| Artist |
Track |
Comments |
|
Buchanen and Goodman
|
FLYING SAUCER [Parts 1 and 2]
|
From 1956 (and available on 78 RPM no less) this is the one that started the Shit Train rolling for Dickie Goodman and his partner Bill Buchanen (who had a whole lot of break ins on his own as well). Just for fun, look up Dickie Goodman in Wikipedia for an amazingly thorough discography (and keep in mind that they didn't have digital mixing in those days). While you're there, you'll note that he blew his own brains out in 1989 and that he spent a large chunk of his life dodging copywrite lawsuits.
|
|
Screamin Jay Hawkins
|
LITTLE DEMON
|
This is the flip side of Jay's biggest hit 'I Put a Spell on You' [Okeh 7072]. Rumor has it that he recorded the song so drunk he couldn't even remember doing it, so he had to relearn the song from scratch.
|
|
Royal Guardsmen
|
JOLLY GREEN GIANT
|
The Royal Guardsmen originally hailed from Ocala, FL and of course, their biggest hit is one of the biggest Xmas singles of all time ['Snoopy vs the Red Baron']. They decided to stick with the Snoopy/Red Baron thing for the bulk of their career, which apparently has made them well off enough that they didn't have to do a series of 'Reunion Concerts' to pay their bills. This is their cover of a minor Kingsmen hit.
|
|
Billy Lee Riley & His Little Green Men
|
FLYING SAUCER ROCK N ROLL
|
Billy Lee was the darling of the Sun Studios back in 1957 when this recording was made. However, the piano player on this record, some guy named Jerry Lee Lewis, made such an impression on Sam Phillips that he dropped the label's massive PR effort for Riley and went with Jerry Lee instead. Riley went on to start his own label but only enjoyed limited success before dying of colon cancer this past August.
|
|
Betty Hutton, Tony Martin, Phil Harris and Dinah Shore
|
HOW DO YOU DO AND SHAKE HANDS
|
This song was originally included in Disney's Alice in Wonderland and sung to great yawning by Tweedletwit and Tweedledork (the voice of J Pat O'Malley)
|
|
|
Music behind DJ:
Martin Denny
|
|
|
|
Bill Halley and the Comets
|
13 WOMEN
|
This was the A side of the biggest B-side in recorded history, and you damn well better know what it is. If not, here's a clue: Think Richie Cunningham. Perhaps the idea of the Apocalypse as the subject for a hit record turned radio stations to the other side of the record.
|
|
Linda Laurie
|
AMBROSE [Part 5]
|
For the record, there are no other parts and Linda wrote and recorded this while still in high school in Brooklyn. She also does both of the voices. She's had a pretty interesting career as a songwriter, her credits include 'Leave Me Alone,' 'Ruby Red Dress' and 'Delta Dawn' which were all hits for Helen Reddy. Her best, though, was 'Life is a Trippy Thing' which is a cult favorite picked up by Frank and Nancy Sinatra. Here's a clip of her on 'I've Got a secret' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-bQqsoMvQ0
|
|
Roddy Jackson
|
HICCUPS
|
George Roderick Jackson was a Califoirnia teenager almost literally swept off the streets to become a rock n roll star (shades of Stan Freberg!). He had 3 singles on the Specialty label (produced by Sonny Bono), but this was the biggest. It sits on the flip sides of one of the hottest records known to man, 'Moose on the Loose.'
|
|
Chips
|
RUBBER BISCUIT
|
Written by Charles Johnson and released on Josie Records in 1957. Memorably covered by the Blues Brothers in 1978 and others, it begs the question: What the hell is a Sunday-Go-To-Meeting Bun? Here's a clip featuring an amazing Dan Ackroyd: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYyBZE0kBtE. Wanna take a stab at the lyrics? Try this: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=53258. And here's an interesting remix by Taymaz Valley featuring Charlie Chaplain (you can't make these things up) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oFr-9xx-eQ
|
|
Nu Tornadoes
|
MAGIC RECORD
|
A quintet from Philadelphia (Phil Dale, Tommy Dell, Mike Perna, Louie Mann and Eddie Dono) they were regulars on American bandstand, but never really made it as hitmakers. Their biggest hit was 'Philadelphia USA,' written by Al Scalise and Bill Borelli, who also wrote this one.
|
|
Ganim's Asia Minors
|
DADDY LO LO
|
Released on East-West Records (a division of Atlantic) features Armenian Oud player Chick Ganimian. Catchy.
|
|
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters
|
FLOAT
|
Hank wrote many great songs, and it's a sin to think that most of the money and glory went to Chubby Checker for 'The Twist.' But Hank scored big with tunes like 'Work with me Annie,' 'Annie had a Baby,' 'Finger PoppinTime' and 'Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go.' Hank died of throat cancer in 2003 at age 75.
|
|
Billy Ford and Thunderbirds
|
MONSTER ROCK N ROLL
|
Swan Records #4002 in 1957. The flip side of the hit 'La-De-Da' by Billy and Lillie. Written by Bob Crewe and Frank Slay Jr, who gave us most of the Four Seasons biggest hits.
|
|
Playmates
|
THINGAMAJIG
|
Roulette records #4136 from 1958. Released right before they scored big with "Beep Beep'. They were originally called the Nitwits and were one of the first acts to sign with Roulette records. They had a string of novelty hits until about 1964.
