Showing posts with label gram parsons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gram parsons. Show all posts

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Fluville Gazette Vol. 1 No. 1



I've been getting a little static lately from the readers of this blog about the lack of posting frequency here. This is a blog. It's not my job, but it feels like it. A few months ago I had to explain this to my son. He's kind of impressed at how many people actually read this (and I am too) but confused at how much time his Dad spends doing it. Today, on the phone, he asked me how to download the songs here.

So, rather than compose another one of my long winded and angular diatribes combining conspiracy theories of relativity with songs we love so much and the people who record them, I thought I might bring you all up to speed on some exciting new developments here at the Fluville Chamber of Commerce.

Well, not really. But that was fun to say.

Let's see.

Yesterday, I went to the dentist and left with one less tooth in my mouth. It's a drag, because I really liked that tooth. It reminded me of this song which I saw The Feelies perform last month, it was one the best shows I've seen by anyone in recent memory. It contains the following lines:

Next day I went to the dentist
He pulled some teeth
and I lost some blood

"Sedan Delivery" mp3
by Neil Young, 1979.
available on Rust Never Sleeps

"Sedan Delivery" mp3
by The Feelies, 1986.
from No One Knows EP
out of print

They also played a semi-obscure number by The Modern Lovers.

"I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms" mp3
by The Modern Lovers, 1976.
available on The Modern Lovers

When I got home, a little lighter in the jaw, I saw that I had received a package from the nice folks at Rhino containing the new batch of Replacements reissues. After you listen to these teaser tracks, just go and buy the damn things if you don't have them already. They are that good. I contributed a photograph to the Pleased to Meet Me reissue, and you can see and read all about it HERE and listen to one additional track.

"Waitress In The Sky" (alternate) mp3
by The Replacements, 1985.
available on Tim

"Tossin' and Turnin'" mp3
by The Replacements, 1987.
available on Pleased to Meet Me

"We Know the Night" (alternate) mp3
by The Replacements, 1989.
available on Don't Tell a Soul

"Attitude" (demo) mp3
by The Replacements, 1990.
available on All Shook Down

Okay, so then I went upstairs and and ate some very soft food in my very sore mouth, and watched the very excellent Johnny Cash's America on the A&E Biography Channel produced and directed by friends of Fluville, Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville. You can buy the DVD next week HERE

In the meantime, enjoy this:

"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" mp3
by Johnny Cash, 1975.
from John R. Cash
out of print

Oh, there are some very good interviews in the film by a number of artists including these people:

"Violin Bums" mp3
by James Luther Dickinson, 2006.
available on Jungle Jim and the Voodoo Tiger

"Killing Him" mp3
by Amy LaVere, 2007.
available on Anchors & Anvils

"Marching To The City" mp3
by Bob Dylan, 1997.
available on Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 (Deluxe)

"In The Jailhouse Now" mp3
by Steve Earle & The V-Roys, 1996.
available on Songs of Jimmie Rodgers: A Tribute

Also featured in the film is 'Cowboy' Jack Clement. He wrote a lot of songs for Sun artists, and produced and engineered a lot of records recorded there.

Here's a few of the songs that he's written:

"I Like It" mp3
by Roy Orbison, 1956.
available on Rocker

"It'll Be Me" mp3
by Jerry Lee Lewis, 1957.
available on All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology

"Guess Things Happen That Way" mp3
by Johnny Cash, 1958.
available on The Essential Johnny Cash 1955-1983

"Miller's Cave" mp3
by Gram Parsons & The International Submarine Band, 1967.
available on Safe at Home

This weekend, I'm going to the WFMU Record Fair. It's a lot of fun, but I'm going to try and practice some restraint and try not to buy too many records. My tooth is not the only thing I'm missing these days, and when I'm not sharing all this fabulous music with you folks, I've been out trying to find another more lucrative gig. You can direct any reasonable offers to me here.

Last year I picked up this one up at the fair:



"Susie-Q" mp3
by Dale Hawkins, 1956.
available on Oh! Suzy-Q: The Best of Dale Hawkins


In related webosphere news, I've been posting mp3's and some of my photographs at East of Bowery, a fantastic new blog that my good friend and writer Drew Hubner (that's pronounced Huebner) and I are collaborating on. Check it out. Drew is posting stories of his misspent early days in New York City. I didn't know him then, but it seems we were in the same place at the same time. Life is sweet.

Also on the Interweb, artist and fellow blogger Steve Roden graciously plugged the Boogie Woogie Flu, at the web version of The Wire magazine last week. You can see it HERE.

And recently, I recieved a letter from a reader who lives on an olive farm in Catalan, Spain, who was so excited by the music here on the Boogie Woogie Flu, that he decided to start a Boogie Woogie Flu listeners page on Last FM. I'm not sure how that thing works, and I'm a little over-saturated with this web stuff, but if you use Last FM, join him, his name is Pault and he goes by the tag r_seven. He's very nice.

