Before things get too serious here at Rock On Vinyl, I thought it might be fun to post a song / album at the end of each month, that could be categorized as being either Weird, Obscure, Crazy or just plain Korny.
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Real name: Herbert Buckingham Khaury
Born: April 12, 1936
Died: November 30, 1996
Country: United States
Vocalist and ukulele player with an amazing vocal range and knowledge of American popular music. Marketed as a novelty act, this made his fame and was an albatross on his career.
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| Brave Combo |
Formed: 1979
Country: United States
Band formed in 1979 and based in Texas. The band says it plays the following type of music: "To name a few styles: polka, waltz, schottische, mambo, two-step, hora, rhumba, cumbia, salsa, merengue, guaguanco, huapango, ska, samba, cha cha, stroll, foxtrot, Muzak, twist, ondo, tango, oberek, bubblegum, bossa nova, ranchera, charanga, bolero, dirge, conjunto, zydeco. Oh, yeah...and rock."
"Girl"
Released: 1996
By: Rounder Records
Brave Combo and Tiny Tim put new life into overworked classics ("Hey Jude" as a Cha-Cha!), resurrected almost-forgotten gems ("Sly Cigarette"), jazzed up the all time classic "Stairway To Heaven" and generally seem to have a good time. Not everyday listening, perhaps, but definitely one-of-a-kind.
(by Deborah Evans Price, Billboard, April 13, 1996)
On the Rounder album "Girl", Tiny Tim and Texas-based ensemble 'Brave Combo' tackle a variety of well-known tunes, from "Hey Jude" to "Over The Rainbow". One of the most interesting cuts on the album is their jazz-flavoured interpretation of the rock classic "Stairway To Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, which appeared on the British group's 'Untitled' album (also known as Led Zeppelin IV) from 1971.
I don't even know what the song is about to this day," Tiny Tim says of the lyrics, "but I loved the melody and thought "stairway to Heaven" could use a lighter jazz feel...It was a challenge, but I did have a feeling for the song, and Brave Combo helped me put it down.
Tiny Tim and Brave Combo met in Dallas through Bucks Burnette, who heads Tim's fan club, and they decided to collaborate on a project. "Girl" was produced by Burnette and Brave Combo. Saxophonist Jeffrey Barnes says they worked on the album off and on for several years. He adds that they were intrigued by Tim's vast knowledge of songs.
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| Caricature by Joel Tarling |
Barnes says he enjoyed recording a unique version of a rock classic. "Stairway to Heaven" seemed to lend itself to a swing interpretation...If I'm not mistaken, it was Buck's idea [to cut the song]. Mr Tim had a kind of been out of the limelight for a while, and Bucks thought it would be nice for him to record the most popular rock classic of all...Bucks says,"It's one end of the universe reaching out to the other".
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This post is yet another tribute to one of the most eccentric vocalist / artists in the music business. In particular, this final studio release demonstrates just how talented and clever he was - tackling some of the biggest hits and making them his own. So, I'm not going to categorise him as Weird or Crazy this time, instead, let's just say he was 'Over The Rainbow' or as Buck implied 'Out of this World'
Ripped from CD to MP3 (320kps) and includes full album artwork.
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Track listing:
02 Bye Bye Blackbird 3:30
03 That Old Feeling 2:17
04 Sly Cigarette 3:20
05 I Want to Stay Here 2:23
06 New York, New York 3:52
07 Stairway to Heaven 5:01
08 All That I Want Is You 2:45
09 Stardust 3:30
10 I Believe in Tomorrow 2:50
11 Hey Jude 3:46
12 Over the Rainbow 3:02
13 Springtime in the Rockies 2:16
14 Fourteen 2:02
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Tiny Tim and Brave Combo (96Mb) New Link 24/12/2022
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my then girlfriend, now wife, were at a toy and collectible show here in Boston, USA, maybe 1994 or so, with celebs signing things (for money of course!) and whilst waiting in line, the great man himself, walked next to us from the parking lot on his way into the venue-i said 'hello sir' to him, and he said 'hello there' back!!!! File under Brushes With Greatness!!! :)
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