December 30, 2015

Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister
Dec 24 - 1945 ~ Dec 28 - 2015


Young Lemmy

I've been a bit surprised to be thinking so much about Lemmy, his life, and his music the last few days. In fact, it's a bit weird to mourn any artist or musician for very long.
Around 1979, the first time I heard Motörhead; like many, I was truly blown away by the speed and fury, such a new and unique sound, not to mention a trio, and that voice. Lemmy attacked the bass guitar like a concert violinist would play a jack hammer...He grabbed life by the balls. He was smart, well-read, had a great sense of humor, liked to party, and got all the dirty fun women. All this really came out in the music.
People either got it or didn't.
Lemmy used to call Motörhead, "Rock N' Roll," which is really most accurate.
To call Motörhead, a "Metal" band always seemed a bit of a misnomer, just part of the picture, really.
Motörhead really had SOUL in the purest (and fastest) Rock N' Roll " Chuck Berry " tradition.
This really can't be said for a lot of "Metal" bands that play in this genre.

Very few artists truly inspire me, but Lemmy was special.
For more than 40 years, Lemmy was Motörhead, a sonic force of beauty. If we could all live our lives the way Lemmy did...We'd all be dead!

December 17, 2015

lovers rock / reggae ~ Jamaica 1975


Play Music - Play Audio - John Holt ~ For The Love Of ...

John Holt 1947 - 2014
This just sounds especially good this morning.
John Holt's beautiful, " Lovers rock " reggae cover of the Isley Brother's soul classic.
I decided to mix and post two different 45 sides of the same tune here by him. Both from 1975.
The vocal side (Impact! label) leads into a "dub/instrumental" version side (Clintones label).

October 23, 2015

group soul ~ Florida 1971


Listen Music - Listen Audio - Purple Mundi ~ Stop Hurting ...

A 2011 UK press - Outta Sight/CAT label

First press original Cat label from 1971


This fantastic group soul 45 has been a mystery to me (and many others I'm sure) for many years.
Originally released in 1971, it was consequently pressed three more times, with different flip sides in the early 70s.
Northern soul, crossover soul, group sweet soul...
It now stands out as an obscure, overlooked, lost soul beauty, pressed on Henry Stone's Cat label out of Miami, Florida.

Producer, promoter, talent scout, label owner, distributor, and music mogul Henry Stone (1921-2014) is not only a legend in the development of the "Miami sound" and Florida soul, but soul music period.
Starting in 1948, he founded many R&B/Soul labels including; Chart, Dade, Alston, Cat, Glades, T. K., Drive, Dash, Marlin to name a few.

Who was/is 'Purple Mundi' ?
Still don't know. It has been documented that the 1973 third press flip, 'Man From The Sky' was in fact by soul singer Betty Wright and her many talented siblings, including her brother Charles Wright aka "Carlos Wright"...
(Note: not the same 'Express Yourself' 103rd Street Rhythm Band...Charles)

From what I could find, Jeannette, Phillip, Milton, Charles, and Betty Wright all or partially sang backup on 'Stop Hurting Me Baby'.

But my biggest question has still not been answered...
Who was the lead vocal/singer on 'Stop Hurting me Baby'?

Is this Milton Wright? Don't think so...I've listened carefully to Milton Wright's recordings and it doesn't sound like him...
Lead vocal could also be James Knight. From 1970 to 1978, James Knight & the Butlers recorded four 45 rpm singles, also on the Cat label. Does sound a lot like him. Just don't know for sure.

This recording is superb in its' production and arrangement. To my ears, really a perfect performance by a soul singer few soul sides achieve.
Perhaps others agree. In October 2015 a first press 1971 Cat label 45 sold for $1293.

This record has really been impossible to find. But the 'Outta Sight' record label in the U.K. has reissued the original recording with the 1973 flip.

July 3, 2015

Jazz Swing Orchestra/vocal ~ 1938


Podcast Hosting - Audio Hosting -



" The California Songbird " ... Ivie Anderson !

A swinging LP track taken from the 1973 Columbia double LP, ' Duke Ellington Presents Ivie Anderson '

All the songs pressed on this double LP are the original recordings from 1932 to 1940, and all feature Ivie Anderson on vocals.

' Swingtime In Honolulu ' also features some great solos by Johnny Hodges - alto soprano sax
Barney Bigard - clarinet, tenor sax
Rex Stewart - cornet
and the Duke - piano

Born in Gilroy, California in 1904, Ivie sang and toured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra from about 1931 to 1942.



a newspaper ad from 1939 - the St Louis Star-Times

78 rpm!
A first press from 1938 - Brunswick label