Okay, that's it for now. Have a good weekend.



Photographs: Lincoln Barron by Ted Barron © 2008

Monday, December 31, 2007

This Will Be Our Year
















Take your pick...

Download:

"This Will Be Our Year" (stereo) mp3
"This Will Be Our Year" (mono) mp3
"This Will Be Our Year" (demo) mp3
by The Zombies, 1968.
available on Zombie Heaven 4-CD Box Set

**********************************

"New Year's Eve" mp3
by Amy Allison, 2001.
available on Sad Girl

"New Year's Resolution" mp3
by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas, 1966.
available on The Otis Redding Story

"New Years Resolutions" mp3
by Bob Dylan, 2006.
from Theme Time Radio Hour #34

************************************

"Year 1" mp3
by X, 1981.
available on Wild Gift

"Five Years" mp3
by David Bowie, 1972.
available on The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust

"100 Years Ago" mp3
by The Rolling Stones, 1973.
available on Goats Head Soup

"One Hundred Years From Now"
(rehearsal take 2) mp3
by The Byrds, 1968.
available on Sweetheart of the Rodeo

Happy New Year.

Photograph: © Ted Barron, 2007.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Bob's Not There


















The other night I was lucky enough to see the Dylan tribute concert at the Beacon Theater, a benefit/tribute thing that was as formless as Todd Haynes' much ballyhooed and forthcoming film I'm Not There promises to be. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to see the film, I'm just not expecting much. The concert was kinda a big mess, but sprinkled with some outstanding performances by John Doe, Jim James, Dan Hicks, J. Mascis, Al Kooper, Calexico, and others. After a while, I was overcome by the feeling that I'd rather hear Dylan do these songs than the steady stream of performers that took the stage. Anyway, I've compiled a little playlist of recordings of Dylan covers: more versions of Bob Dylan done by others, I know. Somehow it's easier to take it at home. There's an endless well to choose from - literally thousands - here's a few interesting ones.

Have a good weekend.

Download:

"Like A Rolling Stone" mp3
by The Soup Greens, 1965.
available on Pebbles Volume 1

"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" mp3
by Chris Farlowe, 1966.
available on Out Of Time

"Wallflower" mp3
by Doug Sahm with Bob Dylan, 1973.
available on The Best of Doug Sahm & Friends

"I Threw It All Away" mp3
by Yo La Tengo, 1987.
available on President Yo La Tengo/New Wave Hot Dogs

"Girl From North Country" mp3
by Link Wray, 1965.
available on The Swan Singles Collection

"Baby, I'm In The Mood For You" mp3
by Dion DiMucci, 1965.
available on King Of The New York Streets

"Going Going Gone" mp3
by Richard Hell and the Voidoids, 1982.
available on Destiny Street

"If You Gotta Go" mp3
by The Flying Burrito Brothers, 1970.
available on Burrito Deluxe

"I'll Keep It With Mine" mp3
by Fairport Convention, 1969.
available on Meet Me On The Ledge

"Kingsport Town" mp3
by Cat Power, 2000.
available on The Covers Record

"I Shall Be Released" mp3
by Nina Simone, 1969.
available on Sugar In My Bowl

"Mama You've Been On My Mind"
by Rod Stewart, 1972.
available on Never A Dull Moment

"Wallflower" mp3
by Buddy & Julie Miller, 2001
available on Buddy & Julie Miller

"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"
mp3
by The 13th Floor Elevators, 1967.
available on Easter Everywhere

"Like A Rolling Pin" mp3
by The Replacements, 1990.
available on Don't Sell Or Buy, It's Crap
(out of print)

***********************************
BONUS
***********************************
"Baby, I'm In The Mood" mp3
"Dylan Story" mp3
by Dion, 2007
available on Son of Skip James

Monday, October 29, 2007

Porter Wagoner R.I.P.






















The management here in Fluville is saddened to learn the news of the passing of the great Porter Wagoner. I'm grateful that I did get to see him perform once about 10 years ago when the Opry was holding court at the old Ryman.

Here's a repost from April with some added tracks...














Download: "A Satisfied Mind" mp3
by Porter Wagoner, 1954.
available on The Essential Porter Wagoner















Download: "Itchin' For My Baby" mp3
by Porter Wagoner, 1954.

The birth of cosmic country music.

"A Satisfied Mind" mp3
by The Byrds, 1965.
available on Turn! Turn! Turn!

