Ted Nugent - Selftitled (1975) + Bonus Track

 (U.S 1964 - Present)

The Motor City Madman was self-styled. when a career with Detroit garage band the Amboy Dukes started to stutter in the early 1970s, Ted Nugent invented a cartoon personality for himself as a wild outdoorsman with guitar chops. He challenged other axe heroes - Wayne Kramer of MC5, Frank Marino of Mahogany - to go mano a mano in electric sparring contests. The caricature, though a gimmick to boost his profile, masked a man of sincerely held beliefs. Most of the rest of the music industry might not have shared them. 

Nugent was a member of the National Rifle Association, he hunted, and disdained drugs and drink - but he wavered not in his convictions: his autobiography was titled God, Guns & Rock 'n' Roll. The music that he captured and skinned was pure bred heavy metal; he was a proponent of the "If it's too loud, you're too old" philosophy. At 50 years and then some, Nugent is still cranking up the volume. [Extract from The Book Of Rock by Philip Dodd, 2001. p322]

Nugent's Guitar

THE SELF-PROCLAIMED "loudest guitarist in history," Ted Nugent plays guitars that would seem totally unfit for high-decibel rock: hollow-bodied Gibson Byrdland archtop electrics.

The model was co-designed by two first-call '50s session players, Billy Byrd and Hank Garland, and was aimed primarily at jazz, country, and dance-band guitarists of the day. In addition to being fully hollow rather than semi-hollow like an ES-335, the Byrdland is also a short-scale design at 23.5 inches, which takes a significant chunk out of the standard Gibson 24.75 inches (or 25.5 inches for many full-sized jazz guitars of the day); it also has a slimmer, narrower neck than usual.

Despite the seeming incongruities in the guitar's design, Nugent applied his '60s Byrdlands to an unholy maelstrom of metalesque exploits. In the late '60s and early '70s the Detroit rocker ramped up the fury with the Amboy Dukes and launched his solo career proper with the Ted Nugent album of 1975. His first real commercial hit single was "Stormtroopin" from this self-titled album, while his best-known hit, "Cat Scratch Fever," appeared on the 1977 album of the same name.

Although Nugent used a little early-'60s tan Tolex Fender Deluxe amp, cranked to the max, to record the single, as Aspen Pittman notes in his The Tube Amp Book, he is known for playing through massive stacks on the live stage, piling up Twin Reverbs in the early days, then Marshalls, and, most recently, Peavey 5150s.

Except for a dalliance with PRS, the Gibson Byrdland has remained a constant with Nugent-and

if we can't find any documentation for the claim of "loudest guitarist on earth," we can probably concede the Motor City Madman the title of "loudest guitarist on a hollow-body archtop" with few reservations. [extract from Star Guitars, 101 Guitars That Rocked the World by Dave Hunter]

This post is very special to me as is my vinyl copy of his debut self-titled album as a sole artist. Side-A is definitely the better side although the B-Side kicks off with "Snakeskin Cowboy" and the popular "Motor City Madhouse" which have been almost signature tracks for Nugent's charisma.  Of course full album artwork is also included with the FLAC audio files. As a bonus I've taken the liberty of including a live rendition of "Stormtroppin' which was recorded for the King Biscuit Flower Hour in St. Antonio,Texas in 1977.

Hope ya enjoy Ted's ripper debut and if your patient, there's plenty more of his albums still to come - a Free For All so to speak  LOL

Tracklist

01 Stranglehold 8:22
02 Stormtroopin' 3:07
03 Hey Baby 3:59
04 Just What The Doctor Ordered 3:39
05 Snakeskin Cowboys 4:30
06 Motor City Madhouse 4:28
07 Where Have You Been All My Life 4:03
08 You Make Me Feel Right At Home 2:51
09 Queen Of The Forest 3:34

[Bonus Track]
10 Stormtroopin' (King Biscuit Flower Hour - St Antonio - TX 1977)

Guitar, Vocals, Percussion – Ted Nugent

Bass – Rob Grange
Drums, Vibraphone [Vibes], Vocals – Cliff Davies
Keyboards – Steve McRay
Percussion – Brian Staffeld, Tom Werman
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Derek St. Holmes

Ted Nugent Link  New Link 01/06/2021

Mick Fleetwood's Zoo - I'm Not Me (1983)

(U.K 1963 - Present)

Having played with Peter Green in an early conception of of Fleetwood Mac playing R & B and then later with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham in the more contemporary group, Mick Fleetwood formed his own band called  'Mick Fleetwood's Zoo' in 1983 and recorded the LP 'I'm Not Me'. The album featured a minor hit, "I Want You Back", and a cover version of the Beach Boys' "Angel Come Home". A later version of the group featured Bekka Bramlett on vocals and Billy Thorpe on guitar and recorded 1991's Shakin The Cage.

