NOVELTY ROCK EMPORIUM

DOWNHOME MUSIC

2008-08-21T19:23:00.008+02:00

Two great songs to attract your attention !

Two links below to find out more about the artists !

http://www.grantgrieves.com/bio.html

http://www.museumofthegulfcoast.org/Content/Personalities/Music_Legends/Johnnie_Allan

Grant Grieves - Shake It Baby

Johnnie Allan - Promised Land

Get On Your Knees And Pray

2008-08-10T18:15:00.006+02:00

Two songs to amaze and titillate your senses in the NRE. You can find the Donnie Jacobs track in the Ace Records collection 'Another Saturday Night' and I must admit it's one of my favourites.

The second offering is from Frank Starr aka Andy Starr, originally released on the Lin record label in 1955 and is pretty easy to find on various artist comps.

Donnie Jacobs - If You Want Good Lovin'

Frank Starr & The Rock-A-Way Boys - The Dirty Bird Song

This Is Where It Began

2008-07-29T20:58:00.009+02:00

As the title states 'This Is Where It Began' and hopefully for those of you who have followed my suggestion you may be hearing this beauty for the very first time.

Enjoy......................................................

Billy Davis and the Legends - Spunky Onions

It's Open Again

2008-07-18T12:22:00.008+02:00

Well I have decided to open up the Emporium for a short period and to post the odd track now and again plus I have also turned on the tape player.

I don't have the time anymore for many in depth postings but when I do finally post I really hope whoever listens to the track gets some enjoyment from it.

Big Ed & His Combo (Eddie Burns) - Biscuit Baking Woman

Cheers
The Rock & Roll Doctor

Sorry Closed

2007-05-06T14:46:00.000+02:00

Unfortunately I have decided to close the The Novelty Rock Emporium Blog as I have not found the time to continue both this and it's sister site Spunky Onions. Therefore as from today there will be no music.
Thanks for tuning in and maybe someday I will open the archives once again.

The Rock & Roll Doctor

A Song Poem For Adults Only

2007-03-08T16:34:00.001+02:00

I have had this track in my mind for quite awhile now but somehow I have either never got around to deciding whether to post it in this blog or I wasn't too sure whether I should. I came across it over a year ago whilst wasting time downloading a few tracks from the net and I was instantly taken by it's simplicity and also it's lyrics which had to be some of the most bizarre I had heard this side of G.G Allin.

'Stevie Wonder's penis is erect because he's blind' was a ludicrous line invented out of sheer boredom when John Trubee worked as a cashier in a convenience store in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1975. He'd scribble some poems and weird phrases on a legal pad and then sometime in the spring of 1976, he bought one of those sleazy tabloids you find in supermarkets by the check-out stand, keeping up to date on any UFO sightings and mass hatchet murders.
In the back pages of the magazine he scanned the little ads and saw: Co write on a 50-50 basis, earn $20,000 royalties, send your song poems to ..." some outfit in Nashville, Tennessee. Apparently he thought to himself, wouldn't it be fun to send those people the most ridiculous, stupid, vile, obscene, lyrics to see their response ? so he wrote the song 'Blind Man's Penis'.

Several weeks later he received a letter from the Nashville Co-Writers stating 'We have just received your lyrics and think they are very worthy of being recorded with the full Nashville Sound Production. ... I am enclosing a contract of acceptance. Please sign and return along with $79.95 to cover the cost for each song to be completed' ...

He signed the contract of acceptance and returned it with a check. Several weeks later he received a 7-inch record that had a label and grooves only on one side. Typed on the white label was the title 'Peace & Love'. The recording was as he has later stated the lamest, most minimal country track with a hack country singer singing the lyrics he wrote. One line was changed, they made no mention of Stevie Wonder and had the singer croon repeatedly 'A blind man' instead. Also enclosed with the disc (actually an acetate) was a photograph of Ramsey Kearney, the guy singing. He wore a butterfly-print polyester shirt, Ramsey looked like the perfect man to sing these demented lyrics.

Enigma Records eventually released John's version adding it to their catalogue and christening it with the new moniker 'A Blind Man's Penis,' and here it is.....enjoy !

~~John Trubee & The Ugly Janitors Of America - Blind Man's Penis~~

My mind was beautiful, and I was free
I Got High Last Night on L.S.D
My mind was beautiful, and I was free
Warts loved my nipples because they are pink
Vomit on me, baby
Yeah, yeah, yeah
A blind man's penis is erect because he is blind
It's erect because he's blind
It's erect because he's blind
Let's make love under the stars
Watch for UFOs
If little baby Martians come out of the UFOs
We f**k them yeah yeah yeah
And the gelatin oozed electric marbles zebra spilled its plastinia on bemis
Mother's titties died in Hell
And the Nazis want to kill, kill everyone
A blind man's penis is erect because he is blind
A blind man's penis is erect because he is blind
It's erect because he's blind

ALL RECORDINGS ARE FOR YOUR AUDIO PLEASURE ONLY BUT IF YOUR ARE OFFENDED BY THE PUBLISHING OF THIS MATERIAL OR WANT TO REQUEST THE AUDIO SEGMENT REMOVED THEN PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE RELEVANT POST AND I WILL REMOVE IT.

Country Hix's

2007-03-02T18:11:00.001+02:00

T.Tex Edwards is a native Texan and as his name suggests he has evolved from being a Punk Rocker with his band The Nervebreakers in the late '70s to a rabid Rockabilly rebel with The Loafin’ Hyenas in the late '80s.For his first solo LP, however, Tex decided to try his hand at Psycho- Country, covering the songs of previous masters of the genre together with the brilliant Out On Parole as his backing band. He joyfully sinks his teeth into 13 tales of murder and love gone bad. It is a record that brings together a selection of Country music's bleakest moments. T. Tex Edwards & Out on Parole was really a one-shot studio project helmed by Mike Buck of the LeRoi Brothers. Essentially, Pardon Me, I've Got Someone to Kill — the title is taken from an old Johnny Paycheck song, it is a novelty album but it is one that is done exceptionally well. All of the songs, from Leon Payne's 'Psycho' to Porter Wagoner's 'The Rubber Room,' are major lynchpins in the cult of 'psycho country' songs, and the performances are thoroughly entertaining. The album was originally released on Sympathy For The Record Industry Records (SFTRI43) sometime in 1989 but I think was later re-released by the French Record label New Rose. T.Tex also issued 'Lee Harvey Was A Friend Of Mine' as a single on SFTRI which was written by today's other featured artist below.

~~T.Tex Edwards & Out On Parole - Psycho~~

~~Homer Henderson - Lee Harvey Was A Friend Of Mine~~

Homer Henderson is the self-proclaimed 'Amazing One-Man Band' he is the country version of Weird Al Yankovic, writing and singing funny songs on a number of politically incorrect subjects and he also writes anthems for all the losers, loners and little people in the world. In reality, this is only one side of his musical makeup, his output also encompasses hard Jimmy Reed-blues and electronica. Other songs written by Homer include 'Pickin' Up Beer Cans on the Highway,' 'I Want a Date With a Cowboy Cheerleader,' and 'Hillbilly Pecker'. He collaborated with the Rock writer Nick Tosches on the album ' Greatest Flops And Golden Filler'. Nick had previously written 'Hellfire' a great biography of Jerry Lee Lewis. The album itself is was probably great fun to record, with some solid music in between the laughs.

According to the Dallas Observer in 1998 his "Lee Harvey Was a Friend of Mine" may come to be remembered as the greatest song ever written, better even than Springsteen's 'Highway Patrolman.'

ALL RECORDINGS ARE FOR YOUR AUDIO PLEASURE ONLY BUT IF YOUR ARE OFFENDED BY THE PUBLISHING OF THIS MATERIAL OR WANT TO REQUEST THE AUDIO SEGMENT REMOVED THEN PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE RELEVANT POST AND I WILL REMOVE IT.

Five miles out of London on the Western Avenue

2007-02-14T19:58:00.001+02:00

I'm certain as you travel through the world of music blogs someone else will have posted this track before me, mainly I think because it is a hidden gem amongst Mr Costello's back catalogue. The track first surfaced on the F-Beat Records 1980 Costello B-side compilation 'Ten Bloody Mary's & Ten How's Your Fathers' since then it has appeared on many of his re-mastered CD's that you can find in your local record emporium or on the net. It is nostalgic for me because The Hoover Building on Western Avenue, Perivale West London is a fine example of Art Deco architecture designed by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners who were a British architectural partnership responsible for the design of many Art Deco buildings in the UK in the 1920s and 1930s. Unlike many such buildings in London it survived the war and demolition. Of course nothing remains as it once was and now it is used as a fucking Tesco's supermarket.

~~Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Hoover Factory~~

Green for go, green for action
From Park Royal to
North Acton
Past scrolls and inscriptions like those of the Egyptian age
And one of these days the Hoover factory
Is gonna be all the rage in
those fashionable pages

ALL RECORDINGS ARE FOR YOUR AUDIO PLEASURE ONLY BUT IF YOUR ARE OFFENDED BY THE PUBLISHING OF THIS MATERIAL OR WANT TO REQUEST THE AUDIO SEGMENT REMOVED THEN PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE RELEVANT POST AND I WILL REMOVE IT.

I Don't Mean To Be Mean

2007-02-09T14:34:00.001+02:00

Rex Griffin

A Last Letter

In a genre overflowing with sad songs, Rex Griffin's "The Last Letter" may be the saddest of them all. Written and recorded by Griffin in 1937, "The Last Letter" has been covered many times since. It remains country music's most disturbing suicide song, deeply affecting in its plaintive simplicity.
Rex Griffin was born August 12, 1912 in Gadsden, Alabama. Not much is known about Griffin's life, but accounts paint him as a lonely, troubled man beset by diabetes and alcoholism before dying of tuberculosis at the age of 47 in New Orleans.
Griffin began his singing career in the early 1930s, working at radio stations throughout the South. Like many performers of the time, he began his career imitating Jimmie Rodgers, but soon developed a sincere, unadorned style of his own that had a measurable influence on honky tonkers like Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams. His career peaked in the late 30s when he recorded a total of 38 songs for Decca Records. None of them were big hits, but his songwriting was admired enough to get him eventually inducted into the Nashville Songwriter's Hall Of Fame. After his recording career ended, Griffin continued working at radio stations into the 1940s before health problems ended his singing career.
Even though "The Last Letter" remains Griffin's best-known song, he also wrote other country classics, including "Just Call Me Lonesome," which was later a hit for Eddy Arnold, and "Won't You Ride In My Little Red Wagon," recorded by Griffin's friend Hank Penny, who made it his theme song. Griffin also recorded the first country version of "Lovesick Blues." While Hank Williams was familiar with minstrel yodeler Emmett Miller's earlier rendition of the song, Williams modeled his version after Griffin's.
The sparse instrumentation, simple melody and Griffin's plaintive, anguished vocals transform those desperate, forlorn lyrics into something uncomfortably real and immediate. Even now, nearly 60 years after Griffin recorded it, the heartfelt pain expressed in "The Last Letter" deeply resonates.
Like the rest of Griffin's recordings, "The Last Letter" wasn't a big hit, but other artists quickly recognized its worth. It was covered a little over a year after it was recorded by the Blue Sky Boys, whose close-harmony singing and mandolin-guitar interplay gave the song the feel of an old mountain ballad, and the Carter Family performed it on the powerful border radio station XERA, with Sara and A.P.'s daughter Janette on vocals.
Later in the 1960s, Willie Nelson and Connie Smith both recorded the song.

