Happy Halloween folks... I promised a Halloween story from way back when, so here it is (followed by the playlist)...
Punkins
In those days, we’d actually dance when we went out to the clubs. We were wannabe new wave rude boy skasters out on Halloween... a big deal when you’re still into all kinds of gory horror movies.
Some of our nuevo wavo acquaintances had some punky acquaintances who were in this punk band that was playing in a club for a Halloween party (and in costume too! One guy we knew did all their makeup. He was an amateur movie stuntman and makeup artist who’d actually done all the bloody effects for this cheap Canadian horror flick, about a big retarded guy with a chainsaw, filmed up north just outside the city.).
So I was a zombie with a cleaver in my head and guts hanging out of my belly (another amazing use for condoms!) and we were all backstage after the show as the band was peeling the rubber off their faces. This one girl – probably the only really decadent, anarchist girl I’ve ever really spoken to – at one point grabbed my bottle of fake blood and emptied it out all over my head and shirt. This was a hell of a lot of fake blood! In keeping with the spirit of the evening, of Halloween and of punky anarchy, I wound up and gave the girl a good kick in the ass, sending her swearing down the hallway.
We got out of there and headed up to another Halloween party in a huge mainstream disco right in the heart of downtown. The blood was wet all over me and it was a cold Halloween, so by the time we’d walked over to the disco, I really needed a bathroom.
I was pushing my way through the crowd but people kept stopping me and admiring my bloody makeup job. In a particularly tight spot in a passageway near the washrooms, I ran right into this guy’s chest... a huge guy... but I was so frustrated, I just pushed him and said “Move, fuck!” Looking up, I was stunned to see that the chest belonged to David Hasselhoff (this was post-Knight Rider but pre-Baywatch). Who’d have known he’d be a big star, a chart-topping singer in Europe?
The people at the disco took my picture but I didn’t win any prize for my costume... one of the last Halloween parties I attended.
Song 1 : : Desolation Theme
Artist : : Ken Nordine, Bill Frisell, Wayne Horvitz
Album : : Stay Awake, Music from Vintage Disney Films
* * *
Song 2 : : Entrance
Artist : : Stan Ridgway and Pietra Wexstun
Album : : Blood, Miniature Paintings of Sorrow and Fear
* * *
Song 3 : : Black Mass
Artist : : Les Baxter
Album : : The Dunwich Horror (original score)
* * *
Song 4 : : The Witches, The Witches
Artist : : David Greenberger
Album : : Duplex Halloween Planet
* * *
Song 5 : : The Raven
Artist : : Christopher Walken
Album : : Closed on Account of Rabies
* * *
Song 6 : : Ulalume
Artist : : Buddy Morrow
Album : : Poe for Moderns
* * *
Song 7 : : My Eye
Artist : : Brian Dewan
Album : : Tells the Story
* * *
Song 8 : : Zombi
Artist : : Richard Hayman
Album : : Voodoo!
* * *
Song 9 : : Voodoo Dreams
Artist : : Les Baxter
Album : : The Exotic Moods of Les Baxter
* * *
Song 10 : : Mamba
Artist : : Richard Hayman
Album : : Voodoo!
* * *
Song 11 : : Zambezi
Artist : : Les Baxter
Album : : The Exotic Moods of Les Baxter
* * *
Song 12 : : Run Home Screamin’
Artist : : David Greenberger
Album : : Duplex Halloween Planet
* * *
Song 13 : : The Pit and the Pendulum
Artist : : Buddy Morrow
Album : : Poe for Moderns
* * *
Song 14 : : Tricks or Treat
Artist : : David Greenberger
Album : : Duplex Halloween Planet
* * *
Song 15 : : Selected Readings from RAT CATCHING
Artist : : Crispin Hellion Glover
Album : : THE BIG PROBLEM ≠ the solution. The Solution = LET IT BE
* * *
Song 16 : : Goblin Dance
Artist : : Gershon Kingsley and Peter Waldron
Album : : Ghostly Sounds
* * *
Song 17 : : Ai Margini della Follia
Artist : : I Goblin
Album : : Zombie, Le crepuscule des morts vivants
* * *
Song 18 : : Outro
Artist : : Gershon Kingsley and Peter Waldron
Album : : Ghostly Sounds
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Show 25: Jardin Tiki
The first in a series of shows on music heard at or inspired by Tiki bars I’ve written about over the years... we’re starting off with a show on the biggest Polynesian Palace in Canada, Montreal’s Jardin Tiki.
