What's That Song?
Alex Chilton died a year ago today. Among his many attributes (singer, songwriter, band leader, and troublemaker) he was an interpreter and connoisseur of songs - all kinds of songs. I'd like to think that Alex had a big record collection but he probably did not. It would have only weighed him down. He was more likely a kind of musical sponge absorbing everything and spewing it out artfully in his own way. Today, in remembrance, we'll listen to a few of those songs as performed by the original artists, songs that he brought into his repertoire and made his own. Some are well known and some are not. A few of these songs, I'm fairly certain, I may have never heard had he not decided to record them. Thanks Alex.
Download:
"Make A Little Love" mp3
by Lowell Fulsom, 1967.
available on The Tramp Years
by Alex Chilton on High Priest
"Thank You John" mp3
by Willie Tee, 1965.
available on Teasin You
by Alex Chilton on Feudalist Tarts
"With A Girl Like You" mp3
by The Troggs, 1967.
available on The Singles A's & B's
by Alex Chilton on 19 Years: A Collection of Alex Chilton
"Girl After Girl" mp3
by Troy Shondell, 1961.
available on This Time: The Best Of Troy Shondell
by Alex Chilton on Like Flies on Sherbert
"Nobody's Fool" mp3
by Dan Penn, 1973.
available on Nobody's Fool
recorded by Alex Chilton on High Priest
"I've Never Found A Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)" mp3
by Eddie Floyd, 1968.
available on Rare Stamps
by Alex Chilton on Loose Shoes and Tight Pussy
top photo: Alex Chilton, Bowery, 1977. by Godlis
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Also:
Chris Stamey has assembled an all-star ensemble that have now twice performed Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers LP in its entirety in NC. The next performance of Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers will be on Saturday, March 26, at Mason Hall in NYC, Aided and abetted by an all-star cast of performers including Tift Merritt, Matthew Sweet, M. Ward, Norman Blake (Teenage Fan Club), Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo) and others to be announced shortly to join the core group complete with the rhythm section of Jody Stephens (Big Star), Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Will Rigby (dB's), Charles Cleaver, and Mitch Easter(Let's Active) and the expanded Lost in the Trees Orchestra with full strings, brass, winds, orchestral percussion and basketball. You will not want to miss this...
Tickets are available by following this link: Tickets Mason Hall, NYC, March 26
More information on this amazing project here: bigstarthird.com
All proceeds for this show benefit the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, and El System's Corona Youth Project in Queens.
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5 comments:
great post, thanks, a nice public service to post those tracks. Here are my musings about Chilton and Big Star, written a few months before he died: http://tinyurl.com/ylqthuf
As always Ted, thank you for your posts. You put together a nice tribute last year and a great one this year as well.
I love listening to these songs. This reminds me of Alex Chilton. I pray he rests in peace.
My god, that Eddie Floyd song is incredible. Thanks (again) for turning me on to some great stuff.
Ted G.
Adding to the chorus of thank-yous. I've long loved Alex's last 2+ decades...he was such a connoisseur of American music. I have not always done due diligence and sought out the original records. Thank you thank you.
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