Thanks to Twangin' for the information on Rex.

http://www.steamiron.com/twangin/

~~Rex Griffin - The Last Letter~~

This track can be found on the above CD - see link below for further information :-

http://www.bear-family.de/tabel1/backor/internat/g/griffin_rex/griffinr.htm

Millionaires And Teddy Bears

2007-02-03T19:23:00.001+02:00

If you hadn't heard of Kevin Coyne before you read these notes then shame on you but on the other hand if you have come across him before then I bet you will admit, just like I do that he was never a real easy listen and he had the knack of putting you on edge whilst listening to his music and often making you feel damn uncomfortable at times. He had a bluesy voice that was rough around the edges but was always powerful and often painful.

Before his untimely death in Germany in Dec 2004 he had released around 40 LP's on a variety of record labels, he also was a painter and a writer. My favourite book that he published was from 1990 and was called 'The Party Dress', it was a book of short stories with some drawings and if you want to enter the world of Mr Kevin Coyne then this book is a great place to begin. 'Eastbourne Ladies' can be found on his classic LP from 1973 'Marjory Razorblade' or on a kind of cobbled together early best of 'Sign Of The Times' from 1994.

Kevin Coyne - Eastbourne Ladies

Dixie Peach Parade

2007-01-29T20:37:00.001+02:00

I've never really been a big fan of the modern day trend for 'Tribute' albums and personally the only album of this type to really hit the mark for me was the Roky Erickson tribute 'Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye'. Today though I feature a track from another tribute record, 'More Oar A Tribute To The Skip Spence Album' from Birdman Records.

For those of you out there who are completely unaware of Skip Spence and might ask why anyone would want to record a tribute to him, well he was an early member of both the Quicksilver Messenger Service and the Jefferson Airplane. Skip ignited the three-guitar frontline of the great, psychedelic rock band from San Francisco, Moby Grape, whose 1967 self-titled debut is considered by many critics and fans alike to be one of the greatest albums of its era.
While recording the next Moby Grape album in New York (1968's Wow), Spence landed in Bellevue Hospital's prison ward after an incident involving an axe and a bandmate's hotel-room door. Freed six months later and eager to record a collection of songs he'd written in Bellevue, Skip headed for Nashville, where he wrote, played all the instruments on, and produced one last album as a functioning artist -- his so-called masterpiece, Oar. For the next 30 years, he drifted in and out of institutions, a diagnosed schizophrenic who basically disappeared and later died at the age of 52 .

Jay Farrar ex-Uncle Tupelo & Son Volt along with the Bottle Rockets' Brian Henneman with Dade Farrar sawing away on stand-up bass (aka the Sir Omaha Quintet) sound somewhere near perfect on their version of one of Oar's best songs, 'Weighted Down (The Prison Song)'.

Jay ~~Farrar~~ ~~& The Sir Omaha Quintet - Weighted Down (The Prison Song)~~

This is by far the longest track I have ever posted on the NRE so I just lie back and enjoy it !

Pick Of The Crop

2007-01-28T18:58:00.001+02:00

A forgotten English band that failed commercially Stackridge were nevertheless an interesting footnote in British Rock history of the 1970's. Orginally called Stackridge Lemon (the Lemon was soon dropped !) their classic line up released three LP's from 1971 until 1973, Stackridge, Friendliness and The Man In The Bowler Hat which is where today's post can be found. The music was often a mixture of English Music Hall, Folk, Pop and Jazz mixed together with a West Country feel. They are famous for playing at the first ever Glastonbury Festival in 1970 and this writer cannot forget their first appearence on the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973 when they performed this song.

~~Stackridge - Do The Stanley~~

Who Pumped The Wind In My Doughnut

2007-01-24T21:32:00.001+02:00

It's so nice to be back and re-open the archives once again, after my extended enforced absence which left the R&RD rather fed up and frustrated with the worldwide web. Anyway let's start anew with a bunch of buskers from Exchange Street, Portland, Maine. They play acoustic Jug Band style music with a smart lyrical twist. I bought their CD sometime last year from http://cdbaby.com/cd/halfmoon and have always liked this track alongside 'Tuna Noodle Baby', they released it sometime in 2001.

~~The Half Moon Jug Band - Space Man In a Jug Band~~

Can I Help You, Mate ?

2007-01-06T15:14:00.000+02:00

I'm not particularly noted as a film buff and I am always at least a year or maybe even two years behind everybody else in catching up with films on dvd etc. So yesterday I sat down on my own, closed the blinds and watched 90 mins of the best British thriller I have seen since 'Get Carter'. The film I watched was Shane Meadows 2004 film 'Dead Man's Shoes'. Now as this is a music not a film blog it gave me the chance to post the opening track to the movie which I thought was stunning. I was watching the beginning of the film and I was also trying to identify the song and it's singer. I had to wait for the end credits but it did confirm my initial thoughts that it was Bill Callahan (better known as Smog).

This track comes from his 2003 release 'Supper'. I most admit I do like Bill's work but find that there are a maximum of only one or two tracks per album that really ever standout for me and re-listening to 'Supper ' after watching the film I'm convinced that 'Vessel In Vain' is the best track by a mile and makes 'Dead Man's Shoes' that extra bit special.

~~Smog - Vessel In Vain~~

I want everybody in the whole stadium to stand up and sing with us

2007-01-01T16:18:00.000+02:00

Yes, I am the victim of a Basketball Jones
Ever since I was a little baby, I always be dribblin'
In fac', I was de baddest dribbler in the whole neighborhood
Then one day, my mama bought me a basketball
And I loved that basketball
I took that basketball with me everywhere I went
That basketball was like a basketball to me

Well it's the first day of another year and the second year that the Novelty Rock Emporium has been open for business.The NRE will continue to offer offbeat, unknown and sometimes forgotten eclectic tracks for you to be amazed by, often confounded and maybe also knocked sideways on occasions.
'Basketball Jones' was a song I always remembered and loved after seeing their cartoon video of the song on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test in the early 1970's (see the You Tube link below). Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong were a comedy duo who found a wide audience at that time for their comedy stand-up routines, which were based upon the era's hippie and drug culture movements. Cheech played a cholo from Los Angeles, while Chong was a burned-out 'druggie' whose entire life revolved around getting high.
The duo released a number of successful comedy albums and the classic film 'Up In Smoke' in 1978. Perhaps their all-time most famous line is "Dave's not here, man" (from their self-titled debut album).The duo separated in the 1980s due to creative differences.

~~Cheech And Chong - Basketball Jones~~

YOU TUBE LINK FOR VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KReGXDH20D8

ALL RECORDINGS ARE FOR YOUR AUDIO PLEASURE ONLY BUT IF YOUR ARE OFFENDED BY THE PUBLISHING OF THIS MATERIAL OR WANT TO REQUEST THE AUDIO SEGMENT REMOVED THEN PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE RELEVANT POST AND I WILL REMOVE IT

The Barflys And Slack Granny Live !

2006-12-06T22:22:00.000+02:00

At this time of the year everywhere you look there's a list. It's Christmas so everyone makes a wish list or an 'I want this list' (that's me actually). Just look inside any popular monthly music magazine, you will find categories. Album of the year, Re-Issue of the year, the best box set, number one artist (generally Bob Dylan) etc etc.
Was I the only one slightly disappointed in 'Modern Times' and thought the reviews were a little over the top - ( re-cycled old blues riffs and no credit given to the original sources, well maybe.....ok I definitely was).

Anyway I digress, my single of the year comes from The Young Knives five track EP ' Weekends And Bleak Days (Hot Summer). They are from Ashby De La Zouch and this track has a Syd Barrett feel and it feels good to sing along too.

~~The Young Knives - Worcestershire Madman~~

Another Happy Death Theme

2006-12-01T17:46:00.000+02:00

Ah, any song that pays 'respect due !' to Hank Williams, Karen Carpenter and The King is always worthy of attention and I think that the Young Fresh Fellows from Seattle, Washington just about got it right on this track. It comes from their 1987 LP 'The Men Who Loved Music' on Frontier Records. The YFF were certainly not grunge more rakish punk with a humourous edge - think England's 'Half Man Half Biscuit' and you are somewhere close. The group's first LP 'The Fabulous Sounds of The Pacific Northwest' is a great place to start.

~~Young Fresh Fellows - Hank, Karen And Elvis~~

ALL RECORDINGS ARE FOR YOUR AUDIO PLEASURE ONLY BUT IF YOUR ARE OFFENDED BY THE PUBLISHING OF THIS MATERIAL OR WANT TO REQUEST THE AUDIO SEGMENT REMOVED THEN PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE RELEVANT POST AND I WILL REMOVE IT.

The Lanes, You Must Visit The Lanes !

2006-11-27T20:44:00.000+02:00

~~Bo And Peep - Rise Of The Brighton Surf~~

I can't decide whether I like this song or not, you can find it on the compilation 'English Freakbeat Vol 6' on AIP records.The truth is that Bo & Peep were a one-shot offshoot of the Rolling Stone's Manager Andrew Loog Oldham serious efforts at establishing a Phil Spector-type music factory. American legend Kim Fowley was the lead singer with other musicians such as Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones helping out in the studio. This is a savage parody of The Animals "House of the Rising Sun." with a nod to the Mods versus Rockers battles that blighted English seafronts in the 1960's.

ALL RECORDINGS ARE FOR YOUR AUDIO PLEASURE ONLY BUT IF YOUR ARE OFFENDED BY THE PUBLISHING OF THIS MATERIAL OR WANT TO REQUEST THE AUDIO SEGMENT REMOVED THEN PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE RELEVANT POST AND I WILL REMOVE IT.

Who Listens To The Radio

2006-11-20T20:18:00.000+02:00

The Sports hit my musical radar approximately sometime around 1979. I'm sure it was on 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' but my memory is unclear on this point but this track impressed me enough to go out and purchase the LP. The band were from Melbourne, Australia and their 1979 LP with the same title as this track came out on Mushroom Records but was distributed in Europe by Stiff Records. The Sports were reasonably popular for awhile in New Wave circles but they broke up in 1981. Thinking about this era today I was also a big fan of another Aussie band, Cold Chisel at that time but have none of their albums tucked away in the NRE. I am indebted to 'The Twilight Zone' for recently posting The Sports LP and reminding me how much I enjoyed their music in the early 80's. I have also left a You Tube link - go watch and enjoy !

~~The Sports - Don't Throw Stones~~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SueMADFjnF4

Remember The Rubber Bishops

2006-11-11T19:50:00.000+02:00

Beautiful ladies in danger, danger all round the world,
I will protect them, because I am Chris de Burgh
Beautiful ladies in emergency situations
Beautiful ladies are lovely, but sometimes they don't take care,
They're too busy with their makeup, or combing their lovely hair
To take basic safety precautions

But I will protect them, I will save the pretty ones,
With their smiles and their sparkling eyes
But let the ugly ones die
I have no place for them, in my new world order
I won't waste my seed on hideous trolls.
Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill the trolls,
Hunt them down there shall be no clemency
Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill the trolls,
Look under the bridges - that's where they hide
(that's where they hide)
And beauty shall be my bride.