You can READ about the Jardin Tiki by clicking over to the “READ” page at www.maitaionline.com, and then clicking the “Montreal Area Tiki” rock.
You can also WATCH a video of the Jardin Tiki Brunch (shot at the Jardin Tiki, of course) by clicking over to the “WATCH” page in the menu up top.
Since the Jardin Tiki is a Canadian Tiki mecca, I’ve dug up a few tracks from a vintage Canadian exotica album, Driftwood by the Jimmy Namaro Trio. The great liner notes tell us that Jimmy – “one of Canada’s most popular musicians” – is a “suave, handsome young man of Spanish-American parentage... born in Hamilton, Ontario.”
Here is Jimmy’s bio from the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada.
Song 1 : : Soft Sands
Artist : : Jimmy Namaro Trio
Album : : Driftwood
* * *
Song 2 : : Harbor Lights
Artist : : Alfred Apaka
Album : : Adventures in Paradise
This song and the next are actually more typical of the kind of music heard at the Jardin Tiki than Namaro’s stuff. Here is a short bio of Apaka and a picture of his statue at the Hawaiian Village Beach Resort.
* * *
Song 3 : : Blue Hawaii
Artist : : The Outriggers
Album : : Captivation
Another classic that seems to be in heavy rotation every time I go to the Jardin Tiki...
* * *
Song 4 : : Driftwood
Artist : : Jimmy Namaro Trio
Album : : Driftwood
* * *
Song 5 : : Nightingale
Artist : : Jimmy Namaro Trio
Album : : Driftwood
You can READ about the Jardin Tiki by clicking over to the “READ” page at www.maitaionline.com, and then clicking the “Montreal Area Tiki” rock.
You can also WATCH a video of the Jardin Tiki Brunch (shot at the Jardin Tiki, of course) by clicking over to the “WATCH” page in the menu up top.
Since the Jardin Tiki is a Canadian Tiki mecca, I’ve dug up a few tracks from a vintage Canadian exotica album, Driftwood by the Jimmy Namaro Trio. The great liner notes tell us that Jimmy – “one of Canada’s most popular musicians” – is a “suave, handsome young man of Spanish-American parentage... born in Hamilton, Ontario.”
Here is Jimmy’s bio from the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada.
Song 1 : : Soft Sands
Artist : : Jimmy Namaro Trio
Album : : Driftwood
* * *
Song 2 : : Harbor Lights
Artist : : Alfred Apaka
Album : : Adventures in Paradise
This song and the next are actually more typical of the kind of music heard at the Jardin Tiki than Namaro’s stuff. Here is a short bio of Apaka and a picture of his statue at the Hawaiian Village Beach Resort.
* * *
Song 3 : : Blue Hawaii
Artist : : The Outriggers
Album : : Captivation
Another classic that seems to be in heavy rotation every time I go to the Jardin Tiki...
* * *
Song 4 : : Driftwood
Artist : : Jimmy Namaro Trio
Album : : Driftwood
* * *
Song 5 : : Nightingale
Artist : : Jimmy Namaro Trio
Album : : Driftwood
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Show 24: Addeo/Cates
This week’s show pays tribute to two artists who made some excellent “tiki bar” music. Not quite straight ahead exotica, not quite hapa haole, not quite Hawaiian... but a good blend of it all.
Leo Addeo (b. October 14, 1914) was a Brooklyn born Italian-American who worked in several capacities in the music industry – as a performer, arranger, conductor, and producer. But, judging by the many albums he released, he seemed to specialize in Hawaiian music. A little bit of info on Addeo can be found here and at spaceagepop, of course. I’m featuring songs from what I believe are Addeo’s first two Hawaiian records. I’ve read that guitarist Billy Mure plays on More Hawaii in Hi-Fi.
There seems to be a bit more information available on our second featured artist, George Cates (b. October 19, 1911), mostly due to his 25-year association with Lawrence Welk (info and a photo here and, once again, at spaceagepop). Cates released two Hawaiian records, Polynesian Percussion and Hawaii, which some folks believe to be the same record minus two songs. However, having given the two records a good listen, I noticed that while some arrangements on Hawaii are identical to those on Polynesian Percussion, they are missing intros or certain other small details. Maybe some songs are the same recordings, maybe they just share arrangements... who knows. What matters is that it’s all good stuff.