This home-recorded Mick Fleetwood project, is neither a solo effort nor a Fleetwood Mac knockoff — though, admittedly, there are moments when I’m Not Me can sound like his main group. Instead, more often than not, this short-lived quartet has its very own feel — well, a bunch of them, really.

Of course, Fleetwood Mac diehards appreciated the long-awaited reissue on CD in 2012 through Real Gone Music, because it includes “I Want You Back” — a lost minor hit that Lindsey Buckingham co-wrote and shared lead vocals on. Three tunes also feature lead vocals by Billy Burnette, who recorded and toured with the band for eight years during a Buckingham hiatus. “This Love” was co-written by producer Richard Dashut, who worked in a similar role on Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, Mirage, Tango in the Night and Time — and co-produced a pair of solo projects with Buckingham, as well. Christine McVie also adds background vocals.

The main group, which included Fleetwood, Burnette, guitarist/vocalist Steve Ross (Men at Work,
Beach Boys) and bassist Roger Hawkins (Kenny Loggins, Aretha Franklin) had, in fact, initially
been assembled to back Buckingham during a February 1982 solo appearance on “Saturday Night
Live.” 

Something clicked, and the group repaired to the studio to knock out some tracks. In keeping, “I Want You Back,” arriving as it does between Mirage and Tango in the Night, could have
easily fit into either of those contemporary Fleetwood Mac efforts. But, really, I’m Not Me is far too
layered and complex, too much of its very own thing, to be lumped together with Fleetwood’s more
celebrated work there.

Zoo -  After Performing Live On Saturday Night, 1982

Zoo, in fact, had three of its own credible frontmen — and each of them adds his own texture and
personality to the proceedings: Ross’ sleek take on “You Might Need Somebody,” an amiably
grooving slice of blue-eyed soul, segues into Hawkins’ snarling stadium-rock number “Tonight.”

Burnette’s country-blues title track sits alongside “State of the Art,” a riffy pop-rocker from Hawkins, which is then followed by Burnette’s brawny take on the mid-1950s gem “Tear It Up” — co-written by Burnette’s father Dorsey, an early-rock pioneer.

Burnette’s sensitive rendition of “Angel Come Home,” a tune Dennis Wilson wrote for the Beach
Boys, frames up the album’s low-key vibe perfectly, with its ear-tickling, off-the-cuff combination
of rough rockabilly, soaring So-Cal backing vocals and propulsive power pop. Heck, Ross steals away from his own emotional ballad “I Give” at one point to front a galloping version of Lloyd Price’s “Just Because.” It’s that kind of record — loose and lots of fun. In fact, Fleetwood doesn’t even play on “I Give,” and only adds the lightest of percussion to “Put Me Right,” Hawkins’ album-closing tune. That’s how little ego there was surrounding I’m Not Me.

Unfortunately, this was the only album this quirky, deeply underappreciated quartet ever managed.
Fleetwood Mac resumed a few years later, and when Fleetwood jump started Zoo again in the early 1990s, it was with Billy Thorpe, Bekka Bramlett and Greg Wright, among others.
[extract from somethingelsereviews.com]

Gig Review from 1983
(By Howard Wuelfing November 9, 1983)

A few years ago Mick Fleetwood was playing to sold-out stadiums as drummer of the band named after him, Fleetwood Mac. Last night, however, Mr. Fleetwood's Zoo barely drew enough fans to fill one of the Bayou's two levels.

After what seemed an interminable wait, during which the audience was subjected to an unrelenting string of new wave dross and the testing and retesting of the group's equipment, the band took the stage to understandably ambiguous responses. Within moments, though, the crowd was won over completely by this four-piece outfit's catchy synthesis of blues and folk-rock influences.

The other three members provided tight, tuneful vocal harmonies and impressive, no-nonsense guitar and bass. Fleetwood was content doing what he's done best for so long--supplying supple, sympathetic percussion. When called for, his drumming was punchy and to the point, pure primal stomping Charlie Watts would envy. Whenever possible, though, he added sprays of tubular bells, herky-jerky counterpoint rhythms and Third World beats that made the ordinary tunes sound special and the extraordinary ones seem even more so.

Most of the selections taken from the new album, succeeded exceptionally well, mixing a strong sense of rock tradition with the sort of colorful, crowd-pleasing flair you'd expect from an artist of
Fleetwood's status and caliber. [www,washingtonpost.com]

This post consists of FLACs ripped from Cassette Tape release (plays like a charm without any sound  degradation or speed issues).  Of course, full LP artwork  is included (thanks to the best that DISCOGS can offer) and of course a scan of the cassette cover.  I had to laugh when doing this as i thought there were imperfection marks on my cassette cover until I saw scans of the vinyl equivalent, and released they were part of the design.  Hope you enjoy this 'interlude' in Mick's musical career and find it as refreshing as I did when I first listened to it many, many moons ago.