Ah ! Chris DeBurgh don't you just love him ? - well no, not really.
I never bought 'Lady In Red' and that's about the limit of my knowledge regarding his long career as a singer-songwriter. Bill Bailey Fact No. 1 - His Name is Mark. Anyway Bill Bailey does it all with much more panache. This track comes from the CD 'Bewilderness' that Bill recorded in Oct 2000 and tried very hard to sell copies at his gigs. For those of you not too familiar with Bill he is a stand-up comedian, actor and a fine musician. He has appeared in the TV series 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks' & 'Black Books' and he premiered his wonderfully funny show 'Part Troll' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2003.
Bill Bailey Fact No. 2 - He starred in a double act called 'The Rubber Bishops' with Mark Stubbs.
Enjoy !

~~Bill Bailey - Beautiful Ladies~~

ALL RECORDINGS ARE FOR YOUR AUDIO PLEASURE ONLY BUT IF YOUR ARE OFFENDED BY THE PUBLISHING OF THIS MATERIAL OR WANT TO REQUEST THE AUDIO SEGMENT REMOVED THEN PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE RELEVANT POST AND I WILL REMOVE IT.

The Last Chicken In The Shop

2006-10-29T12:30:00.000+02:00

I have already previously posted a track from the ROIR cassette compilation Singles: The Great New York City Singles Scene and here is another. Come On are one of the most forgotten bands of the late-1970s New York punk and new wave scene, Come On recorded the self-released single "A Kitchen in the Clouds"/"Don't Walk on the Kitchen Floor,," and then came up with "Disneyland." With the half-hysterical vocals of lead singer Jamie Kaufman, Come On were probably more similar to the Talking Heads than they were to any other major New York band of the time.That similarity with the Talking Heads didn't make them famous, however. Come On weren't nearly as good, and certainly lacked any of the pop hooks that the Talking Heads boasted from the very beginning.

David Byrne was a fan of the band and took David Bowie and Brian Eno to see them at CBGB's. There was a meeting with Eno in which the possibility of collaboration was mooted, although apparently nothing came of that. Jamie Kaufman has said that other admirers of the band included Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, the singer Klaus Nomi, artist Jeff Koons and actor Willem Dafoe none of whom were nearly as famous in the late 1970s as they would become.Two of Come On's members did go on to work with Nomi.

~~Come On - Disneyland~~

Forgive and Forget

2006-10-20T16:05:00.000+02:00

In 1992 ROIR Records issued a cassette - (remember them !) titled 'The Great New York Singles Scene . This was eventually re-released on CD and today we showcase one of it's featured bands. So for fans of Patti Smith, Television, Richard Hell, The Dictators, C.B.G.B's and Max's Kansas City - I give you Marbles. They consisted of four members including two brothers David & Howard Bowler and this single was a straight forward power-pop effort soon to be sent into the realms of obscurity but it has now been dusted off, placed on a turntable and digitally recorded for your appreciation.

~~Marbles - Red Light~~

Talk To The Hand

2006-10-11T17:48:00.000+02:00

Hello again, well I'm back feeling a bit wet and windy so to beat these Autumn blues here's some British Power Pop from The Jags. Formed in Scarborough in 1978 they signed to Island Records in July of that year and released a four-track EP.
On September 8, a single "Back of My Hand" entered the UK singles chart. It had a chart life of 10 weeks and peaked at No.17. "Back of My Hand" was included on their debut LP Evening Standard, which was released the following year. Their follow-up single "Woman's World" entered the UK chart on February 2, 1980 at No.75 before dropping out the next week. Their success was brief and they disbanded in 1982 leaving us with this pretty good track that never gets played on the radio.

~~The Jags - Back Of My Hand~~

"I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER WRITTEN ON THE BACK OF MY HAND"

ALL RECORDINGS ARE FOR YOUR AUDIO PLEASURE ONLY BUT IF YOUR ARE OFFENDED BY THE PUBLISHING OF THIS MATERIAL OR WANT TO REQUEST THE AUDIO SEGMENT REMOVED THEN PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE RELEVANT POST AND I WILL REMOVE IT.

Happy Slappy Holidays

2006-09-26T18:08:00.000+02:00

Yes, the Rock & Roll Doctor is taking some late relaxation time away for a week or so. Hope to see you all soon sometime after Oct 9th for my next terrific, exciting post from the archives of the NRE !!!

Undiscovered Heaven In The Seven Sisters Road

2006-09-24T18:23:00.000+02:00

Originally from Leyton an area in the East End Of London the Leyton Buzzards released their first single '19 & Mad' in 1978. They then entered and won a competition sponsored by the Sun Newspaper and Radio One to get a contract with Chrysalis Records. Their debut single reached no.53 on the charts in February 1979 and they even made in onto Top Of The Pops. Afterwards they changed their name dropping the Leyton part but they never made an actual album as Chrysalis released 'Jellied Eels To Record Deals'a compilation of singles and sessions. They did manage to record four John Peel Sessions. Nevertheless this track lyrically is classic snotty London punk with a reggae feel.

~~Leyton Buzzards - Saturday Night Beneath The Plastic Palm Trees~~

How Sweet To Be An Idiot

2006-09-18T22:26:00.000+02:00

The Grimms were formed in 1971 and released about three albums. They had quite a few band members who included Andy Roberts (Plainsong), Roger McGough/John Gorman/ Mike McGear (The Scaffold), Zoot Money and Neil Innes ( The Bonzos, The Rutles, Monty Python). This trackwas released as a single in 1976 on DJS Records and also appeared on their third album 'Sleepers'. I don't think I need to go on about The Wombles as they are such lovely creatures and very environmentally friendly and they don't even exist ! - sorry kids. Mike Batt who created much of the music surrounding the TV show was not amused and caused a scuffle once in a studio defending his furry friends.

~~Grimms - The Womble Bashers Of Walthamstow~~

From Wimbledon to Wembly Park
We bash Wombles for a lark
From Wimbledon to Luton, Beds
We play soccer wif Wombles 'eads

Skinhead Stomp

2006-09-12T18:39:00.000+02:00

This ska based instrumental reached number 9 in the pop charts in October 1969 and went on to became an anthem for ska-loving skinheads in the 1970's and was also popular amongst football supporters in the era of violence in and around matches. In fact the song is still played before kick-off at the ground of the current Premier League Champions. Harry J was in fact Harry Johnson a Jamaican record producer and studio owner recorded this single with his session musicians. Anyway that's enough information I'm off to lace up my 13 hole Doc Marten boots.

"C'mon let's 'ave it !"

~~Harry J Allstars - The Liquidator~~

Plimsouls or Green Flash ?

2006-09-05T19:10:00.000+02:00

OK everyone knows this track was on Blondie's 'Parallel Lines' LP and the single version was a top ten hit in the UK but does everyone know it was written by Jack Lee of the Los Angeles band - The Nerves.
Jack Lee, Paul Collins and Peter Case released the track on a four-song EP on power pop label Bomp Records. It was never released on CD until Rhino Records issued it in 1993 on the CD 'DIY Come Out And Play American Power Pop (1975-1978).
After The Nerves split Collins & Case formed The Plimsouls another well regarded power pop band and Peter Case then went on to have a moderately successful career as a solo artist, his first album 'Peter Case' and the follow up 'The Man With The Blue Post Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar' (both on Geffen Records) are definetely worth seeking out.

~~The Nerves - Hanging On The Telephone~~

Does This Bus Stop At Turnham Green ?

2006-09-03T13:11:00.000+02:00

Maybe I might try to publish a post on all the artists born in Chiswick, West London. On the otherhand I'd maybe do better to just try and concentrate on today's featured artist the underrated Ian Gomm. Ian was born in Chiswick and worked at E.M.I before he became a full-time musician in 1970 when he joined cult pub rock group 'Brinsley Schwarz'

alongside another one of my hero's Nick Lowe, with whom he wrote the classic track 'Cruel To Be Kind'. Ian stayed with the band until they split he then moved to Wales and later signed for London's Albion Records. Other than appearing with the Brinsley's alongside David Essex in the film 'Stardust' , Ian has now recorded over 10 solo albums. I remember buying this single in 1978 and it was taken from his 'Summer Holiday' LP at that time.

~~Ian Gomm - 24 Hour Service~~

We've All Been To The Kursaal

2006-08-27T18:00:00.000+02:00

The Kursaal Flyers were formed in Southend sometime during October 1973. They were offered early gigs in London by Doctor Feelgood at the Kensington pub.'Speedway' was their first single in June 1975 and appeared on their first LP 'Chocs Away. Their biggest hit was a single produced by Mike Batt - 'Little Does She Know' in Oct 1976 leading to Radio One airplay and an appearence on UK BBC chart show 'Top Of The Pops. Further success eluded the group and they disbanded in the Autumn of 1977. They later reunited in 1988 to perform the 'Former Tour De Force Is Forced To Tour' tour !

The Kursaal was a ballroom and amusement complex in Southend whilst the Kursaal Flyer was a mock steam train used as a carnival float.

~~The Kursaal Flyers - Speedway~~

My bike is getting rusty now, the one my fans admired. The track is getting dusty and my agent just got fired, and I don't think I can make it, cos I'm feeling kinda tired. And I'm feeling pretty shaky and my hands are getting sore, and I feel I'm nearly eighty though I'm only twenty-four, and I don't wanna ride the speedway, anymore.

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It's A Sick Sick World

2006-08-23T13:07:00.000+02:00

Born Eric Goulden, Wreckless Eric recorded for Stiff Records in the late 1970's. His first single the classic 'Whole Wide World' was produced by Nick Lowe. He toured alongside Nick, Ian Dury & others on the 'Live Stiff' package tours and has released countless LP's and later CD's on various record labels . He has formed groups such as 'The Len Bright Combo' , 'The Captains Of Industry' and when he moved to France 'Le Beat Group Electrique. This track can be found on Side 4 of the double LP 'Big Smash' on Stiff from 1980.
Eric has also written a biography titled - 'A Dysfunctional Success - The Wreckless Eric Manual'.

~~Wreckless Eric - The Final Taxi~~

FILE UNDER STIFF

AND REMEMBER PAY NO MORE THAN £3.99 FOR THIS RECORD

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A New Generation Of Blues

2006-08-18T13:01:00.000+02:00

Of all the hundreds of versions of this Muddy Waters song I think this version is one of my personal favourites. Alexis as hopefully most of you already know was in at the beginning of the British Blues scene and in the early 60's his band Blues Incorporated crossed paths with musicians who would later feature in such bands as The Rolling Stones, The Small Faces, Manfred Mann and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.

Alexis arrived in London in 1940 and was born of Turkish, Greek and Austrian descent. He formed Blues Incorporated alongside the great (now almost forgotten) harmonica player Cyril Davies. Cyril sings lead and plays harp on the track and you can hear their mojo working. It is from their 1962 LP 'R&B From The Marquee'. Cyril soon left the band to form his own R&B All Stars but died in January 1964. Alexis continued to be the Godfather of British Blues and became a DJ on BBC Radio one with his one hour 'Blues & Soul Show,' which I listened to on a regular basis for many years. Alexis died on 1st January 1984, 20 years after his friend Cyril.