Song 1 : : Sweet Leilani
Artist : : Leo Addeo
Album : : Hawaii in Stereo
* * *
Song 2 : : Red Sails in the Sunset
Artist : : Leo Addeo
Album : : More Hawaii in Hi-Fi
* * *
Song 3 : : Drifting and Dreaming
Artist : : George Cates
Album : : Hawaii
* * *
Song 4 : : Bali Hai
Artist : : George Cates
Album : : Polynesian Percussion
* * *
Song 5 : : The Sheik of Araby
Artist : : Leo Addeo
Album : : More Hawaii in Hi-Fi
* * *
Song 6 : : Beyond the Reef
Artist : : George Cates
Album : : Hawaii
Leo Addeo (b. October 14, 1914) was a Brooklyn born Italian-American who worked in several capacities in the music industry – as a performer, arranger, conductor, and producer. But, judging by the many albums he released, he seemed to specialize in Hawaiian music. A little bit of info on Addeo can be found here and at spaceagepop, of course. I’m featuring songs from what I believe are Addeo’s first two Hawaiian records. I’ve read that guitarist Billy Mure plays on More Hawaii in Hi-Fi.
There seems to be a bit more information available on our second featured artist, George Cates (b. October 19, 1911), mostly due to his 25-year association with Lawrence Welk (info and a photo here and, once again, at spaceagepop). Cates released two Hawaiian records, Polynesian Percussion and Hawaii, which some folks believe to be the same record minus two songs. However, having given the two records a good listen, I noticed that while some arrangements on Hawaii are identical to those on Polynesian Percussion, they are missing intros or certain other small details. Maybe some songs are the same recordings, maybe they just share arrangements... who knows. What matters is that it’s all good stuff.
Song 1 : : Sweet Leilani
Artist : : Leo Addeo
Album : : Hawaii in Stereo
* * *
Song 2 : : Red Sails in the Sunset
Artist : : Leo Addeo
Album : : More Hawaii in Hi-Fi
* * *
Song 3 : : Drifting and Dreaming
Artist : : George Cates
Album : : Hawaii
* * *
Song 4 : : Bali Hai
Artist : : George Cates
Album : : Polynesian Percussion
* * *
Song 5 : : The Sheik of Araby
Artist : : Leo Addeo
Album : : More Hawaii in Hi-Fi
* * *
Song 6 : : Beyond the Reef
Artist : : George Cates
Album : : Hawaii
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Show 23: Fishing with John T.
I am not a fisherman... I mean, I’ve fished before but not really in the last 20 years or so. So I figured it was time to take another fishing trip... or at least an imaginary one. Inspired by another guy who “knows nothing about fishing,” I put together this week’s “fishing trip” show.
Song 1 : : Fishing with John
Artist : : John Lurie
Album : : Fishing with John
Or rather, Fishing with John T in this case. This is the theme song to John Lurie’s hilarious TV series from a few years back. Dig around for some info on Fishing with John at the imdb.
* * *
Song 2 : : Fish Story
Artist : : Andy Loore (Janco Nilovic)
Album : : Water Show
Played another water-themed track from this album of library music a few episodes back...
* * *
Song 3 : : City Under the Sea
Artist : : The Islanders
Album : : The Enchanted Sound of The Islanders
Played these guys recently too (see last week’s show for info)... some really good exotica on this album.
* * *
Song 4 : : Forbidden Waters
Artist : : Webley Edwards
Album : : Fire Goddess
Starting way back in the mid-30s, Edwards began broadcasting Hawaiian music to the mainland on his show “Hawaii Calls,” live from Honolulu. More info at the ever-informative spaceagepop.
* * *
Song 5 : : Hello Down There
Artist : : Jeff Barry
Album : : Hello Down There
Are you familiar with this Tony Randall movie from 1969? I wanted to live in this movie’s under-sea house when I was a kid. This is the theme song from the film. Don’t know if a soundtrack album exists... I pulled this off of the DVD.
* * *
Song 6 : : Hey Little Goldfish
Artist : : Harold and His Hang-Ups
Album : : Hello Down There
This is also from the movie. A young Richard Dreyfuss plays Tony Randall’s daughter’s boyfriend Harold. His band writes this song while rehearsing in the undersea house.