Track Listing

01 Angel Come Home 4:15

02 You Might Need Somebody 3:26

03 Tonight 3:56

04 I Want You Back 2:51

05 I'm Not Me 3:41

06 State Of The Art 4:04

07 Tear It Up                 3:09

08 This Love  4:16

09 I Give 2:46

10 Just Because 2:38

11 Put Me Right 4:03

Mick's Zoo were:
Drums – Mick Fleetwood
Bass – George Hawkins
Guitar – Billy Burnette, George Hawkins, Lindsey Buckingham, Steve Ross, Todd Sharp
Keyboards – Christine McVie, George Hawkins, Lindsey Buckingham
Rhythm Guitar – Ron Thompson
Lead Vocals – Billy Burnette, George Hawkins, Lindsey Buckingham, Steve Ross
Backing Vocals – Billy Burnette, Christine McVie, George Hawkins, Lindsey Buckingham
Saxophone – Jon Clarke, Vince Denham
Slide Guitar – Ron Thompson
Tenor Saxophone – Don Roberts

Mick Fleetwood's Zoo Link (250Mb) New Link 01/06/2021

The Manhattan Transfer & Gene Pistilli- Jukin' (1975)

 (U.S 1969 - Present)

The Manhattan Transfer are one of the more unique and innovative vocal groups of the last several decades, the quartet flitting from genre to genre with even more frequency than Joe Jackson, doing everything from jazz, R&B, and straightforward adult-contemporary pop to doo-wop, swing, and even world music, yet having a trademark four-part-harmony sound that keeps even their most left-field stylistic excursions still very much identifiable as an album from the group. 

Though they peaked commercially in the early Eighties and haven’t scored a major crossover hit since 1983’s “Spice of Life,” sadly rendering them mostly little-known among younger music listeners, they continue to release fabulous discs and they remain highly-respected in the music industry, attracting such high-profile legends on their albums as Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr, Smokey Robinson, and even the late, great Laura Nyro. They’ve garnered twenty Grammy nominations over the years, winning ten of those trophies, and they’ve also been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Their first album Jukin’ received little notice, and the group soon dissolved. However, after meeting vocalists Laurel Massé and Siegel, Hauser decided to reform the act. Once mutual friend Paul joined, they relaunched Manhattan Transfer in 1972. A car accident led to Massé’s departure; Bentyne replaced her in 1979, and the lineup remained intact throughout the rest of their careers. While they had some minor hits with Massé (including the gospel tune “Operator”), it was their 1979 vocalese cover of the Weather Report’s “Birdland” that brought them international acclaim.

Album Review
No be forewarned: this debut LP from the group is quite literally the work of almost an entirely different group. Tim Hauser is the only band member here who would go on to appear on any of the albums that would follow, and even he plays a relatively minor role here, the disc serving as more of a showcase for singer/songwriter Gene Pistilli, who had a hand in writing five of the ten tracks and takes most of the lead vocals. Nothing on this album would be kept in the band’s later stage repertoire with the exception of “Java Jive.” 

There’s also little on this LP that qualifies as jazz except for possibly “You’re a Viper.” Instead, the band tries on a variety of styles from the country-rock of “Rosianna,” the pure country of “Fair and Tender Ladies,” and the soft-rock of “One More Time around Rosie” to the doo-wop of “Guided Missiles,” the vaudeville of “Sunny Disposish,” and the Bobby Sherman-like pop of “Chicken Bone Bone.” It’s awfully schizophrenic, and the band doesn’t seem to have any clear idea what they are. Hauser would wisely bring a greater focus to the group upon re-forming it, dispensing with the experiments in country and rock and placing a greater emphasis on doo-wop, pop, and jazz without any of the irony that crops up on this disc, and the change gave the group a much more distinct and unique identity. Naturally, this is an unbelievably strange disc to listen to if you’re already familiar with the group’s later work, but it’s not dreadful – just different. Very different.
[extract from thegreatalbums.com]

Jukin' has been described as "a bit rugged and unpolished but with a sense of humour". It is a collection of eclectic styles (primarily big band swing plus country, rock, pop) featuring a tremendous range of vocals and instrumentation. The production of this album is beyond words. In my opinion, it presents a great opportunity for young musicians to experience music that they would never be exposed to through the normal mediums of radio and video. I'' let you be the judge.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my vinyl, another amazing find at my local flee market. Although I had heard of this band I'd never really explored their music until now. I'm glad I picked this LP up (for a bargain I might add) as the diversity in musical styles on this album is amazing and so refreshing. If you are looking for something different, then JUKIN' is for you. Full album artwork and label scans included.