"A Satisfied Mind" mp3
by The International Submarine Band, 1967.
available on Safe At Home

























**** BONUS ****

"I'll Go Down Swinging" mp3
by Porter Wagoner, 1964.
available on The Essential Porter Wagoner

"Green, Green Grass of Home" mp3
by Porter Wagoner, 1965.
available on The Essential Porter Wagoner

"The Carroll County Accident" mp3
by Porter Wagoner, 1967.
available on The Essential Porter Wagoner

"The Cold Hard Facts of Life" mp3
by Porter Wagoner, 1967.
available on Rubber Room

"The Rubber Room" mp3
by Porter Wagoner, 1972.
available on Rubber Room

"Committed To Parkview" mp3
by Porter Wagoner, 2007.
available on Wagonmaster

****************************

"Hey, Porter!" mp3
by Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, 1955.
available on With His Hot And Blue Guitar

"Rubber Room" mp3
by Alex Chilton, 1987.
available on High Priest

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Everybody's Talkin'























Fred Neil wrote "Everybody's Talkin'" in five minutes at the end of a recording session in 1966 and recorded it immediately in a single take so he could take off and go back home to Miami. It's a great song and an unlikely standard that he probably never thought much of. It made him millions though after it was used in John Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy (sung by Harry Nilsson) and was subsequently covered by at least a hundred other artists. Fred Neil spent the last 25 years of his life in Florida.

Ratso wasn't so lucky.


Download:

"Everybody's Talkin'" mp3
by Fred Neil, 1966.
available on Fred Neil























Download:

"Everybody's Talkin'" mp3
by Harry Nilsson, 1968.
available on Greatest Hits

"Everybody's Talkin'" mp3
by Bill Withers, 1971.
available on Just As I Am

"Everybody's Talkin'" mp3
by The Meat Puppets, 1982
available on Meat Puppets

"Everybody's Talkin'" mp3
by Luna, 1998.
available on Lunafied

"Everybody's Talkin'" mp3
by Bobby Bare, 2005.
available on The Moon Was Blue

"Everybody's Talkin'" mp3
by Madeleine Peyroux, 2006.
available on Half The Perfect World

******************************************
********** >>> BONUS <<< *********** "Bleecker & MacDougal" mp3
by Fred Neil, 1965.
available on Bleecker & MacDougal

"Little Bit Of Rain" mp3
by Fred Neil, 1965.
available on Bleecker & MacDougal

"You Don't Miss Your Water" mp3
by Fred Neil and Gram Parsons, 1971(?)
available on The Many Sides of Fred Neil

more on Fred Neil in the current issue of The Oxford American
on sale now at finer news stands.

everybody's talking at me except you listeners, comments are welcome and encouraged below.

Friday, July 27, 2007

George Jones on Musicor























Will the real George Jones please stand up?

Alright, well we heard a young and most likely drunk George Jones doing his best Elvis impersonation in the last post. The things that a young artist must do for a few bucks are sometimes a little degrading. Anyway, George Jones is arguably the greatest country singer of all time. His voice is as unique and soulful as Al Green or Van Morrison. He has many imitators himself, but "Possum" is the real deal. There are hundreds of CD's available by him and few box sets, but my favorite period of George's is not as well represented as others. After cutting rockabilly and honky tonk sides for Starday, Mercury, and United Artists in the fifties and early sixties, and before he moved to Epic to record his signature overblown masterpieces of hurt with Billy Sherrill, George recorded for a label called Musicor (1965-1971), which was partially owned by his longtime manager and producer "Pappy" Daily. These are, I think, his best recordings and have yet to see a proper comprehensive collection. The first of todays mp3s come from an out of print Rounder LP from 1983. My favorite song, "Burn The Honky Tonk Down," written by his guitar player Wayne Kemp, has never been released on any CD. It's a killer 3/4 tale with sawing fiddles about a guy who works in a sawmill cutting timber to " build another honky-tonk wall", while his wife spends his his money in town carousing with the customers between those very honky tonk walls. This is the kind of song that George Jones sings better than anyone. Also, a few more tracks where that came from, a couple of my favorite Musicor singles, and some cover versions of these songs.

Please enjoy...




Download:

"Burn The Honky Tonk Down" mp3

"Where Grass Won't Grow" mp3

"Your Angel Steps Out Of Heaven" mp3

"Feeling Single-Seeing Double" mp3

From Burn The Honky Tonk Down, Rounder Records, 1983.
Out of Print





Download: "Heartaches And Hangovers" mp3























Download: "Ship Of Love" mp3


********************* BONUS *********************

"Your Angel Steps Out Of Heaven" mp3
by The Flying Burrito Brothers, 1970.
available on Sleepless Nights

"Burn The Honky Tonk Down" mp3
by The Meat Puppets, 1986.
available on Out My Way

"Feeling Single Seeing Double" mp3
by Emmylou Harris And The Hot Band, 1975
live recording not commercially available

Buy George Jones music at Amazon
or at your local independently owned record store.

George Jones photograph by Lee Friedlander
from American Musicians, D.A.P. © 1998.