~~Alexis Korner & Cyril Davies - I Got My Mojo Working~~

Above are covers of the original LP if you can't seek that out it was issued by RadioActive Records on CD in Nov 2003.

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The Red We Want Is The Red We Got

2006-08-17T18:29:00.000+02:00

Well !!
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends... or something like that.

This supposed hilarious and satiric tune is a different take on Peter Scott Peters' American original and was released the same year in 1961 on Oriole Records. The lyrics promote a life underground hiding after an atomic disater.
Brothers Mike and Bernie Winters were born Mike and Bernie Weinstein in North London in the UK in 1930 and 1933 respectively. During World War II the brothers served in the Canadian Army Show Unit where they honed their act. In 1955 the duo made their first television appearance on the BBC's 'Variety Parade' and shortly thereafter did a TV series titled '6.5 Special' which they appeared on until 1958. In 1962 the team appeared on ITV's 'Sunday Night At The Paladium' , from 1963 to 1965 they starred on the 'Big Night Out.' They followed this success with sketch shows such as the 'Mike And BernieWinter's Show.'
In 1978 the act broke up in acrimony with Mike moving to the U.S. where he still lives today and Bernie continued with Thames Television where he starred in a supposedly popular series titled 'Bernie.' starring alongside his St.Bernard dog 'Schnorbitz' who was probably the more popular of the pair at that time !
In 1991 Bernie Winters died of cancer.

~~Mike & Bernie Winters - Fallout Shelter~~

This track can be found on Germany's Bear Family's Records 5 CD Set 'Atomic Platters' featuring over 100 tracks which was released in August 2005.

I'm not scared
I'm prepared
We'll be spared
20 megatons is the size of the boom
And if they let it go, I'll feel no doom
Let the cats run about, helter-skelter
I'm gonna, live, live, live in my fallout shelter
I'm not scared
I'm petrified
We'll be spared
So if you want to be full of confidence
Get survival jazz and civil defense
You'll live like a king in your fallout pad
'Till the all clear sounds, we're swingin', dad
We're swingin', dad
So what?

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Dancing 'Til The End Of Time

2006-06-30T20:30:00.000+02:00

Just to let our faithful members know the archives of the NRE will now be shut until the 1st October 2006. This is for our summer holidays and for essential maintenance work on the archives to take place.
If you are in need of your weekly musical fix please feel free to consult our new alternative site at www.spunkyonions.blogspot.com
Today's final post before the closed sign appears on the door is a track from the highly regarded Evan Johns & The H-Bombs. Starting his career in the Virginia/Washington DC area Evan soon moved to Austin, TX and joined the LeRoi Brothers. Later he was nominated for a Grammy when he played on the instrumental twang album ' Four Big Guitars From Texas'. The Rock & Roll Doctor had the pleasure of seeing Evan & The H-Bombs live supporting the Fabulous Thunderbirds at Antones in Austin sometime in 1986. Live, Evan was a monster of a man with his crazy loud voice and manic guitar playing.

~~Evan Johns & The H-Bombs - Rollin' Thru The Night.mp3~~

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Tape Is Rolling........Go Ahead

2006-05-31T19:17:00.000+02:00

Years ago the NRE would purchase bundles of cheap 45's from a second hand record store in Twickenham, Middx. Priced between 50p - £2 we would buy anything American, slightly odd, any group with a weird name or just a single that had a great cover. This is how we ended up with The Frampton Brothers - Do The Chair (A-Side)/I Wanna Be (Your Furniture) (B-Side).
The FB's were a Pittsburgh based band (they weren't related and none of the group were called Frampton) in fact they were led by an Ed Masley. The band were very active in the 90's releasing LP's entitled 'File Under F For Failure', 'Don't Fall Asleep....Horrible Things Will Happen' and 'I Am Curious (George). They split in 1997, Ed formed The Breakup Society and this single on Pop Llama Records is the only recording by the group in the archive.

~~The Frampton Brothers - I wanna Be (Your Furniture) B-Side~~

~~The Frampton Brothers-I Wanna Be (Your Furniture).mp3~~

'I could be your lampshade - I could be your snack tray - I could be your chair'

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Here Come The Swells

2006-05-29T16:15:00.000+02:00

I am celebrating the rise of the English singer-songwriter again today. New Zealand born but raised in Kingston Upon Thames Peter Bruntnell has been on the alternative scene for awhile now periodically releasing albums of fine quality music. He plays quiet meditative rock with a slight Alt-Country edge. His first LP 'Cannibal' 1995 was titled the Peter Bruntnell Combination to relect the band playing on the record but since then he has issued albums in his own right including 'Camelot in Smithereens' 1997, 'Normal For Bridgewater' 1999 and then 'Ends Of The Earth' 2003 from which this track is taken.
It was given Americana album of the month by UK music magazine 'Mojo' and when reviewed by 'Uncut' magazine they stated that 'Rio Tinto' would be a monster hit in a just world.
His current album 'Ghost In A Spitfire' received further good reviews.

~~Peter Bruntnell - Rio Tinto.mp3~~

'If your driving in to Kingston and you're worried about the dust- Sit in the shade and drink lemonade - There ain't no need to fuss'

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Shake Some Action

2006-05-28T14:14:00.000+02:00

Beginning in San Francisco in 1965, playing greasy, bluesy, rock and roll the Groovies were destined to always remain on the fringes of mainstream American rock. They anticipated the later power pop movement of the 1970's and as they always seemed to have a larger more appreciative audience in Europe they moved to England in 1972. Andrew Lauder signed them to his Sire label and Dave Edmunds was brought in to produce.
Their greatest moment though was the 'Teenage Head' LP released in August 1971 on Karma Sutra records. Drawing on 50's Rock and Roll as well as such contempary influences as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones the subsequent LP was often compared to a more teenage version of 'Sticky Fingers'. The band continued well into the 1980's and even managed to be deported from England for possessing offensive weapons and cocaine.
Other recommended listening - Shake Some Action (76) & Flamin' Groovies Now (78).

~~The Flamin' Groovies - Teenage Head.mp3~~

I'm a monster
got a revved up teenage head.
Teenage monster
California born and bred.
Half a boy and half a man
I'm half at sea and half on land, oh my
Bye-bye.
Got a woman,
she's my hopped up high school queen.
She's my woman,
she's a teenage love machine.
She knows how to turn me on
and get me high and get it on and on,
yeah she does.

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Mono Enhanced Stereo

2006-05-18T19:15:00.000+02:00

This track was released on Stiff Records (BUY 012) in 1977. It was Max Wall's version of a song written by Ian Dury called 'England's Glory'. It is a roll call one assumes of everything Dury liked about England and where he could get English names, places, foods and personalities to rhyme within the framework of the lyric. Amongst the many Stiff singles that never sold this 'list' song deserves a special mention as it is in the same vein as Dury's later hit 'Reasons To Be Cheerful'. The track later surfaced as a live version by Ian & The Blockheads on the 'New Boots & Panties' remastered bonus CD.
Ian was a well known figure in the music biz so with this post I shall concentrate on Max Wall.
Max Wall was born Maxwell Lorrimer on 12th March, 1908 in Brixton. His parents Jock and Stella were stars of the music hall so he was probably destined to make the stage his career.
In 1919 he was nearly killed when a gas bomb from a German Zeppelin exploded and destroyed their house. The explosion killed his younger brother but Max was saved by his metal framed bed, which protected him from falling masonry. He became a comedian and is well remembered for his most successful creation Professor Wallofski. He later became well known because of his many appearances on TV and was described as 'the funniest comedian in the world'. Max died on 21st May, 1990 after a fall at Simpson's in the Strand. He was buried at Highgate Cemetery.
As usual I have printed some lyrics to the song but to match the spirit of today's post I have left you with a few couplets of Englishness from within the NRE.

English Bitter & Spam Fritters,
Stonehenge, The M1 & Penge
Desmond Carrington, The Crombie & The Harrington
Routemasters, Sticky Plasters,
Village Tea Shops & Top Of The Pops
Pick & Mix, Brian Rix,
Pie, Mash & Liquor & Alan Whicker
Rhubard Crumble, Mustn't Grumble & Don't Complain

~~Max Wall - England's Glory.mp3~~

There are jewels in the crown of England's glory
And every jewel shines a thousand ways
Frankie Howerd, Noel Coward and garden gnomes, Frankie Vaughan, Kenneth Horne, Sherlock Holmes, Monty, Biggles and Old King Cole. In the pink or on the dole, Oliver Twist and Long John Silver,Captain Cook and Nelly Dean,Enid Blyton, Gilbert Harding,Malcolm Sargeant, Graham Greene
All the jewels in the crown of England's glory- Too numerous to mention, but a few and every one could tell a different storyand show old England's glory something new.
Nice bit of kipper and Jack the Ripper and Upton Park, Gracie, Cilla, Maxy Miller, Petula Clark, Winkles, Woodbines, Walnut Whips,Vera Lynn and Stafford Cripps, Lady Chatterley, Muffin the Mule, Winston Churchill, Robin Hood, Beatrix Potter, Baden-Powell,Beecham's powders, Yorkshire pud
With Billy Bunter, Jane Austen,Reg Hampton, George Formby, Billy Fury, Little Titch.Uncle Mac, Mr. Pastry and all.
All the jewels in the crown of England's glory- Too numerous to mention, but a few and every one could tell a different storyand show old England's glory something new
Somerset Maugham, Top Of The Form with the Boys' Brigade, Mortimer Wheeler, Christine Keeler and the Board of Trade, Henry Cooper, wakey wakey, England's labour, Standard Vanguard, spotted dick, England's workers.

Looks like a young Paul Merton with a 'Max Wall Wig' !!

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Jesus Of Cool

2006-05-18T13:23:00.000+02:00

This track was orginally released as a 7"on Stiff Records (BUY1 14/8/76) so it is just under 30 years old but still sounds brilliant even today.
Produced by Nick Lowe and Jake Riviera it was the first ever Stiff !. Recorded as a publisher's demo for £45 all-in, Nick played all the instruments except the drums. An instant classic, rapidly selling out it's original pressing, the single with (B-Side Heart Of The City) heralded the start of the great British Indie label boom. Of course before all this Nick had previously been in Kippington Lodge then the rather more successful pub rock outfit Brinsley Schwarz before going solo first as a producer then as a singer/songwriter/bass player. Nick later married into the Cash family and wrote the classic 'Beast In Me' for his father-in-law Johnny.
In 1992 his song "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" was covered by Curtis Stigers on the soundtrack album to 'The Bodyguard' movie. The album then sold over 15 million copies worldwide, because Lowe received royalties from these sales, he suddenly found himself a millionaire not bad for a crap film was it !
Recommended listening includes '16 All-Times Lowes' which includes his best hit singles then the trilogy of albums released from 1994 to 2001 'The Impossible Bird', 'Dig My Mood' & 'The Convincer'. All superb examples of the underated craft of 3 -4 minute pop songs. Staff at the NRE have yet to see Nick play live so if your reading this Mr Lowe please get in touch.

