I made a couple suggestions ("Thumbelina" and Alan Vega's solo albums), but Stinky already had a great list of songs, with enough for another volume.
I had asked Stinky if he knew of Robert Johnson -- not the blues legend, but the guy who looks like Moon Martin on the cover of his 1978 Close Personal Friend LP. We found out that he's an accomplished Memphis guitarist who played with John Entwistle's Ox and auditioned to replace Mick Taylor in the Rolling Stones!
A lot of the folks on this comp either grew up listening to rockabilly or (in the case of Conway Twitty and George "Thumper" Jones) started as rockabilly singers. Dolly Parton's duet with Ronnie McDowell appears on her 2023 album Rockstar.
It's a fun listen with a few surprises. Warren Phillips & The Rockets were members of Foghat. Joe Elliott is the Def Leppard frontman. Ron Flynt was in the power pop band 20/20. Jeremy Spencer was in Fleetwood Mac (and their alter egos Earl Vince & The Valiants). The La De Da's were from New Zealand (and are remembered for their 1966 single "How Is The Air Up There?") And didja know that Adrian Utley from Portishead was the rhythm guitarist on Jeff Beck's tribute to Gene Vincent?! If you've read this far, you're most likely a hepcat who recognizes the rest of the names on the tracklist, so jump on in -- we're going rockabilly!
Get In Loser, We're Going Rockabilly (Vol. 1): http://tinyurl.com/LetsRockabilly1
ReplyDeleteAnother Stinky Production
This looks cool, thanks Stinky! Never knew Squeeze covered Boogie Woogie Country Girl!
ReplyDeleteFor the next compilation: Manic Street Preachers - Imperial Body Bags
ReplyDeleteGreat song! I don't think I've ever heard a rockabilly song that was explicitly political. For some reason, listening to it made me think of the Screaming Blue Messiahs' rockabilly-ish song "55 The Law".
DeleteDamn! Youse guys sure do fill in my loose ends whoa who woulda thunk Jeremy Spencer was on this list...a real dope comp!!!
ReplyDeleteAnother one: Flamin' Groovies - Evil Hearted Ada. Odd fact, a few years it was covered by Shakin' Stevens & The Sunsets!
ReplyDeleteVery nice -- thank you! (And thanks for reminding me about THIS Robert Johnson. It's been years since I last heard the "Close Personal Friend" album, but I remember liking it a lot at the time).
ReplyDeleteIt's good stuff! Stinky shared it with me, and I finally remembered where I put the darn thing:
Deletehttps://krakenfiles.com/view/nG8BLHXPd2/file.html
Robert Johnson's drummer was Memphis native Blair Cunningham, who has played with a LOT of other folks since then:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blair_Cunningham
Thanks for the suggestions Koen. :)
ReplyDeleteSTORM THE EMBASSY was an overtly political rockabilly song by THE STRAY CATS that was only on the U.K. version of their debut album. It was written when Brian Setzer was in THE BLOODLESS PHARAOHS. At that point, it was titled BOYS HAVING BABIES, and had a riff that was as incredible as it's title was lame. Setzer reworked it into a political song about Iranian Students taking over the U.S. Embassy. Because they had gone to England to get signed, when I got bought the import, I was wondering why these British guys were so incensed by an incident at a U.S. Embassy. I always thought it would have been another big hit for them if it was a song about Cadillacs. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvV9EYfuaHA
- Stinky
I guess I should have phrased it as a question: "Are there other political rockabilly songs?" And then Stinky would hit the buzzer with the prize-winning answer! Very impressive, sir. Downstairs Dan (the Milwaukee DJ whose radio show "Q Wave" got me into lots of great music) had the same Stray Cats import LP, but his favorite songs to play were "Runaway Boys" and "Rumble In Brighton". I wonder if the latter was originally called "Rumble In Brooklyn"?
DeleteStray Cats going political..., amazing and it kicks ass too, thanks, I had no idea they did anything like this before!
Delete"Downstairs Dan" sounds like it describes his sexual proclivities. - Stinky
ReplyDeleteSir, this is a family friendly establishment. Your mind is in the gutter and your mouth is working overtime.
DeleteI used to have a cassette of an Icelandic rockabilly group. Langi Seli og Skuggarnir was the groups name. The album was (I think) called Rottur og Kettir. It was very infectious rockabilly. I'd put it on at parties and watch the people's faces until they realized they were singing in Icelandic. If they actually noticed. I've never been able to replace that cassette. I think it was this one https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/langi-seli-og-skuggarnir/rottur-og-kettir/
ReplyDeleteWould you believe they're still around? It looks like Langi Seli og Skuggarnir participated in the 2023 Eurovision song contest. I found the album on Youtube -- good stuff! And it was issued on CD: https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/4563168?ev=rb
Deletehttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kpna1PXI5BzOgQyTOV_B9ediEHto6achU&si=OpjXkOjqFlO77l2E
Music video for "Kontinentalinn": https://youtu.be/6Y2sQCWmTNw?si=v8ESMVTHf2jxPiPW
Ertu frá þér(Breiðholtsboogie): https://youtu.be/zn3sZqk3f3M?si=HD6VfC0B5BArpKOY
By Golly, thanks Jonder. It's been at least 6 years since I tried to find that. I don't think it was listed at Discogs at the time. I'm off to Youtube now to follow your links. It's good to know he's still around. If my old notes are correct the group name translates to Long Seals and Shadows and the album translates to Rats and Cats. I'm glad you liked them.
DeleteYou're welcome! I hope that's the one you've been looking for. I also looked on Soulseek but only found Breiðholtsboogie and a newer song called OK.
DeleteSounds like you know how to liven up a party, steVe: "ICELANDIC ROCKABILLY, Y'ALL!"
That was the exact album. My brother went to collage in Hawaii. Early '90s. His friend at school came from Iceland and turned us on to a bunch of new music. Even if we couldn't understand the words. In the late '70s I was working in the mountains at a youth camp. They were having a dance in the dining hall. I made a Zappa tape and wrote The Carpenters on it and dropped it in their pile of tapes. Watched a guy put it in the player and later quickly remove the tape.
DeleteAnother interesting theme -- Sex Pistols "Something Else" or "C'Mon Everybody" come to mind as some other songs in this theme and the Germs did a perfectly awful (i.e. Great) version of Round and Round as well. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteRod Stewart? Dolly Parton? worth the entrance fee! thanks.
ReplyDelete