* * *
Song 7 : : Some Days There Just Ain’t No Fish
Artist : : Hoagy Carmichael
Album : : Ole Buttermilk Sky
Hoagy speaks the truth... some days, there just ain’t no fish. Here is the official Hoagy Carmichael website.
Song 1 : : Fishing with John
Artist : : John Lurie
Album : : Fishing with John
Or rather, Fishing with John T in this case. This is the theme song to John Lurie’s hilarious TV series from a few years back. Dig around for some info on Fishing with John at the imdb.
* * *
Song 2 : : Fish Story
Artist : : Andy Loore (Janco Nilovic)
Album : : Water Show
Played another water-themed track from this album of library music a few episodes back...
* * *
Song 3 : : City Under the Sea
Artist : : The Islanders
Album : : The Enchanted Sound of The Islanders
Played these guys recently too (see last week’s show for info)... some really good exotica on this album.
* * *
Song 4 : : Forbidden Waters
Artist : : Webley Edwards
Album : : Fire Goddess
Starting way back in the mid-30s, Edwards began broadcasting Hawaiian music to the mainland on his show “Hawaii Calls,” live from Honolulu. More info at the ever-informative spaceagepop.
* * *
Song 5 : : Hello Down There
Artist : : Jeff Barry
Album : : Hello Down There
Are you familiar with this Tony Randall movie from 1969? I wanted to live in this movie’s under-sea house when I was a kid. This is the theme song from the film. Don’t know if a soundtrack album exists... I pulled this off of the DVD.
* * *
Song 6 : : Hey Little Goldfish
Artist : : Harold and His Hang-Ups
Album : : Hello Down There
This is also from the movie. A young Richard Dreyfuss plays Tony Randall’s daughter’s boyfriend Harold. His band writes this song while rehearsing in the undersea house.
* * *
Song 7 : : Some Days There Just Ain’t No Fish
Artist : : Hoagy Carmichael
Album : : Ole Buttermilk Sky
Hoagy speaks the truth... some days, there just ain’t no fish. Here is the official Hoagy Carmichael website.
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
Show 22: Autumn Leaves
That’s it... I tried my best to delay the end but – judging by the piles of dried leaves blowing around in the park across the street – summer is over... and autumn is here.
Song 1 : : Autumn Leaves
Artist : : The Three Suns
Album : : Movin’ ‘n Groovin’
Starting off like last week with The Three Suns. Complete info on the Three Suns website here.
* * *
Song 2 : : Autumn Leaves
Artist : : Dick Schory
Album : : Supercussion
Not my favorite Dick Schory album... but it suits our purposes this week. Cool clippings and info about Schory on this page from the Ames Historical Society.
* * *
Song 3 : : Autumn Leaves
Artist : : The Islanders
Album : : The Enchanted Sound of The Islanders
I love the sound of The Islanders... I like the whistling on several tunes on this album. This website says that “The Islanders are probably just the two producers, Frank Metis and Randy Starr, with maybe a little help from session musicians.”
* * *
Song 4 : : Autumn Leaves
Artist : : Ethel Azama
Album : : Exotic Dreams
Martin Denny produced this classic exotic record but I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of Ms. Azama’s voice... though there are some good things on the record.
Song 1 : : Autumn Leaves
Artist : : The Three Suns
Album : : Movin’ ‘n Groovin’
Starting off like last week with The Three Suns. Complete info on the Three Suns website here.
* * *
Song 2 : : Autumn Leaves
Artist : : Dick Schory
Album : : Supercussion
Not my favorite Dick Schory album... but it suits our purposes this week. Cool clippings and info about Schory on this page from the Ames Historical Society.
* * *
Song 3 : : Autumn Leaves
Artist : : The Islanders
Album : : The Enchanted Sound of The Islanders
I love the sound of The Islanders... I like the whistling on several tunes on this album. This website says that “The Islanders are probably just the two producers, Frank Metis and Randy Starr, with maybe a little help from session musicians.”
* * *
Song 4 : : Autumn Leaves
Artist : : Ethel Azama
Album : : Exotic Dreams
Martin Denny produced this classic exotic record but I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of Ms. Azama’s voice... though there are some good things on the record.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