~~Nick Lowe - So It Goes.mp3~~

'I remember the night the kid cut off his right arm
In a fit to save a bit of power
He got fifty thousand watts
In a big acoustic tower
Security's so tight tonight
Oh they're ready for a tussle
Gotta keep your backstage passes
'Cause your promoter had the muscle'

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I Had A Good Mother And Father

2006-05-16T16:46:00.000+02:00

Carrying on in the slighty eccentric cover version mode of the previous post I have decided to introduce everyone to Will Oldham. He is an American from Louisville, Kentucky who can be variously described as a singer, singer-songwriter and minor actor.
He now records under the name Bonnie 'Prince ' Billy and is greatly regarded by the music media as an oddball who flirts in and out of the Alt-Country/Americana scene.
He has previously recorded as Palace, Palace Music and The Palace Brothers. The Palace Brothers re-working of the traditional folk song 'Loch Tay Boat Song' into the 'Ohio River Boat Song' in 1992 has always been regarded highly by the R&R Doctor and his original 7" has been on the NRE turntable many times. Also included below is the original New Musical Express singles review that caused me to purchase the record over 10 years ago. It is too small for you to read but I quote from the last sentence 'Kill to find this single'.
The track has been issued on the LP 'Lost Blues And Other Songs' by Palace Music in 1997.

~~Palace Brothers - Ohio River Boat Song.mp3~~

'Catarina your lovely hair, has more beauty I declare than all the tresses there from Smoketown to Oldham County.
Be they black, red, gold or brown, let them hang to lengths below. They mean not as much to me, as a melting flake of snow.'

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The Earl Of Suavedom

2006-05-08T19:47:00.000+02:00

Forget the Sound Of Motown, forget the Mersey Sound and let's all definitely forget the Sound Of Music because these are all mere second raters compared to 'The Medway Sound ' and it's major star Billy Childish.
Deep in darkest Chatham, Kent, Billy has been leading an independent music revolution. He is a painter, an author, a poet and a prolific musician recording over 100 LP's.
He has been in The Pop Rivets, The Milkshakes, The Mighty Caesars, Thee Headcoats, The Blackhands and The Buff Medways (named after the local poultry) to name a few of his groups.
He is an old flame of Tracy Emin and his novel 'My Fault' is a tremendous powerful read.
He formed the anti-art establishment Stuckist Movement and is one truly modern English eccentric.
He also has a new compilation out entitled - '25 Years Of Being Childish'.

Previous Childish song titles include Art or Arse - Dustbin Mod - Poundland Poets - Case Of The Thundering Dunderhead - (We Hate The F**kin') NME - phew not the NRE !! and Thoughts Of A Hangman.

This Sex Pistols cover is played in a kind of cod-ska style and is rather enjoyable.

~~Billy Childish & The Blackhands - Anarchy In The UK.mp3~~

'I thought it was the U.K or just another country, another council tenancy, I wanna be an anarchist, Oh what a name, get pissed destroy !'

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Bridlington Fisherman's Song

2006-05-05T19:32:00.000+02:00

Well NRE fans I shall now dip our ears into the world of cover versions and British Folk music in one mighty stroke.
In the late 1980's I heard a track on the Andy Kershaw Radio show by fiddler Jim Eldon. Andy actually played two tracks if I remember correctly and I recorded them both. Sometime later I purchased Jim's cassette 'The Brid Fiddler'. On it was this cover version of Springsteen's 'Dancing in the Dark'. The difference between Bruce's and Jim's versions was that Jim played the fiddle and the vocals were strictly East Yorkshire not East Bronx. Jim had also added lyrics with a timely critique of the old Thatcher government.
Jim used to (and perhaps still does) work on the pleasure boats at Bridlington entertaining both the locals and visitors alike whilst playing the local folk clubs and pubs.
This track also found it's way onto the LP 'More Great Moments of Vinyl History' on Wrasse Records a second release seventeen years after Andy Kershaw's original compilation.

~~Jim Eldon - Dancing In The Dark.mp3~~

'Working for the grocers daughter - I just can't feel proud of myself - We came like lambs to the slaughter - Now we're just stuck upon the shelf'.

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Absence Makes The Heart Grow 'Fonda'

2006-05-04T22:04:00.000+02:00

Apologies to my 'many fans' out there in cyberspace for not posting any songs lately and in response to 'Anonymous' who left a comment yesterday about needing his fix I have opened the Emporium once again and browsed the archives for your pleasure.
I won't bore you with the details about my recent work commitments blah blah... but I can say that I have been suffering from a slight lack of enthusiasm for the NRE of late but hopefully I will be back on a more regular basis soon. So today I give you 'The Bootmen', I think they come from the Pacific North West Region of America but I have no idea how this track appeared and who they are but please enjoy it anyway.
This may be the way forward for the Rock & Roll Doctor less information, just let the music do the talking - we'll see !!!!!

~~The Bootmen - 1,2,3,4 (instru).mp3~~

Very much in the 'Spunky Onions' mold of Garage Rock instrumentals but none the worse for that comparision So ok let's begin

'1 2 3 4'

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Don't Be Fooled By The Name

2006-04-21T18:39:00.000+02:00

Geordie were originally called U.S.A but they changed their name after forging a strong live reputation in their native Tyneside area. They were a punchy, hard rock band very similar to Slade in the early 1970's. This track comes from their debut EMI Records album titled exactly the same as this track taken from it - 'Hope You Like It'. The album then yielded a top 20 hit 'All Because Of You'.
Obviously their main claim to fame in the back pages of English Rock history is that their lead singer Brian Johnson went on to replace AC/DC's Bon Scott four month's after his ultimely death and the subsequent album 'Back In Black' went on to sell 12 million copies worldwide. Geordie were quite popular in rock circles for awhile but they fell apart when Punk Rock arrived and Brian found himself working on commercial voice-overs before the AC/DC phone call arrived.
Other Rock bands to stir up memories from that era might be Nutz, Snafu, Grinderswitch, Foghat, Bachman Turner Overdrive and The Marshall Tucker Band but that's another story for another day.

~~Geordie - Hope You Like it.mp3~~

Geor·die1 (jôr'dē) n. Chiefly British.
A native or inhabitant of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, or its environs.
The dialect of English spoken by Geordies.

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Got a crazy pad down in Borneo

2006-04-18T19:15:00.000+02:00

Oh dear, I never said everything would be easy listening here in the NRE or that I would post a Led Zep track once a week.
So now that I have maybe prepared you for something a little bit 'out there' I can introduce you to........... Arch Hall Jr. a smiling, blonde, pompadoured failed sixties teen idol.
Arch starred in a few 1960's Drive-In B movies directed by his father Arch Hall Snr. Another Ed Wood of American cinema 'old' Arch made films with such fabulous titles as Eegah (a tale of cavemen in modern American) or others such as 'The Wild Guitar' or 'The Choppers' ( a gang of car thieves in search of choppable hot-rods to sell to unscrupulous garage owners, a bit like an early episode of Minder !). It was in the film 'The Choppers' that Arch Jnr. sang two of his own compositions Konga Joe & Monkey In My Hat Band. Now if Arch really gets you interested try checking out his collected 1959-1964 works titled most impressively 'Wild Guitar' on New York's Norton Records label.
I won't even begin to discuss the Hall boys other classic from 1965 - 'The Nasty Rabbit'.

~~Arch Hall Jr. - Konga Joe.mp3~~

'Pigmy village party do the jungle rock - Baboons laughing in the tree tops tall - Shrieking and a grinning and a havin' a ball'

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Naughty Rhythms

2006-04-17T19:10:00.000+02:00

Welcome to the world of London Pub Rock in the early 1970's.
Every night at the Hope & Anchor, Islington, The Tally Ho, Kentish Town and The Kensington, Olympia (all incidentally were Watneys pubs !) you can see such fine bands as Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers, Roogalator, Bees Make Honey, Eggs Over Easy, Brinsley Schwarz and this mob, Ducks Deluxe.
This track is from their 1973 self titled first LP. They were named after an amusement arcade machine found at the time in the Severn Bridge Service Station.
'Time Out' magazine even championed them as the 'New Rolling Stones' and they appeared on the OGWT. The Ducks were always at the forefront of the pub scene and they released another album straight after called 'Taxi To The Terminal Zone'.
The band disbanded as early as 1975 and most of the band found some further notoriety
Sean Tyla (formed The Tyla Gang and signed to Stiff Records), Nick Garvey (formed the Motors and had some chart success with 'Dancing The Night Away & 'Airport'). Bob Andrews and Martin Belmont moved on to work alongside Graham Parker in the Rumour.
For further information and a cracking good read checkout Will Birch's book 'No Sleep Till Canvey Island'.
Note: Doesn't this track owe a big debt to Lou Reed's 'Sweet Jane'.

~~Ducks Deluxe - Fireball.mp3~~

' I caught a midnight freight - The driver had to wait - He got my head real jammed ? - Driver be damned'

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Beware Moguera, The Giant Robot

2006-04-16T13:40:00.000+02:00

Perhaps the greatest ever Garage Rock single and perhaps the best Farfisa organ riff ever recorded. Rudy Martinez's (he of the question mark moniker) And The Mysterians (a mob of Tex-Mex youngsters) single hit the top of the Billboard charts in 1966 when it was released on Allen Klein's Cameo Parkway label.
It was orginally to be called Too Many Teardrops with the lyric ' Cryin' 69 tears' but the band changed the title and the digits and the rest is history. Allen Klein later refused to reissue 96 Tears so it was rerecorded by the band in 1997.
The track was no.8 in Mojo Magazines ' The 100 Singles You Must Own' list.

~~? And The Mysterians - 96 Tears.mp3~~

'You're way on top now - Since you left me - You're always laughin' - Way down out me'

The Mysterians was a Japanese sci-fi movie from 1957. Featuring a group of helmeted, caped space wanderers from the planet Mysteroid. They came to Earth from a temporary base on the far side of the moon (not the dark side Floyd lovers).

The Mysterians themselves are pure Flash Gordon bad guys, villains who nod in approval when Earth's puny weapons bite the dust, and rub their hands in anticipation of villages being wiped out by Mysterian-made floods. When Earth finally wins the intruders crawl back to their saucers and flee to their retreating space station.

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(He Must Have Been) Quite A Guy

2006-04-14T18:57:00.000+02:00

This is by far the longest track to be excavated from the archives and posted in the NRE clocking in at a mighty 6 mins and 32 seconds but in my opinion is worth every second.
The Colorblind James Experience orginally hailed from Rochester, NY. They were a seven piece lineup led by 'Colorblind' James (Chuck) Cuminale. He sang and played the vibraphone.
'Considering' was on their debut and self titled LP from 1987. The band found some limited success in the UK & Europe after some heavy radio exposure led by John Peel and Andy Kershaw. The music contained many different elements including those lost NRE favourites such as Polka and Cocktail Jazz.
They often performed acoustic sets as 'The Death Valley Boys' and went on to record around eight albums. Following the tradition of recent posts I have to inform you that James died in July, 2001 in his swimming pool reportedly from heart failure, aged 49.
Other famous vibraphone players include Jazz great Lionel Hampton and Milt Jackson from the Modern Jazz Quartet.

