Taj Mahal - "Everybody's Got To Change Sometime" (Columbia)

Hello again, everyone. I hope you're ready for a smokin' piece of funky blues this round. This is another record that Todd turned me onto. When I heard it, I knew I had to find me a copy and pronto! Luckily, I found one pretty cheap and, of course, it's been getting a lot of spins on the old turntable. It's today's selection by the one and only Taj Mahal.

Mahal has had a lengthy and legendary career as one of America's most prominent blues musicians. However, his music has also included many influences including gospel, reggae, Cajun and African traditions. Today's cut, though, is straight-ahead blues and it is hot! It was recorded in 1967 and released in 1968 as part of Taj Mahal's first released, self-titled album. On it, Mahal recorded songs by many well-known blues artists, including Robert Johnson and, with this cut, Sleepy John Estes, whom Mahal references briefly as the record fades out.

Mahal's band here includes Ry Cooder and Jesse Ed Davis on guitars, James Thomas on Bass and Sanford Konikoff on drums. (Note: I got this information from Wikipedia, who are not always known for their accuracy, so if any corrections need to be made, please feel free to tell me.) They start off the song with slammin' drums and scorching guitars as Mahal growls out the vocals. When it's time for a guitar solo, Mahal goes "SMOKE THAT GUITAR, BOY, SMOKE THAT GUITAR!" and the guitarist does exactly what he's told. In fact, the whole band is smokin' throughout the barely three-minute running time.

And that's that. If I were the creator of this world, this burnin' number would be on the top of the charts everywhere. But the album was acclaimed when it first came out and it started Mahal off on his amazing career, which continues on to this very day. You can check out his latest doings on his website, http://www.tajblues.com/. In the meantime, let's enjoy a 45 where the bluesman and his band are laying out some heavy grooves. And remember: "SMOKE THAT GUITAR, BOY, SMOKE THAT GUITAR!!"

Indy Show Finds - May Edition

Hello all. Sorry for the long gaps in postings, but Todd's been sick and I haven't been feeling so well lately myself. Oh, okay, I've been lazy. So, to tide you over to the next posting (which for me will be sometime this week, I hope), here's a little report on a digging excursion I went on. Last Sunday was one of our bi-monthly record shows here in Indy. I don't quite have the digging stories that Fleamarket Funk has, but I somehow manage to find some cool stuff. Here's how it all went down:

The Fame Gang: Grits and Gravy (Fame)
Ronnie Self: Ain't I'm A Dog (Columbia)
Ace Cannon: Drunk (Hi)
The Jolly Jax: Pony Shuffle (Airmaster)
The Zeet Band: Moogie Boogie (Chess)
Eddie and Ernie: You Give Me Love To Go On (Revue)
Lowell Fulsom: The Thing (Kent)
The Choir: It's Cold Outside (Canadian American)
The Thundertones: Hot Ice (Dot)
The Olympics: Good Lovin' (Loma)
Tommy James and the Shondells: Gotta Get Back To You (Roulette)
Johnny Otis Orchestra: Wa Wa (Parts 1 and 2) (Dig)
Jackie Lee: Your P-E-R-S-O-N-A-L-I-T-Y (Mirwood)
Aaron Neville: Space Man (Par Lo)
Charles Hodges: Slip Around (Calla)
Jimmy McGriff: The Bird (Capitol)
Jimmy McGriff: Chip!! Chip!! (Jell)
The Stereos: I Feel Soul A-Coming (Cadet)
Buzzie: Stone Soul Booster (Gordy)
The Radiants: Hold On (Chess)
Shirley Ellis: The Nitty Gritty (Congress)
John Barry: Zulu Stamp (United Artists)
Wilson Pickett: I Can't Stop (Double L)
The Moody Blues: This Is My House (But Nobody Calls)(London)
Jumpin' Gene Simmons: Keep That Meat in the Pan (Hi)
Ohio Express: Hot Dog (Super K)
Rufus Thomas: 6-3-8/Love Trap (Stax)
Buster Benton: Good to the Last Drop (Jewel)

And that's about it. A good chunk o'soul with a few touches of bubblegum and rockabilly with a garage classic. Not bad for a morning's haul. If you see a record or two on this list that you have a curiosity about, please feel free to leave comments. C'mon, we don't bite.

Back a little later with a smokin' hot record by Taj Mahal.

Larry Dale - "Let The Doorbell Ring" (Glover)

Here we have a nice little party blues groover. This was one of my recent scores from a California friend and I don't remember him thinking too much of it, but to me, it's definitely a keeper. It's not quite a stomper, but it still has its grooves, if you know what I mean and I believe you do. It's from 1960 and it's by a session man from the 1950s who served as an inspiration to Rolling Stone Brian Jones.

