "Moon" Martin died on May 11, 2020. A commenter on the Twilight Zone music blog wrote that members of the French rockabilly band Scamps played on "Louisiana Jukebox" and that Moon Martin helped them with the recording of their album. Sure enough, Scamps' 1999 album "Satisfaction Guaranteed" was recorded in Nashville with Moon as engineer and arranger. He also played and sang on the songs "Too Good To Be True" and "Human Cannonball". Webb Wilder played on the latter track as well.

    This obituary from Le Figaro describes Moon as "a modest, graceful and elegant man."

    https://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/bad-news-le-chanteur-moon-martin-est-mort-20200514

    https://www.discogs.com/Scamps-Satisfaction-Guaranteed/release/7452959

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    1. PubbiMay 17, 2020 at 7:35 PM

      Oh sh...these are really very sad news, only a few days ago I raved about his so brilliant music.... without knowing that he was already dead.
      Very very sad news... but I'll be sure, every time I listen to his music will make me smile and remembering him very fondly.
      Thanks Mr. Moon Martin and rest in peace.

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  10. GaryApril 23, 2021 at 8:08 AM

    Now this was an amazing stumble across. I have been a fan since Moon's fist album and dearly "love Bad Case Of Lovin' You". This has completed my collection. I've been looking for these albums for more than 5 years, after I realized I was way behind in my collection. And another new album as well. Didn't realize Moon had taken his leave. That is a sorry reality to discover. I saw him Live in Santa Monica, California in the late 70's. Thanks so much Gary

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    1. jonderApril 23, 2021 at 9:22 AM

      I was sorry to discover it as well, so soon after I completed this post. I'm glad to share with fellow Moon Martin fans. I got into his music after hearing "Rolene" on the radio. I highly recommend his "Live at Rockpalast" CD/DVD combo for your Moon Martin collection. It is a professionally filmed concert recorded in 1981, when Jude Cole was still performing in Moon's band.

      Here are two audience recordings of live performances, one from Pennsylvania in 1978 and the other from France in 1999:

      https://floppybootstomp-ii.blogspot.com/2020/10/i-thought-only-lonely-place-was-on-moon.html

      http://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/asxcards/MoonMartin1999-10-26LeTheloniousBordeauxFrance.html

      Thanks for your comment!

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  11. jonderOctober 22, 2022 at 6:30 PM

    Several live Moon Martin sets here:

    https://hearrockcity3.blogspot.com/search/label/Moon%20Martin

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