~~The Colorblind James Experience - Considering A Move To Memphis.mp3~~

'Somedays I'll order chicken, Somedays I'll order fish, Somedays I'll have piroshkis that's a Polish dish - And after bowling twenty frames, I'll sit and have a beer, Perhaps I'll meet a pretty girl, Who is a barmaid there'

I'm Considering - I'm Considering'

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Well I Ain't No Chubby Checker

2006-04-14T13:50:00.000+02:00

Today we are back in the world of 'twisty' R&B songs. It is hard to find very much information about this artist. I know he was born in New Orleans in 1940 and in the 1960's he was a moderately succesful songwriter. Jack collaborated with Otis 'Bumps' Blackwell writing the classic Jerry Lee Lewis song 'Great Balls Of Fire'.
Otis Blackwell was in at the beginning writing 'Don't Be Cruel' & 'Return To Sender' both were massive hits for Elvis.

'Bumps'

This song was the B-Side to 'The Wiggle' which was issued in 1962 on Belgium's Ronnex Records. Other than that I know no other facts about Jack and I'm not even sure if that's his real name. 'The Wiggle' & 'Wiggling Fool' can also be found on the CD's Las Vegas Grind Volume's 2 & 3.
Listen for the wonderful organ and hanclaps solo in the middle !! wow

~~Jack Hammer - Wiggling Fool.mp3~~

'Well I used to do The Slop - Then I did The Bop - But now I do The Wiggle - 'Cause I want to be the top'.

'I ain't no Joey Dee but I rock 'em at The Peppermint Lounge'

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I'm A Happy Boy - Hubba Hubba Hubba

2006-04-10T23:02:00.000+02:00

This is the first track and also the first single from the album
' Tales Of The New West' by San Diego's Beat Farmers released in the UK by Demon Records in 1985.
The Beat Farmers were key participants in the American Trad-Rock Renaissance that happened in the early 1980's. Alongside others such as Green On Red, The Long Ryders, Los Lobos and Jason & The Scorchers they toured and blazed a trail that had music critics fawning and British fans excited by their tremendous live shows and fine musicianship with the added veneer of hard drinking good old boys.
Led by a brute of a drummer called Country Dick Montana who sung in a ridiculous deep voice, he would always manage to contribute an awful novelty country song on every album.
The jubilant 'Bigger Stones' was written by Paul Kamanski who never played in the band but wrote songs on their first two albums alongside guitarists Buddy Blue and Jerry Raney.
Tragically as seems often be the case in most hard drinking Rock 'n' Roll bands two of the original members are both now dead.
Country Dick died onstage in 1995 of a heart attack and Buddy Blue passed away on April 2 this year also from a heart attack. 'Tales of The New West' was re-released in an expanded version last year on CD and includes their storming version of Neil Young's ' Powderfinger'.

'It seems like we rolled Bigger Stones back then'
~~The Beat Farmers - Bigger Stones~~

'Sometimes I wanna fall asleep and die off in a dream - The music takes me back to my own past when I was young and feeling mean'

Buddy Blue R.I.P

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It's Trad, Dad

2006-04-07T18:43:00.000+02:00

Oh No ! not 'Trad Jazz Dad' I hear you cry. Well yes and no is my reply.This single by Acker (real name Bernard) Bilk & The Paramount Jazz Band was issued on Columbia Records in 1960 reaching #7 in the charts. The song's most popular version is sung by Dean Martin but I really 'dig' this effort and discovered it years ago hiding in a pile of my father's old 45's. Acker taught himself the clarinet during his National Service and he enjoyed a string of hits from 1959-1962. With his trademark goatee, bowler hat and striped waistcoat he was a popular figure on TV alongside fellow jazz leader Kenny Ball. Acker continues to play today and I really enjoy singing along with the band everytime it lands my turntable.
Acker also starred in the 1962 Richard Lester film 'Its Trad, Dad' - Billed as the newest, most frantic fad! - a jazzed-up, mixed-up musical that's got "trad", dad!. The plot summary is about a hero and heroine who want to popularize trad jazz in their town. Some older people feel displeased about a trad jazz and try to prevent this !!!
It starred Helen Shapiro as Helen (imaginative), Arthur Mullard as Police Chief (plainly insane), Derek Nimmo as a head waiter (interesting), Frank Thornton as a TV director (early Capt Peacock role) and amazingly Deryck Guyler was the narrator which makes it now a definite 'must see' at the NRE.
Typically when released in the USA it was re-named 'Ring-A-Ding Rhythm (I despair)

~~Acker Bilk & The Paramount Jazz Band - Buona Sera.mp3~~

'In the morning signorina we'll go walking - Where the mountains help the sun come in to sight - And by the little jewelry shop we'll stop and linger -While I buy a wedding ring for your finger'

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Stars Of The South London Delta

2006-04-06T15:38:00.000+02:00

In his youth the Rock & Roll Doctor could often be found frequently enjoying himself in the back rooms of smoky pubs in the South of England watching great musicians who he knew would never sell thousands of records but who might just make an odd appearence on the OGWT.
On one such night in 1983/84 at The Grey Horse pub in Kingston, Surrey he saw his first gig by the Balham Alligators. Lead by the great Geraint Watkins in one night he heard a hybrid of musical styles that included Rock 'n' Roll', Blues, R&B, Celtic Folk, Swamp-Pop, Country, Swing, Cajun & Zydeco. Their raucous performance charmed and thrilled the small audience there but has not been forgotten. After the gig the band sold a single released on the Streetheart label (c/o Cringe Music) and this is it the A-Side, Oh Marie. The group went on to release 4 LP's The Balham Alligators - Life In The Bus Lane - Gateway To The South and A Po' Boy 'N' Make It Snappy. This post is my tribute to their original line up that evening. Geraint Watkins (Lead Vocals, piano & accordian ), Robin Mckidd ( fiddle and vocals), Gary Rickard (guitar & vocals), Pete Dennis (bass) and finally the wonderful Kieron O'Connor (drums)

~~The Balham Alligators - Oh Marie.mp3~~

'Bayou Boogie'

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Allons Cajun Rock 'N' Roll

2006-04-06T11:51:00.000+02:00

This track arrived in the NRE via an old Charlie Gillett compilaton on Oval Records, Kennington titled 'Another Saturday Night' - 16 Cajun & Louisiana Juke-box hits.
You can find Johnnie's version of this Chuck Berry song on Side 2 track no3. It differs slightly from Chuck's original as Johnnie sang two less verses and made minor changes to the lyrics .
Charlie later released it as a single and in 1978 it even made the London Capital Radio's top ten but had been kept out of the main charts by an earlier Elvis Presley version. Johnnie was an ex-teacher who was an ambassador for Swamp Pop and Southern Louisiana culture he has had two books published that document the history of 'Cajun Country' but nothing he did before or since will beat this two minutes plus of classic swamp pop.

~~Johnnie Allan - Promised Land.mp3~~

'Workin’ on a t-bone steak a la carte flying over to the golden state - The pilot told me in thirteen minutes we’d be landing at the terminal gate - Slow down chariot, come down easy taxi to the terminal zone - Cut your engines, cool your wings annd let me make it to the telephone - Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia, Tidewater four ten o nine - Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin’ and the poor boy’s on the line'

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Alehouse Rock

2006-04-02T18:14:00.000+02:00

The Sid Presley Experience lasted from 1983 to early 1985. This was part of their first 45' a double A-side with the instrumental track 'Public Enemy No 1'. The band split and the Coyne Brothers formed the Godfathers whilst the guitarist and drummer formed the less well known Unholy Trinity.
The Godfathers weren't exactly Pub Rock as they were heavier with a psychedelic influence. During the 1980's they cut a menacing look and were a fierce outfit on stage where they were poles apart from the new romantic poseurs of the day.
They were anti-Thatcher and recorded the anthemic 'Birth School Work Death' LP. Their line-up changed over the years but the Coyne brothers remained constant until they finally pulled the plug in 2000.

~~The Sid Presley Experience - Hup Two Three Four.mp3~~

'Never again because I won't no more - Be forced to do what I done before - I've had all that I can take of it - Tired of doing it for the sake of it - There has to be a break from it'.

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Too Many Cooks (Spoil The Soup)

2006-04-01T17:31:00.000+02:00

This our second Soul posting, is a 1971 release on the Holland/Dozier/Holland 'Invictus' record label. At the time The 8th Day were more a session supergroup rather than existing as an actual band. The single was rush-released to coincide with singer's Steve Mancha's other group 100% Proof (Aged In Soul) hit 'Somebody's Been Sleeping In My Bed' which sold a million copies and reached #8 in the Pop charts. Steve had written the 8th Day track and it had appeared on the Proof's debut album. H/D/H put together a group to match the record's success featuring his friend Melvin Davis on vocals.
This so-called group's other singles never matched the first although they did manage to dent the US charts but they soon fell apart alongside the Invictus label whose roster included Freda (Band Of Gold) Payne and General Johnson's Chairmen Of The Board..

~~The 8th Day - She's Not Just another Woman.mp3~~

'She taught me the meaning of giving - She brought me back from the dead to the the living - From a one room dirty shack - She washed the clothes on my back'

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He'd Be A Diamond

2006-04-01T15:16:00.000+02:00

Somewhere towards the back end of the NRE you can find rows and rows of shelves full of wondrous oddities and forgotten musical gems. One artist who has a shelf all to himself is Nick Saloman aka The Bevis Frond.
When you play any 'Frond' LP or CD you hear hints of folk rock, loads of 60's psychedelia and heavy rock with a pinch of English whimsy. Any artist who can name an album after a major London trunk road as in 'North Circular', will always be popular with the Rock & Roll Doctor. This particular track comes from his 1990 double sided opus 'New River Head'. Described by Nick himself in the CD reissue liner notes as a loose tribute to the lost rivers of London. In the humble opinion of the R&RD when looking back at his career I feel this album was his greatest moment. Track timings and the great volume of his recorded work have restricted me to this one offering. I find it easy to wax lyrical about the Frond or more engagingly 'The Bevis Font' as an ex girlfriend used to say.

~~The Bevis Frond - Down In The Well.mp3~~

'George, another pint of winter warmer - See the bubbles rising'

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If Yoy Want Me You Can Find Me

2006-03-29T19:37:00.000+02:00

Ah, time to dip into the obscure and varied world of 60's US Garage/Frat rock. This post is from a garage band who released two singles on the Ardent label in Memphis sometime between 1964-1966. The band had been originally called Bobby & The Originals but this was not deemed 'original enough' so the group came up firstly with Lawson and Something but this changed once again into Lawson and Four More. It was the B side on their first release (see above).

The track can be found on 'A History Of Garage Rock And Frat Bands Vol 2' (see above). One of the members of the group who moved onto greater things was Terry Manning whose later career was to be the sound engineer/producer for artists such as George Thorogood and on many ZZ Top albums. Don't forget to handclap !