Note: Although the album was recorded in 1971, it wasn't released until 1975.

Tracklist

01 Chicken Bone Bone    3:17

02 I Need A Man 3:07

03 You'se A Viper 1:57

04 Fair And Tender Ladies    2:37

05 Rosianna   3:01

06 Sunny Disposish 1:36

07 Java Jive 2:32

08 One More Time Around Rosie   4:18

09 Guided Missiles 3:22

10 Roll Daddy, Roll 2:19

Manhattan Transfer Link (158Mb) New Link 01/06/2021

The Honeydrippers - Volume One E.P (1984)

 (U.S 1984 - 1985)

Originally formed in Worcestershire by Robert Plant, the Honeydrippers was also composed of fellow former Led Zeppelin member Jimmy Page; Jeff Beck (a former Yardbirds member like Page); close friend Robbie Blunt and others.

The band released only one recording, a 12" E.P entitled 'The Honeydrippers: Volume One', on the 12th November 1984. They performed in a concert at Keele University in 1981. The Honeydrippers peaked at number 3 in early 1985 on the Billboard Hot 100 with a remake of the Phil Phillips' tune "Sea of Love", and hit number 25 with "Rockin' at Midnight", originally a Roy Brown recording and a rewrite of "Good Rockin' Tonight."

With the 12" EP's success, Plant stated that a full album would be recorded, but it never was. The band appeared on Saturday Night Live on 15 December 1984, performing "Rockin' at Midnight" and "Santa Claus Is Back in Town." The band featured Brian Setzer and George Wadenius on guitar, Tom Barney on bass, Paul Shaffer on piano, Buddy Williams on drums, Michael Brecker, Lou Marini, and Ronnie Cuber on saxophones, Jon Faddis on trumpet and Tom Malone on trombone.On 23 December 2006, Plant performed a charity show at Kidderminster Town Hall under the title 'The Return of the Honeydrippers' to raise money for his neighbour Jackie Jennings, who was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. [extract from live.wdrv.com]

The Honeydrippers - Saturday Night Live

"Revisiting the Day Robert Plant Debuted the Honeydrippers"

Once you’ve been to the mountaintop, where can you go for a follow-up? That’s the question the surviving members of Led Zeppelin had to ask themselves when they disbanded following drummer John Bonham’s death in 1980. After you’ve become the biggest band in the world, defining over-the-top rock stardom, what do you do next?

For a hot minute, it looked like the band’s front line might merge with the rhythm section of another iconic ‘70s band that had come to a fork in the road. Jimmy Page was cozying up to bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White of Yes in a band tentatively dubbed XYZ (for Ex-Yes and Zeppelin, of course) – and he wanted Robert Plant to join in.

The leonine lead singer, however, ultimately demurred. It would have been easy for Plant to go from Zeppelin to another big, flashy bunch of arena rockers, but the singer would spend much of his post-Zep career flouting expectations at every opportunity. And that practice began in 1981, when Plant put together the Honeydrippers.

Now, these weren’t the Honeydrippers that most of the world would come to know through the 1984 album Honeydrippers Vol. 1, which contained two Top 40 hits. That all-star outfit – which featured Plant, Page, Jeff Beck, Paul Shaffer and other heavyweights – came into existence at the behest of Atlantic Records chief Ahmet Ertegun, who had caught a concert by the short-lived, considerably less star-studded 1981 lineup.

Reeling from both the death of his longtime friend Bonham, with whom he’d played in the Band of Joy before Led Zeppelin, Plant sought out a place of comfort, both musically and personally. In order to escape his recent past he pursued a more distant, almost mythological past. He began convening with musicians he’d known since he was a schoolboy hanging around Midlands blues clubs, and together they proceeded to jam on the kind of early rock & roll/R&B tunes that Plant loved when he was a kid.

Instead of storming the stage amid lengthy solos and epic tunes, Plant began bopping atop bouncy ‘50s-style jump blues and rockabilly rhythms, and having the time of his life doing it. He first brought guitarists Robbie Blunt (ex-Bronco and Silverhead) and Andy Silvester (formerly of Chicken Shack and Savoy Brown) over to his home at Jennings farm, followed in due course by bassist Jim Hickman, drummer Kevin O’Neill, harmonica player Ricky Cool and saxophonist Keith Evans.

The man who had become an avatar of everything larger-than-life in the ‘70s rock scene was now engaging in a shocking about-face. Ironically, Plant shook off the psychological shackles of the last decade by returning to the same well of post-World War II American music that inspired Led Zeppelin, but instead of amping those sounds up to gargantuan stature, he and his Honeydrippers – whose name came from either from the nickname of bluesman Roosevelt Sykes or the song and backing band of ‘40s R&B star Joe Liggins, depending on who you ask – stuck to the material’s original sonic dimensions.