According to the entry I dug up on Wikipedia, Larry Dale was born 1923 in Wharton, Texas. His real name is Ennis Lowery and he recorded and played under that name in the early 1950s before settling on Larry Dale. He is best known as a session guitarist, having played with Mickey Baker and pianist Champion Jack Dupree as well as Cootie Williams. He also recorded some sides for the RCA labels Groove and Vik. He played on Dupree's 1956-1958 sessions and it was his playing on Dupree's 1958 album "Blues from the Gutter" on Atlantic that really turned Brian Jones' ear. Jones is quoted as saying that Dale's was the sound that he wanted to play like.

"Let The Doorbell Ring" was one of two records Dale recorded for Glover Records in 1960, the other being the equally well-known "Big Muddy." This one concerns a man who's partying with the boys and ain't letting no one tell him he can't. Even his landlord gets into the act, asking "What'choo got to drink?" The cops show up and threaten to break the door down, so our protagonist heads for the roof taking his defiant party attitude with him.

What can I say about the beauty of this record? It's been described by AllMusic Guide's entry on Dale as a "stormin' " blues number and I can't really improve on that. Check it out for yourself and I hope you'll agree.

Shadie Oller - Come To Me, Baby/You Sure Look Good To Me

I thought that I'd jump back in today with another pair of hillbilly rockers. They're from a record that I found a couple of years ago in an antique mall. I don't know a thing about Shadie Oller. Summit was a label out of Central City, KY. Today's record is from 1959.

"Come To Me, Baby" is pretty much straight up rockabilly. Shadie Oller sings with a country warble. There's some cool rockin' guitar, drums that pack a wallop and a piano break. The whole thing lasts well under two minutes.

"You Sure Look Good To Me" is a little slower and a tad more country & western but still a pretty fair rocker. Plus, this time, we're treated to a guitar break.

I checked out the excellent Rockin' Country Style website and it lists just this one record for Shadie Oller. The Summit label had a few releases between 1958 and 1960. Other than that, the internet turns up a big ol' goose egg. I'd sure like to know more.



Come To Me, Baby


You Sure Look Good To Me

Freddie Hart - Dig Boy Dig (Columbia 4-21512)

I was perusing some of my favorite music blogs the other day, when I checked on the excellent The Devil's Music. Devil Dick's blog is great because he's not akin to just one style of music. You never know what you'll get there, from soul to garage rock to instrumentals and just about anything in-between. The other day he featured some good ol' hillbilly music, via Joe Gills. I got to thinking that I've been a little remiss in not doing more of the same, here.

Today, a record that I dug out of a box of dusty ten cent discs at one of last year's flea markets, "Dig Boy Dig" by Freddie Hart. I wasn't familiar with the record but I knew who Freddie Hart was. The title sounded promising and I knew that a lot of country artists made a rock and roll record or three, so I decided it was worth a dime to investigate further.

It turned out that I made a wise choice because "Dig Boy Dig", from 1956, is right where rock and roll meets hillbilly country. I'm no expert but that sounds just like an apt description of rockabilly, to me.

Hart sings with a country twang, drums pounding behind him and there's a cool guitar break. It's almost hard to believe this is the same guy who scored a huge hit in 1971, with "East Loving". Then again, it's a fairly common story, a country crooner who made some pretty great rock and roll back in the early days.

Jackie Lee - "The Shotgun and the Duck"/"Do The Temptation Walk" (Mirwood)

Have I got a crazy soul tune for you! In a case of fellow blogsters helping each other out, Todd told me he got a copy of the record featured here in one of his many record digs. He described it to me as a "great soul pounder," one that I just gotta hear. Being that Todd's usually on the ball, I immediately sought out a copy of my own. Well, I found one in a strangely quick amount of time. I got mine through a website I frequent called speedlimit45rpm.com, and boy am I glad I did. This one immediately goes to the top of the list as one of my best finds of the year so far.

A little bit about Jackie Lee: He is actually Earl Nelson, the "Earl" of Bob and Earl, who you may know from "Harlem Shuffle" fame. He was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1928. He took the name from his wife's middle name Jackie and his own middle name Lee, and recorded and released his lone hit "The Duck" in 1965. That record made #4 on the Billboard Soul charts and #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the November-December period of that year. In addition to recording several more sides for Mirwood, he also recorded sides for Capitol, Keymen, ABC and Uni. Two of his other records worth seeking out are "The Chicken" on Uni and "African Boo-Ga-Loo" on Keymen, both of which are as funky as funky gets.

"The Shotgun and the Duck" was released in 1966 with "Do The Temptation Walk" as the B-side.
"Temptation Walk" is another dance side that comes with an uptempo Northern Soul groove. Now, I don't claim to know a whole lot about Northern Soul. To me, soul is soul and if the groove is right, I go with it. And "Temptation Walk" has a beat and feel to it that conjure up "Northern Soul" in my mind. Whatever the case, it's well worth laying your ears to.

But the A-side is definitely where the action truly is. It starts off at a frenetic pace and stays there throughout the whole song as Jackie and the girlie chorus backing him saying "Ain't no shotgun gonna shoot my duck." Words cannot adequately describe this one. It's a record you just have to hear for yourself. But I'm sure you will find that it's a solid, thumpin' soul stomper that shifts into first from the moment it starts until the fade a few minutes later.