'I was told long ago - That you reap just what you sow'

~~Lawson And Four More - Back For More.mp3~~

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Sunday Night At The London Palladium

2006-03-27T19:43:00.000+02:00

I first heard this track on a LP called 'Greasy Rock 'N' Roll Volume One' subtitled 16 Oily Rockers. I paid £2.50 and suddenly discovered Freddie Starr's best moment in showbusiness. Freddie (Fowell) Starr was lead singer in The Midnighters from 1962-1964 when they released 3 records on the Decca label and they all failed to dent the charts. I think in retrospect and considering some of the dross that did make the charts this track was a lost gem of early British R&B. In the 2 mins 30 seconds that it lasts we hear two short guitar solos so awful and so reminiscent of the Bonzos guitar solo parody in their track 'In the Canyons of Your Mind' plus one very average drum fill.........
Freddie as everyone knows went on to become a major celebrity but his first TV success came on the ITV show 'Who Do You Do ?'. This was a show of non-stop impressionism and Freddie was the top man with impressions ranging from Elvis to Max Wall, Norman Wisdom and sometimes the wrestler Adrian Street (remember him grapple fans !). 'Who Do you Do ?' ran for five series and has a lot to answer for as it provided early TV exposure to Dustin Gee, Little & Large and even more regrettably Michael Barrymore...oh dear.

The Liner notes on the LP are written by someone know as Norman Nobollocks.

~~Freddie Starr & The Midnighters - Peter Gunn Locomotion.mp3~~

'You move your feet and let your body do the motion - C'mon Peter Gunn let's have some fun'

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They're Lovely, They're All Fresh In Today

2006-03-26T12:53:00.000+02:00

It's nostalgia time today as we go back to the time when 78's ruled the musical earth. This was issued on Decca by Billy Cotton & His Band featuring Alan Breeze & Doreen Stephens. Alan was the male vocalist with the Billy Cotton Band for 40 years and was known as 'the man with the sunshine in his voice' which is a nice epithet to have. Billy was of course better known as one of Britain's long serving bandleaders and a regular every Saturday night on the BBC. He opened every show with his famous cry 'Wakey Wakey' followed by his theme tune 'Somebody Stole My Gal'. He was still popular when the final show was transmitted in 1968. Billy Cotton died in 1969 but Alan survived him until 1980.
Using Whelks as a motif maybe my regular contributors to the NRE could come up with more song titles that include seafood. There are the obvious ones such as 'Cockles & Mussels' - Traditional : 'Pulling Mussels from A Shell' - Squeeze but any more suggestions to add to the archive would be appreciated.

I am also indebted to The Desmond Carrington Show on BBC Radio 2 (every Tue 1900-2000) for introducing me to this wonderful song.

~~Billy Cotton Band - The Whelk Song.mp3~~

'If you don't want the whelks don't muck `em abaht - And move yer pram and let the others in (You're blocking the doorway) - Lovely two eyed kippers, take `em for the nippers - Take a hake or a nice cod steak - Roes or trout for the old man's gout'

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I'm A Plymouth Dealer, A Dealing Man

2006-03-24T20:02:00.000+02:00

The Barracudas formed in London sometime around 1977 and were led by Canadian Jeremy Gluck who was a writer on the weekly music mag 'Sounds'. The band named themselves after an old 60's garage band track by The Standells. They signed to EMI who revived the vintage label Zonophone for their early singles. This track appeared on the first album 'Drop Out The Barracudas' in 1980 and was also released as a single.
On the back cover of the LP it carried this small endorsement -
4 Great Guys: 3 Great Chords: 14 Great Songs !.
The novelty of this post other than being a wonderful surfing track is that the intro is an excerpt from an American 1960's radio advert for a Plymouth Barracuda (not a car to be easily found on the streets of GB) . Enjoy

Well it ain't Barracuda man but I think we got a hit record !

Trawling the internet I also found you can view this track on video when The Barracudas played Top Of The Pops in August 1980- mime away.

http://www.youtube.com/w/The-Barracudas---Summer-Fun?v=A4EfFSbLXNU&search=the%20barracudas

Summer Fun - For Your Pleasure

~~The Barracudas-Summer Fun.mp3~~

'I Can't Pronounce Baccaruda !'
'Ba-Ba-Ra-Ra-Coo-Coo-Da-Da'

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Corporation Cleansing Department

2006-03-23T20:06:00.000+02:00

With this post I have managed to deliver a track from this quite obscure American country/power pop band of the early 1980's namely Dumptruck. Not a great name particularly but they were college radio favourites in the US and had a minor hit in their local Boston area with this single which can also be found on their 1987 lp 'For The Country' which is still deleted at the moment but can be found here in the NRE. Taking dumptruck as a good reference point I can then ramble on about the forgotten TV sitcom 'The Dustbinmen' scripted by Jack Rosenthal. The first episode and subsequent series went straight to the top of the ratings in 1969. It starred Bryan Pringle as 'Cheese And Egg' and Trevor Bannister (of future Mr Lucas fame) as 'Heavy Breathing'. Other characters included 'Smellie Ibbotson' & 'Bloody Delilah' played by Mr Barrowclough himself .... Brian Wilde in the second and third series, yes it did last that long.

~~Dumptruck - Going Nowhere.mp3~~

'No One Listens anyway - It's just a waste of time'

'Pigging' - used as an expletive in the programme but by today's standards, rather tame

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Everyday, I Have The Blows

2006-03-21T19:41:00.000+02:00

At last and as previously promised it is time to pay our respects to the genius that was and I hope somewhere in heaven still is the genius of Vivian Stanshall. Lead singer and colourful frontman of the Bonzo Dog Band amongst whom he flirted with a variety of musical styles as they released four albums between 1965 - 1970.
Viv left the group in 1970 to launch biG Grunt. This track is from his 1981 solo album 'Teddy Boys Don't Knit', a collection of songs variously concerning old age, bicycle clips, alcoholism and repeated sneezing. Viv died in a fire at his flat in London sometime on 6th March 1995 (a date to remember). He really is irreplaceable and yet in his later years he was marginalised and often forgotten by the music business. His picture adorns the great wall of the NRE and we celebrate him always.

~~Gums - For Your Pleasure~~

'Trousers, wowsers, dungarees and jodphurs - Trying to find a pair to fit - Knickerbockers, plus-two's, easy-breezes - Legless in a bottomless pit'.

PS. Please go online to http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/petition-sign.cgi?MOUA
to request those lovely people at Warner Bros to reissue Viv's first solo album 'Men Opening Umbrellas'

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Harry Maynard, Harry Harry Maynard

2006-03-18T19:43:00.000+02:00

This superb parody of John Lennon's ' Give Peace A Chance' was never released on any Bonzo Dog Band LP's it missed the cut for 'Tadpoles'. This version was recorded as 'Sofa Head' on a John Peel radio show session alongside 3 other tracks 'We're Gonna Bring It On Home', 'Monster Mash' & Tent. The track not only impersonates John & Yoko, it lists British drinking habits of the period, has a dig at religion and features Viv Stanshall's wonderful array of regional accents. Neil Innes would of course go on to further parody The Beatles with his group The Rutles but I want to concentrate on the genius that was Viv Stanshall and I will review a track from his solo career very soon.

~~The Bonzo Dog Band - For Your Pleasure~~

'Everybody's talkin' about Light Ale, Brown Ale, Lagers, Babycham............'

'MACRO-BIOTIC MAN'

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I'm Going To Write A Musical

2006-03-18T14:04:00.000+02:00

This was the title track of Vic's 1993 LP and the idea for the lyrics apparently came to Vic in a dream. Vic was originally in at the beginning of punk rock with his band 'The Subway Sect'. They debuted at the 100 Club, London in 1976 but were not really a punk band at all as they were more influenced by French Pop, Northern Soul & The Velvet Underground.Vic was always the centre point of the group and was once decribed by Edwyn Collins (ex Orange Juice) as ' the best songwriter of his generation'. The Sects second 45' 'Ambition' sold 20,000 copies and topped the indie charts for nine weeks. Due to line up changes and contractual problems Vic quit the music scene for awhile and joined the GPO (as was) in 1986 to begin another life as a postie. This is where the R&RD met him as he often played in the same Postal football team as Vic who was as laconic and laid back on the field as he was off it. This could also be the only song ever written that mentions Effingham ! (although not the junction to disappoint those railways buffs out there)

~~Vic Godard - End Of The Surrey People~~

'I'M WATCHING YOU'
'From the Carshalton Beeches to Godalming - There'll be Colonels called Carruthers crying in their gin'

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Somewhere between heaven and Tesco's

2006-03-16T20:04:00.000+02:00

So back to normality for today's post. This underated hit reached the Top 30 in 1980. The band had begun as 'Guns For Hire' but after little success they changed their name to Department S the same as the TV series of which 28 episodes were shown between 1969-1970..

Dept S were led by frontman Vaughn Toulouse and the band persuaded Jake Riviera to release this their first single on his Demon Records label. It was single of the week in Sounds but future hits proved elusive and talented lyricist Vaughn was to die of an aids-related illness in 1991. All their singles and some live tracks can be found on the album 'Sub-Stance'.

The TV series starred 1970's sex god Peter Wyngarde as Jason King the main storyline to each episode was that when a case proved too baffling for the minds of Interpol they turned to the crime fighting talents of Dept S who were led by Sir Curtis Seretse (pronounced.. ?). The sexy Jason King character was so succesful it quickly led to a spin-off series of the same name

~~Dept S - Is Vic There ?~~

'I hear ringing in the air - So I answer the phone
A voice comes over clear - Say, is Vic there ?'

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Do It Like A Dog - Woof Woof

2006-03-15T19:49:00.000+02:00

Well, I have thought long and hard about this posting not because it's particularly rude but when you listen carefully and you really do have to concentrate through the whole song you get the general idea that it is obviously about a sexual position. The dog is the most intelligible voice on this recording apart from that odd croaking frog and Dean himself. I am indebted to Otis Fodder whose UBU website contains this mp3 under his entry for January 21st. Little is known about Mr Milan other than a homemade compilation known as 'Phattest Jams'. It is rumoured that maybe old Deano was trying to launch his music career so one has to understand that this recording was not trying to be comical but is a sincere attempt to break into the big time, well thanks to the wonders of the internet he probably has. The Rock & Roll Doctor does give his blessing to those who can't manage to play this all the way to the end !!

~~Dean Milan - For Your Pleasure~~

The pictures above are my representation of what this 'wonderful' music maker might look like - no offence is intended Dean.

For further info on Otis Fodder please go to www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/

'The only way to do it is to do it like a dog'

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Vampire Can Mating Oven

2006-03-12T20:04:00.000+02:00

CVB were formed in Santa Cruz, California. They played a mixture of musical styles including ska, punk, pop and country. These could often be heard together in the same song. 'Take The Skinheads Bowling' was probably their best song and can be found on their 1985 LP 'Telephone Free Landslide Victory'. They disbanded in 1990 and split into two new factions 'Cracker' alas without Robbie Coltrane in tow and the 'Monks Of Doom'.
~~Camper Van Beethoven - For Your Pleasure~~

'I had a dream - I wanted to sleep next to plastic' - I never had this sort of dream !
'I had a dream - I wanted to lick your knees' - possible, depending on the person and the circumstances ?
'I had a dream - it was about nothing' - if it was about nothing how did they remember it then ??