Plant and his pals worked up a rootsy repertoire that encompassed not only rockabilly romps like Gene Vincent’s “She She Little Sheila,” Carl Perkins’ “Your True Love,” and the Elvis Presley classic “Little Sister,” but old-school R&B wailers like Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford’s “I Need Your Loving,” blues stompers like Muddy Waters’ “I Can’t Be Satisfied” and Lazy Lester’s “Sugar Coated Love,” and even the Western swing standard “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” And when it was time to take it on the road, the Honeydrippers’ modus operandi was just as lean as their sound.

Starting either at Keele University in Staffordshire on March 3 or at a bar in Stourbridge on March 9, depending on the source, the Honeydrippers hit a string of small venues including pubs, colleges and small clubs, each show unadvertised – and all well clear of London, either in the Midlands or points north. It wasn't just that they took the stage with their amps stacked on beer crates, in stark contrast to the convoy of trucks that hauled Led Zeppelin’s gear around, or that Zep’s outsized hard-rock extravaganzas been replaced by the two-and-a-half-minute wham-bam of classic blues and rock ‘n’ roll tunes. A more symbolic but equally striking alteration had occurred.

Even Plant’s long, curly locks (surely one of the most legendary heads of hair in rock history) had gone under the chopper. Granted, he wasn’t sporting a crew cut or spiky New Wave ‘do, but the sweeping changes he was instituting to put the past behind him clearly extended all the way to his stylist. And in rock ‘n’ roll, of course, image counts as much as anything – maybe even more.

The original Honeydrippers’ lifespan would be brief. By 1982, Plant (with Robbie Blunt by his side), would return to a mainstream rock feel for his first solo album, Pictures at Eleven, but the precedent had been established for the kind of mercurial moves Plant would continue to make throughout his career. From his Alison Krauss collaboration to his repeated refusals to reunite with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, no one would ever accuse Robert Plant of resting on his laurels [Article taken from  ultimateclassicrock.com]

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my pristine Vinyl, purchased the same day I heard Sea Of Love being played on my local radio station 3XY in December of 1984. If it were not for the radio publicity, I probably would not have known who the Honeydrippers were and the association with Robert Plant, as the album artwork contains no credits or band details. Needless to say, I was surprised with the musical path that Plant had chosen to take post Zeppelin, but still enjoyed the E.P immensely.

Full album artwork for both vinyl and CD is included along with label scans and alternative covers.

Tracklist:

I Get A Thrill 2:39

Sea Of Love 3:03

I Got A Woman 2:58

Young Boy Blues 3:30

Rockin' At Midnight 5:57

The Honeydrippers were:

Lead Vocals – Robert Plant

Bass – Wayne Pedziwiatr

Drums – Dave Weckl

Guitar – Jeff Beck (tracks: 3, 5), Jimmy Page (tracks: 1, 2), Robbie Blunt ?

Piano – Paul Shaffer

Rhythm Guitar – Nile Rodgers

Saxophone – Keith Evans (tracks: 5)

The Honeydrippers Link (120Mb) New Link 02/09/2025

Wall Of Voodoo - Seven Days In Sammystown (1985) + Bonus Tracks

 (U.S 1977 - 1988)

Wall of Voodoo was a New Wave band in The '80s. Formed in Los Angeles in 1977, the band had two line-ups: one with Stan Ridgway as singer, another with Andy Prieboy. The band's earlier sound (less so on the later albums) could be described as Something Completely Different, not unlike Devo. But instead of electronic dance music, their style was "Ennio Morricone meets New Wave". They made two original hits, "Mexican Radio" and "Far Side of Crazy".

The first main line-up, with Stan Ridgway on vocals, also had Marc Moreland (guitar), Bruce Moreland (bass, synthesizer), Chas T. Gray (synthesizer, vocals), and Joe Nanini (percussion). The band also extensively used a drum machine (given to Stan by voice acting legend Daws Butler) to back them up on albums and in live performances, with Nanini usually adding fills on old pots and pans, cowbells, and various percussive toys. After their first full release Dark Continent, Bruce had to leave because of his drug problems. Bassist and producer Bill Nolan came in as a replacement, and this line-up would record the song, "Mexican Radio"

In 1983, after a performance at the US Festival, Stan, Joe, and Bill jumped ship. Stan would go on to make an impressive solo career for himself, with his latest album, Mr. Trouble, released in 2012. He collaborated with Stewart Copeland on several occasions; e.g., the Rumble Fish soundtrack.

