Themetime Themes, Anomalous Instrumentals & Unsung Covers, Pt. 5

So... some of you (assuming that there is a "you") are probably wondering what happened to the "unsung covers" part of the title of this mix, which I added after the beginning. I think that you (assuming that there is a "you") will think well of your patience, after you hear these instrumental covers of previously vocally-enhanced songs.

"When You Walk In The Room" was a hit for Dusty Springfield, and The Searchers, too. You'd never know there were vocals missing if you heard The Ventures' (Live in Japan '65) version first.

Donovan's "Colours" was a hit in the UK, but I prefer this non-hit instrumental version released by Van Dyke Parks on his Song Cycle LP.

And finally, we have one of the most wonderful pop songs ever invented -- try playing it on the instrument of your choice if you don't believe me -- The Beatles' "Please Please Me", as codified (why re-invent the wheel?) by Link Wray. I mean, honestly... what more could you want?

Lick It Up

Podwalker's Dogcast, Pt. 5

If you didn't already believe that chihuahuas are the creepiest dogs on the planet, the picture to the left would probably be enough to convince you. The thing is, they are -- at least, the mixed mutt SPCA versions are -- the most grateful, devoted, cuddly animals known to human pet-harborers. Well, cherchez le chien; this post is dedicated to the noble chihuahua, the least-likely to be bravest of the brave dogs.

Bite me!

Song list:

01. Mike Soloway - The Little Chihuahua
02. Frank Milano and the Golden Orchestra - Chihuahua (Cha Cha Cha)
03. El Vez - Chihuahua

Talk Dirty To Me, Pt.. 4

A motherfucking double post -- 6 fucking tunes! Fuck yeah! Sure, I left out a lot of fucking great songs -- fact is, I've come to realize that I could put together an entire fucking CD with nothing but singers who drop the F-bomb in a fucking prominent way. Maybe I should. Maybe I fucking will, eh? Fucking A!

What the fuck?

Song List:

01. Robbie Fulks - Fuck This Town
02. Witchypoo - Fuck The Motherfucking President
03. Candy Snatchers - Fuck My Family
04. Steve Vai - Fuck Yourself
05. William S Burroughs with REM - Fuck Me Kitten
06. Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Fuck Off Noddy

Blues For Em, Again

I dreamed about her again, yesterday. I don't suppose it'll ever stop. She welcomed me back with open arms, and asked me why I had to let her drop.

Or, "When Will The Blues Leave," as Ornette Coleman put it. And "There Aint No Cure For Love," which Leonard Cohen said. And perhaps "Broken Hearts Are For Assholes," according to Frank Zappa. Regarding that last one, I have to wonder if Zappa intended it as a corrective; my experience, at least in dealing with big city auto drivers, is that assholes don't mind being called assholes at all -- in fact, they relish it. Makes 'em feel badass. The only way to get under their skins at all is to impugn their intelligence. Call them stupid, or foolish, in other words. And that's how I'll think of myself, today.

Song List:

01. Merle Haggard - Always Wanting You
02. Saint Etienne - 4.35 In The Morning
03. Knitters - Trail Of Time

Time enough for regret.

Themetime Themes, Anomalous Instrumentals & Unsung Covers Pt. 4

OOO-kay... so I have been away for a while... but, then, I'm probably only talking to myself. Continuing, then, where I left off before the Christmas freakout...


Here's three movie themes which I plan to feature prominently in this mix. The Casino Royale theme from the 1967 movie was written by Burt Bacharach, and has been a part of my internal soundtrack since I watched the movie on acid in 1972 or '73.

The instrumental version of the Repo Man theme has been a part of that same soundtrack since I walked into the movie on a whim back in 1984. It always pissed me off that the official soundtrack didn't include the throbbing, sans-lyrics version that accompanied the opening credits of the movie, so here is that version, ripped from the DVD. Iggy Pop is credited -- but this site claims, with considerable credibility (in my opinion), that the music was largely written by Steve Jones, former guitar player of The Sex Pistols, with Nigel Harrison and Clem Burke of Blondie on bass and drums.

And finally, we have the delicious goulash that is Jack Nitzsche's ending credit theme for The Hot Spot. I say "goulash" because, though it is credited to Nitzsche, I don't see how it could have been written. The musicians on this jam are supposed to be, roughly, Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal, Roy Rogers and Tim Drummond. Go argue with that!

Movie Madness!