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More Gravy Please

2006-03-12T19:14:00.000+02:00

Dedicated to all you 'Chaps', this wonderful track can be found on the Sympathy For The Record Industry 2002 release
'Sympathetic Sounds Of Toe-Rag Studios London'. Located in Hackney, London, Toe-Rag extol the virtues of old-fashioned 1950's 8-track analogue tape machines and certainly acknowledge the influence of the weird 1960's bedsit sounds of producer Joe Meek. Information on Gustav is scarce but I don't think I could be very far from guessing that he could be the same Gustav Temple behind bi-monthly magazine 'The Chap' which is based on men dressing very nicely indeed.

~~Puddings & Pies - For Your Pleasure~~

Repeat after me
'Jam Roly Poly, Veal & Ham, Tapioca, Sheepshead & Bacon, Spotted Dick, Steak & Kidney'

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Country Songs for country folks.............

2006-03-11T18:51:00.000+02:00

The Rock & Roll Doctor is back - rejoice, rejoice I hear you cry.
This was a 1962 single released on Do-Ra-Me records. I know absolutely nothing about Mr Turner but this track was originally found on an Ace Records compilation ' El Primitivo American Rock 'N' Roll & Rockabilly', it is also to be found in the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame 'Legends List' (a rather long and tedious list to be truthful).
The track was a hit though for Carl Smith and according to music history he was a singer who performed 'straight ahead country songs' perhaps we could find a singer who cornered the record market in 'slighty looking back over the shoulder and then to the right country songs' !!. He was also known as 'Country Gentlemen' so he liked the odd sobriquet.
~~Houston Turner - For Your Pleasure~~

'Well, I got on my watch and my gold diamond ring - Got on my new suit of brown - I'm sittin' on your doorstep crying for your love - I'm the best dressed beggar in town'.

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A plague is upon us all

2006-03-04T10:26:00.000+02:00

This is a post the Rock & Roll Doctor never wanted to leave.
Unfortunately yesterday a virus struck not only the Novelty Rock Emporium Archives but also my PC. This tragic event caused me to lose all my software and some of the archive was lost. I have being working all hours to remedy the situation but feel it best to inform everyone especially those that are the most dedicated users of the Emporium that there will now be a delay of about a week or so before the next track is published. I wish whoever sent this virus the most hellish death and that they are forever cursed in some way or another.

Hersham Boys - Lace Up Boots And Corduroys

2006-03-02T20:19:00.000+02:00

Sham 69 were a punk band from Hersham, Surrey the working class neighbour to the the much posher London suburb of Walton On Thames. They brought the chorus style chanting of the football terraces to their songs at a time when football violence was almost an everyday occurence at matches. The band were often wrongly associated with the National Front. 'Hurry Up Harry' was their second top ten single in 1978. They released an album the same year titled 'That's Life' which the Rock & Roll Doctor assumes was named after the massively popular BBC TV series of the time . Maybe it was a punk homage to Esther Rantzen & also Cyril Fletcher (punk poet and armchair pundit famous for the punk rock cry of 'Pin back your lug 'oles' every Saturday night)

Altogether now viewers, let's sing along with Sham 69's Jimmy Pursey - We're going down the pub..............................

~~Hurry Up Harry - For Your Pleasure~~

'Now listen here Harry - If we're going down the pub - You'd better tell your mum and dad - And finish up your grub'

All recordings are for your audio pleasure only but if you are offended by the material or want the audio segment removed then please leave a comment on the relevant post and I will remove it.

Art & Artie

2006-03-01T20:30:00.000+02:00

Barnes & Barnes aka Robert Haimer & Bill Mumy are a musical comeday duo supposedly based in a mythological country called Lumania when in reality they are just two American odd balls . The track was released in 1979 and appeared on their first album 'Voobaha' in 1980. It was aired on Saturday Night Live the same year and I seem to remember the video on the OGWT around the same time it may even have caused Bob Harris to smile which wasn't always a pleasant viewing experience. The sound is like Pinky & Perky meets The Chipmunks but probably is all the better for it.

~~Fish Heads~~ ~~- For Your Pleasure~~

Fact No.1 & Fact No. 2

Apparently the fish head is commonly removed before eating. Fish Head curry is a popular dish in Singapore (unlike chewing gum)

'Fish Heads, Fish Heads - Roly Poly Fish Heads - Fish Heads, Fish Heads - Eat Them Up , Yum.

All recordings are for your audio pleasure only but if you are offended by the material or want this audio segment removed then please leave a comment on the relevant post and I will remove it.

Southern Wonders - The Rare Soul Man

2006-02-28T20:22:00.000+02:00

So now for something a little more serious but still seriously obsure. It's time to introduce a little soul into the Emporium and so today I have searched the archive to retrieve this track by Vernon Garrett. He is a journeyman soul singer of the old school. Issued on Kent Records in 1967 'Shine it On' is a superb funky effort made by the man who briefly joined the gospel group The Swan Silvertones before leaving to join the army. When he returned he then recorded as a duo with his wife Jewel but after a few years together she was to die tragically from cancer. His career stopped, he drank and drifted for many years (sounds like the Rock & Roll Doctor here !). Anyway he still managed to bang out some great soul along the way.

~~Shine It On - For Your Pleasure~~

Check out his other Northern Soul Classic - 'If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time' - which is a sentiment that might come in handy on occasions if we could.....................

All recordings are for your audio pleasure only but if you are offended by the material or want the audio segment removed then please leave a comment on the relevant post and I will remove it.

Never Trust A Hippie

2006-02-27T20:02:00.000+02:00

This track was on the B-Side of The Sex Pistols 1979 Virgin single 'Silly Thing'. Johnny Rotten had already bailed out by then. Both tracks also featured in the movie 'The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle'.
The film was to be orginally titled 'Who Killed Bambi ?' .

It's cast included such 'Great' British institutions as Irene Handl, Mary Millington and Ronnie Biggs. A comedy actress, a washed up 70's porn star and a convicted train robber living in Rio.

~~Ten Pole Tudor - For Your Pleasure~~
Tenpole Tudor's main man was of course Edward Tudorpole who later presented two series of 'The Crystal Maze' on Channel 4 which was supposedly watched every week by 4-6 million viewers ( maybe they would have been better of with an allotment)

'The crime of the century - Who shot little Bambi - Never trust a hippie - 'Cause I love punky Bambi'

All recordings are for your audio pleasure only but if you are offended by the material or want the audio segment removed then please leave a comment on the relevant post and I will remove it.

Every Band Has A Shonen Knife Who Loves Them

2006-02-26T19:32:00.000+02:00

Shonen Knife are an all female rock group from Japan who had some limited success in the USA during the early 90's. Literally translated their name means 'boy knife'. Blue Oyster is definitely my favourite track by the girls. It manages to combine a song about eating raw oysters and having a subsequent bout of food poisoning alongside a chorus celebrating the US heavy metal band BOC (could be another dodgy R&RD interpretation here !) . Apparently the girls are partial to okonomi-yaki (Japanese pancakes) and octopus balls, sounds like another great song waiting to be written.....

~~Shonen Knife - For Your Pleasure~~
'Brue Brue Brue Oyster...................Oyster Poisoning (apologies to any Japanese visitors with my lyric interpretation)'

'Kaki no tatari wa osoroshi'

All recordings are for your audio pleasure only but if you are offended by the material or want the audio sgment removed then please leave a comment on the relevant post and I will remove it.

'Walking down the Kings Road, I see so many faces'

2006-02-26T16:40:00.000+02:00

This wonderful forgotten punk track was on the TV Personalities 1978 e.p 'Where's Bill Grundy Now'
The band listed on the sleeve was Nicholas Parsons (guitar), John Peel (vocals & drums), Russell Harty (guitar) and Bruce Forsyth (bass). In retrospect they were almost certainly Ed Ball, Dan Treacy & Joe Foster. The band had started in Chelsea in 1976.
They later went on to issue in 1980 the 45 single 'I know where Syd Barrett lives' - lucky them !!

Bill Grundy (1924-1993) became infamous as the presenter on Thames Televisions "Today" progamme who interviewed The Sex Pistols in Dec 1976 forcing his employers to suspend him when he encouraged them to swear live on air.
PS
I expect everyone remembers Eamonn Andrews from the same show but does anybody remember roving reporter Monty Modlin ??

~~Part Time Punks - For Your Pleasure~~

'Then they go to Rough Trade - To buy Siouxsie & The Banshees - They heard John Peel play it - Just the other night'

All recordings are for your audio pleasure only but if are perhaps offended by the material or want the audio segment removed then please leave a comment on the post and I will do so.

Alias Dinosaurs

2006-02-24T18:29:00.000+02:00

The year is 1972 and the Rock & Roll Doctor is only 12 years old but even then he has his ears tuned in to the odd, the different and something that wasn't Glam Rock ! so he purchases this classic from his local Woolworths.
Later on of course the R&RD was to realise that the track was written by Jona Lewie and his band mates on the recording were actually Brett Marvin & The Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts toured with Derek & The Dominoes - I wonder if they played this to EC at the time.

~~Seaside Shuffle - For Your Pleasure~~

Down on the coast way past the town of Crawley;Where the breeze blows and the air tastes of the sea

All recordings are for your audio pleasure but if you want this audio withdrawn for copyright infringement please leave a comment and I will do so.

Louisiana High School Hoppers

2006-02-24T13:08:00.000+02:00

Is this the operator ??

Mr Marlo brings his Rhythm Kings to the studio and they cook up some Louisiana swamp pop on 'This Is Elbert Operator'. Originally recorded by J.D Miller in Crowley, South Louisiana.
Hands up everyone - who would now like to be known as Elbert , what a great name !!

~~Pete Marlow - For Your Pleasure~~

Instrumental number one

2006-02-23T19:04:00.000+02:00

'Spunky Onions(well maybe not !!)'
Billy Davis & The Legends instrumental 'Spunky Onions' was originally released on Peacock Records in 1960.
The B-Side was 'Goodbye Jesse'. I have no other information other than Billy may have been Canadian. This track often turns up on Las Vegas Grind Volumes.

~~Billy Davis & The Legends - For Your Pleasure~~

'Spunky Onions boy !'

2006-02-18T20:26:00.000+02:00

~~Benny's 1963 Recording - For Your Pleasure~~

2006-02-18T18:27:00.000+02:00

Benny Hill - Harvest Of Love

This 1963 recording is dedicated to Henry McGee RIP 26012006.

A typical example of Benny's light hearted British humour awash with silly puns and farmyard noises.

So we open the door and begin our pilgrimage into the fascinating archives of the

'Novelty Rock Emporium'.

2006-02-18T17:28:00.000+02:00

WELCOME TO THE NOVELTY ROCK EMPORIUM

This site is dedicated to revealing part of a wonderful music collection hidden away in the dusty archives of the NRE.
Once inside you can find the obscure, the weird and often the best and worst of popular music.
Our mission is to bring to your attention this music that has been wilfully ignored, music that has no 'X factor' mass appeal but demands to be heard. Tracks shall be brought out of the archives and posted on a regular basis. These tracks should be cherished as they have a safe, secure and loving home at the Novelty Rock Emporium.
Yours
The Rock & Roll Doctor - Cyberspace

LET'S BEGIN........................

All music posted on this blog is intended as a tribute to the artist but will be deleted if the artist or record company feels I am infringing their copyright..