Wall Of Voodoo 1985

After Ridgway's departure, Marc, and Chas struggled to keep the band alive, despite Bruce coming back just in (the wrong) time. Luckily, two new members—singer Andy Prieboy and drummer Ned Leukhardt—joined up and the band released a new single, Big City in 1985. A new album, Seven Days in Sammystown shortly followed. One of Sammytown's tracks, "Far Side of Crazy", became a major hit in Australia, allowing the new Wall of Voodoo to make two more LPs, the last one being a Live Album. Bruce left the band again (same reasons) midway Happy Planet's sessions. Chas had to fill in for him, playing the bass on most of the record. Guest players were invited for live shows.

After the live LP, the band got dropped by IRS Records (along with many others, musical tastes were changing). Though most of the members faded into relative obscurity, Andy decided to continue. In 1990 he released ... Upon My Wicked Son, which consisted mostly of songs he wrote for WOV, with Ned on drums and Marc playing guitar on some of the tracks. After that, Andy released two more albums (the latest in 2010) and wrote the musical White Trash Wins Lotto. He scored an original hit, "Tomorrow Wendy," which was actually covered by Concrete Blonde first. [extract from tvtropes.org]

Mexican Radio Single

One Hit Wonders
Fans of MTV in its earliest days might remember "Mexican Radio," which became an underground hit in 1983 for being one of the first music videos played in heavy rotation. Read Patsavas in her own words below, and hear the radio version at the audio link. One of the great '80s bands, Wall of Voodoo, came out of the punk/alternative scene in Los Angeles in the [late '70s].

Stan Ridgway founded Wall of Voodoo. His company [Acme] was originally conceived as a soundtrack company for low-budget sci-fi and horror films and their offices were right across the street from the storied Masque Club in LA. Out of that club came The Germs and X and The Go-Go's.

And you can really hear that score and soundtrack influence in his music. I think "Mexican Radio" is one of the most compelling, memorable sing-alongs ever. It is just such a wonderfully weird song. Stan Ridgway's delivery is so unique.

The way that he weaved such interesting cultural references like noir, like Spaghetti Western and his tip-of-the-hat to Ennio Morricone. And once you understand that, you hear it right away. But as a casual fan, what you come away with on "Mexican Radio" is this glorious pop hit that you sing along to. When you deconstruct it, you can feel all those influences. And to me, that that's what makes an interesting all-time artist.

As a music supervisor, I'm always obsessed with different versions of songs. I must have discovered "Ring of Fire" after "Mexican Radio." I think it's one of the great covers [of] one of the best country songs of all time [by] the great Johnny Cash. "Ring of Fire" was actually written by June Carter Cash [and Merle Kilgore]. I think it's difficult to do a song that is so storied and well-known, but [on] the Wall of Voodoo version, which actually pre-dates "Mexican Radio," you can really hear the score influence. The second half of the song actually includes the theme from Our Man Flint, which of course was composed by Jerry Goldsmith.

L to R - Chas T Gray, Marc Moreland, Andy Prieboy, Ned Leukhardt, Bruce Moreland

Stan Ridgway not only thought in terms of writing a great pop hit, but also considered and used his scoring background. And perhaps that's part of the reason I love ["Ring of Fire"] so much. I can see it set to picture. It is minimalist and outrageously, wonderfully large all at the same time.
[review by Alexandra Patsavas at npr.org]

Wall Of Voodoo In Australia, 1986

Andy Prieboy reminisces:

Promoting Seven Days in Sammystown , we had crossed The States,Europe,Scandinavia, and, flying through the Chernobyl cloud , came at last to Australia.

Our song, Far Side of Crazy, was in the Australian Top Ten. We had been on the road seemingly for ever , playing every night. Travelling thousands and thousands of miles. Thus, this is a portrait of a band that had faced down a great deal of opposition and doubt. A band that had done an enormous amount of work, and did so fully committed to one another. A portrait of five guys who are exhausted, in some cases ill. A perfect moment to take a picture :on the other side of that wall ,an expectant audience waited . There is a show to do and we face it relaxed , controlled and confident.

We had survived . In many ways succeeded in spite of those who said we couldn't, wouldn't and shouldn't.  We were now more than a band. We were a brotherhood .A bond that lasts to this day. I had come along way from that first timid group from London . There would be another five years of this madness. [extract from andyprieboy.com]

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my CD and also contains full album artwork for both CD & Vinyl.  I thought it might sweeten the deal to include the mega hit "Mexican Radio" as a bonus track, along with their Johnny Cash cover "Ring of Fire" which was released on their first EP in 1980.

Often thought as a 'one hit wonder' I think this album will dispel this line of thought.