So, there you go. Two-sider heaven here. While "Shotgun" definitely gets my vote, both sides are kickass. If you find this one, I urge you to grab it. Your ears will thank you.


The Shotgun and The Duck


Do The Temptation Walk

The Grass Roots - "You're A Lonely Girl" (Dunhill)

Okay, here's the other side of this blog reporting in. I know it's been at least a couple of months since I posted anything, but hey, life can sometimes get in the way, y'know? Well, anyway, that's my excuse and what a weak one it is. Enough of that. It's time to talk about another rockin' tune from the realms of the past and our focus today is on a group that should be familiar to all of you who cruise oldies radio stations from time to time. I'm talking about The Grass Roots.

Everybody knows The Grass Roots from all of their hits which emphasize a soul-pop oriented flavor accompanied by brassy horn arrangements. Hits such as "Midnight Confessions" (a personal fave), "I'd Wait A Million Years," "Heaven Knows," "Sooner or Later" and "Two Divided By Love" among them featured stellar big productions by Steve Barri that sounded great on AM radio and are still irresistable today. At least to me anyway.

Today's selection goes back to the beginning. The original Grass Roots were not the ones you're accustomed to hearing. They were originally a group called The Bedouins and they were recruited by Lou Adler, owner of then-new Dunhill Records to perform as The Grass Roots. That group recorded the side I feature today, "You're A Lonely Girl," a song composed by Barri and P.F Sloan Now, the Roots at this time had their stylings in a more folk-rock oriented vein, as evidenced by this first single's A side, a cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Jones (Ballad of a Thin Man)." Flip the record over and you get this rippin' bit of garage-pop with tasty fuzz guitar throughout. That's the side that matters here because it's pretty damn good. No evidence of horn-dominated pop here.

Anyway, what happened was the original group had a minor (#28) hit with "Where Were You When I Needed You." Then, they decided that they wanted more say-so in their recordings, something that Dunhill didn't want to do. So, the original group broke up and Dunhill searched for another group to use the Grass Roots' name. They found that group with a band named The 13th Floor, who had just recruited Rob Grill on bass and vocals. The new group soon had a #8 hit with "Let's Live For Today" and the rest is pretty much history, with the horn pop soon to follow.

But for now, let's enjoy the beginnings of The Grass Roots as they dwell in the land of fuzz with "You're A Lonely Girl."

Instro Madness

It's a chilly, snowy Saturday morning here in the midwest. It's a great day for staying in the house and blasting records. Today, I thought that I'd share a few recent finds.

I went to the St. Louis record show, last Sunday. A couple of days before that, I went out "in the wild", hitting up antique malls and thrift stores for discs. I had pretty good fortune, finding lots of cool stuff.

For whatever reason, a decent percentage of the best of it wound up being instrumentals. Being that It's Great Shakes loves the instros and I don't seem to post enough of them here, I thought that I'd make up for that by doing four in one fell swoop.


Jimmy Gordon - Buzzzzzz I don't know a thing about Jimmy Gordon, including whether or not he released more records. One thing I do know is that "Buzzzzzz" is a pretty great guitar rocker. The title is also self-descriptive for a tune loaded with fuzz guitar. What makes it cooler still is that 1963 seems to be the date of release, meaning it pre-dates the garage brigade by a couple of years. "Buzzzzzz" starts off with a few splashes on the cymbals and then kicks right into heavy fuzz mode. A second, non-fuzzed out guitar also adds to the festivities.





Clifton Chenier - Hot Rod I remember reading a bunch of guys online once, trying to name instruments that weren't "rock and roll". They decided the accordion fell into that category. Obviously, they'd never heard the Sir Douglas Quintet nor this tune. Zydeco legend, Clifton Chenier rocks like mad on his accordion and some cool, upbeat, bluesy guitar is tossed in for good measure. I just love the marrying of styles in "Hot Rod". Sorry to burst your bubble guys but the accordion certainly can be an effective rock and roll instrument. Here's your proof.





The Comsats - Astronaut When I found this one, I had it pegged for either a surf rocker or Tornadoes style space instro. Turns out neither is the case. "Astronaut" is an r&b tinged, upbeat rocker. It has generous doses of Ike Turner-esque guitar, pounding drums, honkin' sax and rockin' piano. It travels at about 100 miles per hour and fades out, just when you're sure it's gonna crash head-on into something. I have no idea who these guys were but I'd sure like to.





The Soul Set - Flunky-Flunky Brian wrote something about this one a few months back and, since I just found a copy, thought I'd write a bit too and give everyone a chance to hear it for themselves. About all I know about this record is that Frank "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" Virtue is listed as arranger and co-writer on the label. Did he play on this? Anyway, "Flunky-Flunky" is a great soul groove, with more of those pounding drums and a heaping helping of organ. As Brian mentioned in his write-up, this tune was probably originally intended as a throwaway, yet winds up being THEE side, as the vocal "Mickey's Funky Monkey" on the flip is pretty decent but can't measure up to THIS.