Tracklist

01 Far Side Of Crazy 4:02

02 Business Of Love 4:25

03 Faded Love 0:40

04 Mona 4:55

05 Room With A View 2:47

06 Blackboard Sky 4:37

07 Big City 4:20

08 Dark As The Dungeon 4:40

09 Museums 4:21

10 Tragic Vaudeville 3:25

11 (Don't Spill My) Courage 4:20

12 Mexican Radio (Bonus Single) *     4:06

13 Ring Of Fire (Bonus Single) +   5:02

* Ripped from vinyl 45

+ Ripped from YouTube

The Band:

Bass, Keyboards – Bruce Moreland

Drums, Percussion – Ned Leukhardt

Guitars – Marc Moreland

Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Chas T. Gray

Vocals, Keyboards – Andy Prieboy

Wall Of Voodoo Link (332Mb)

New Link 24/05/2021

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Richard Clapton, Kevin Borich & Friends - Spirit Of Australia (1986)

 On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation. It's the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future. Australia Day, 26 January, is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788.

With respect to Australia's Music Industry, we can be very proud of the contributions that our Aussie Musos have made in entertaining people from every nation with music and song, with many of our artists achieving world wide acclaim. Therefore, I would like to celebrate Australia Day by posting this double 'instrumental' single by two of our country's most respected musicians from the 70 / 80's, namely Richard Clapton and Kevin Borich.

I suspect this 'promo single' was released specifically for either the 1986 Sydney to Hobart yacht race and/or the Australia Day celebrations. The single features Richard Clapton's A-Side instrumental entitled "Spirit Of Sydney" and Kevin Borich's rendition of "Advance Australia Fair" on guitar as the B-Side.  

I particularly enjoy Borich's powerful interpretation of the Australian National Anthem which I suspect was inspired by Jim Hendrix's 'Star Spangled Banner' played at the Woodstock Festival (minus the machine gun interludes)

I hope you enjoy these two tracks and wish all Aussie's a fantastic and safe Australia Day !

Ripped from vinyl to MP3 (320kps), this post also consists of artwork and label scans from the single release.

The Spirit Of Sydney (13Mb)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unauthorised: Live Vol.1 (1993) Bootleg

 (U.S 1983 - Present)

The Red Hot Chili Peppers Eat It Raw
(Grooving on the `mother’s milk” of sex and funk)
by Roy Trakin 

One thing George Clinton told me about playing funk I’ll never forget is, you have to take it all the way home,” says Flea. Sitting in the middle of a fashionable Melrose Avenue Italian bistro, the Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist and co-founder of the group is doing his share by wearing a beany with a propeller attached on top.

“You don’t give it up half-arsed,” chimes in his buddy, lead singer and fellow original member Anthony Kiedis, who’s attracting some attention via a particularly colourful tattoo on his shoulder “Funk is hard-core music which deals with hard-core emotions. War and peace. Love and hate …”

He might have added life and death, because that’s what the Chili Peppers confront on their fourth and apparently most successful LP, Mothe6 Milk (not including 1988’s “best or EP, Abbey Road). It took the heroin OD of long-time guitarist Hillel Slovak and the exit of drummer Jack Irons—and the addition of John Frusciante and Chad Smith to replace them—for Flea and Anthony to grab the reins of the Chili Peppers’ cult following and steer it toward the promised land of commercial success.

Red Hot Chili Peppers 1989

“The death of Hillel changed our entire attitude,” explains Anthony, the band’s spokesman. “Losing your best friend at the age of 26 is a mind- and soul-blower. But there was definitely an inspiration which came from Hillel dying which helped sharpen the focus of the band. Flea and I were left with each other, and we decided, ‘Here’s something we started a long time ago that we haven’t finished.’ We both realised we had to bear down, change our lifestyles and look at what was important to us—things like friendship, love, making great music and not getting sidetracked by the more negative influences in life. We tried to use our loss as a bolstering, positive influence—if nothing else, to prove to the world what we were doing was worthy and legitimate. Hillel may be dead; we’re not.”

Anthony Kiedis and Flea, August 1989

The group underscored that resolve with the first single from the new album, the AOReady anthem called “Knock Me Down.” It’s a cautionary saga that warns, “If you see me getting high … knock me down.”

“Oddly, I began writing that song before Hillel died,” Anthony reveals. “I hadn’t really thought about completing it until after he passed away. It’s about recognising we’re all human beings and the best we can ever be is just that—human. Nobody is any better or worse than anybody else. And you’re never above a problem … including the deadly disease of addiction. One should be willing to accept the helping hand of your close friends instead of trying to do everything yourself. You should never think you’re so cool or in control you can take care of problems that are beyond being solved by an individual”

Phantasy Theatre, Lakewood 1989

Anthony insists he feels not guilt about being unable to prevent what happened, only “ultimate sadness.” hindsight, I wished I could have helped him, but it’s ridiculous to dwell on that,” he says. “You can’t blame yourself.”

Instead, Anthony and Flea picked a pair of brand-new Chili Peppers and tried to turn their tragedy into triumph. After three albums and an EP that failed to dent the charts, the band was anxious to raise the stakes, insisting there was no pressure to do so from management or their label, EMI.

“We have a desire to communicate our music to a much larger amount of people than we have in the past,” agrees Flea, propeller blades turning on his hat. “I think we captured more energy than we ever have on record before. Considering everything that happened, the fact we stayed together was a big bonding factor.” “Our record company never attempted to ask us to do anything other than what we do,” claims Anthony. 

“Probably more out of fear than anything else. I think it was that lack of pressure that helped us because we did our thing without changing for the sake of industry or radio or anything. The only pressure came from ourselves.”

The contributions of new guitarist Frusciante and drummer Smith were more than incidental. Frusciante was a Chatsworth, California valley guy who’d followed the Red Hot Chili Peppers as an avid fan before joining the group, the same day he quit Thelonious Monster.

“It was like an injection of fresh monkey blood into the temple,” notes Anthony, digging into an appetiser of fresh mozzarella cheese. John adds, “I already felt like I was a member of this band spiritually before I ever met them. They were an extension of my attitude toward the world and music, and my philosophy of how I want to live my life.”

As for Detroit native Smith, he had no idea what the Chili Peppers were about before he auditioned. “We just explained we were a hard-core, bone-crunching, mayhem-inducing, psychedelic sexfunk band from heaven,” Anthony laughs. “And could he produce that type of drumming?

In its first few weeks of release, Mother’s Milk has sold almost 200,000 copies, more than any other previous Chili Peppers album. “This record is more radio-acceptable,” agrees Anthony. “Although it wasn’t our intention to change in that direction. We weren’t tiling to fit in. It was just a natural expression of how we felt. This was a direct link from our hearts, souls and genitals to guitars and vocal cords.” [extract from thechilisource.com]

The Mother's Milk Tour
With John Frusciante and Chad Smith on board, Mother's Milk instantly garnered more attention than the band's previous records and, as such, the venues the band performed in were able to accommodate far larger crowds. The band was now playing more arenas than ever before and gaining more television and radio exposure, especially through college radio, which was a huge supporter of the album and helped the band to eventually gain more mainstream attention. For the first time the band also upgraded to a full-fledged tour bus and added backup musicians and singers.

The tour was by far the biggest tour for the band at the time breaking them through to new audiences and larger venues to perform at. The tour also included television appearances on such shows as The Arsenio Hall Show where they even performed a tribute to the late night host called "Ode To Arsenio" which was used as an intro to their cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground". In Austin, Texas, during the opening set by Mary's Danish, all four Chili Pepper's ran onstage totally naked, and tackled Mary's Danish two female lead singers. I suspect that Mary Danish were chosen as their support band as they had a common interest in the music of Jimi Hendrix. The RHCP's concert setlist at the time consisted of "Castles Made Of Sand" and "Crosstown Traffic" 

FEATURE SHOW STATS

46th show of the "Mother's Milk Tour"

80th show in 1989

3rd show in Lakewood, OH

497th show in United States

This post consists of MP3's (320kps) ripped from my JOKER bootleg CD, another unofficial release by AMCOS from the early 1990's in Australia.  This is a recording from their 3rd show held in Lakewood, Ohio on the 21st of November, 1989 at the Phantasy Theatre.

The quality of the recording is not as good as other JOKER releases I have heard, but the clarity is still there. The length of the set list on this bootleg is both short and incomplete, featuring only 10 of the 21 songs played on the night..  Sadly, the encore "Crosstown Traffic" is one of the missing tracks. 

This bootleg has been released previously under the title "SuperFunky" (see above) and I have included artwork for both releases. Note that track 9 is listed on the Joker release as "Special Secret Song Inside" but of course the track is actually "Party On Your Pussy". I'm thinking that the JOKER team were worried about the back lash they might receive from the authorities if they printed its real name, as these bootlegs were sold in many mainstream outlets. 

Of course, there's no first prize for guessing what Track 10's chorus line might be!   

Tracklist

01. Out In LA (2:17)

02. Backwoods (3:37)

03. Dr. Funkenstein (1:10)   'Parliament Cover'

04. Funky Crime (3:26)

05. Higher Ground (3:37)    'Stevie Wonder Cover'

06. Hollywood ( 6:08)       'The Meters Cover'

07. Knock Me Down (4:03)

08. Castles Made Of Sand (3:27)     'Jimi Hendrix Experience Cover'

09. Special Secret Song Inside (aka Party On Your Pussy) (3:57)

10. F # U (1:13)

Personnel

Flea - bass, backing vocals

John Frusciante - guitar, backing vocals

Anthony Kiedis - lead vocals

Chad Smith - drums

Red Hot Chili Peppers Link (80Mb) New Link 15/10/2023