|
|
Earl Brown
|
PACHALAFAKA
|
Sparing you the suspence, Pachalafaka apparently means a transvestite or a Turkish woman with a mustache. Written by Irving Taylor and appears on his 1958 record 'Terribly Sophisticated Songs' It was a bigger hit for Soupy Sales, who had Pookie the lion do it on his show many times. Also known for a stunt pulled by KWDM in Des Moines, IA. When they switched their call letters to KWKY, they played this song for 48 hours straight. Look up KWKY in Wikipedia for the full story (they don't have stations like that anymore, unless you count WFMU).
|
|
Earl Brown, Allen Davis and Joe Pryor
|
IN A CAFETERIA WITH YOU
|
Flip side of the above. If you look up Earl Brown in Wikipedia, you will learn (and I quote) "[he was] head coach of the Auburn Tigers from 1948-1950. He is notorious for his stretch at Auburn, where he went 3-22-4, including a record of 0-10 in his final season, when the Tigers were outscored 285-31." I don't think it's the same Earl Brown.
|
|
|
Music behind DJ:
Dick Dale
|
VICTOR
|
|
|
Jim Stafford
|
UNDECIDED [Single Version]
|
There's also an album version, which is longer and almost totally different. Jim is best known for 'Spiders and Snakes" (this is the flip side), "Swamp Witch" (the story of Black Water Hattie) and 'Wildwood Weed' (written by Don Bowman). Quite a life for Mr Stafford: he was raised in Winter haven Florida, where he played in a band with Bobby Braddock and Gram Parsons, he was [briefly] married to Bobbie Gentry, and now owns the Jim Stafford theatre in Branford, MO.
|
|
Pipkins
|
GIMME DAT DING
|
There were but two Pipkins (as limited by law): Tony Burrows and Roger Greenaway. Greenaway has a pretty long rap sheet as a composer ['Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress,' You've Got Your Troubles' and others]. Burrows fronted a few forgettable bands [Edison Lighthouse, White Plains, First Class]. This was their only hit.
|
|
Hedgehoppers Anonymous
|
IT'S GOOD NEWS WEEK
|
Only thing I could find was that the lead singer was Mike Tinsley, who had a minor career elsewhere and that these guys had another good song: Afraid of Love. Hear it here (and see a picture) through the miracle of youTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_pbZeQKlZs
|
|
Beach Bums (with Bob Seger)
|
YELLOW BERET
|
A 1966 single from Bob's first band. Withdrawn shortly after release out of fear of a lawsuit by Sgt Barry Sadler. Silly boys, Sadler would not be so petty as to sue, he would have gone right after them and kicked some long-haired ass!
|
|
By a Group Called Boston
|
ELAGEN SCHMERL
|
What the hell are these guys talking about anyway? No info at all (I have the record, but it's lost in the KBC Jungle). The label does say "By a Group Called Boston" though.
|
|
By a Group Called Boston
|
ODE TO BOBBY
|
This one's a little easier to figure out. It's an ode to Bobby Orr, the hockey legend who played for the Boston Bruins.
|
|
Procol Harum
|
GOOD CAPTAIN CLACK
|
Originally included on their first EP (which includes Homberg) and later included on CD versions of their first LP.
|
|
Barbara Feldon
|
99
|
Barbara was a former model with some great acting chops (I still get weak in the knees remembering her on that tiger rug for Top Brass!). She also appeared on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. before landing the role of Agent 99 in Get Smart. Today she's 77 and looks 35. This came from the Get Smart soundtrack (written by Martin Grudeff and Raymond Jessel). The flip is called "Max." You too can get a whole slew of Get Smart merchandise (including this record)at www.wouldyoubelieve.com/collect.html
|
|
Chipmunks
|
RAGTIME COWBOY JOE
|
Many of us remember fondly 'Cowboy Joe's Radio Ranch" with Paul Aaron on WKCR back in the 80s (last I heard, Paul went off and moved to a real ranch in Wyoming). Ragtime Cowboy Joe was his theme song and he scraped together maybe 50-100 different versions of it (most of which I have on tape - don't make me use them!). This one is from the Chipmunks very first record ("Let's all Sing with the Chipmunks") and reached #16 on the charts.
|
|
Eleanor Shaw
|
WHEN WE'RE LIVING ON TOP OF THE MOON
|
She's had a few singles along the way, but I couldn't find out anything about her. Sorry.
|
|
Leona Anderson
|
RATS IN MY ROOM
|
Written by Tony Burello ("The Sound of Worms") and recorded in the Holland Tunnel for Horrible Records ("If it's really a Horrible record, it's bound to be a hit!") Cool video alert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WbGK3Y6b4E
|
|
Betty Hutton, Tony Martin, Phil Harris and Dinah Shore
|
MUSICIANS
|
A leftover flipside from earlier on. Written by Tom Glazer and Charles Grean in 1951
|
|
|
Music behind DJ:
Dave Edmunds
|
CLASSICAL GAS
|
|
|
Trey Barker
|
VALLEY OF TEARS [Part 2]
|
No idea what happened to Part 1. Written by Bob Markley (of the West Copast Pop Art Experimental Band) and Baker Knight. According to OfficeNaps (www.officenaps.com - which seems to be currently inactive. Go there anyway for a shitload of great free downloads), Trey Barker is actually Baker Knight, who is an accomplished songwriter for people like Ricky Nelson and the Rat Pack. Released on Fifo Records, a Santa Monica label whose only LP seems to be the ultra-rare WCPAEB record, which I am dying to find.
|
Bitslap with KBC is also available as a podcast.
For more info on how to have the MP3 archives of Bitslap with KBC delivered automatically to your computer and/or MP3 player, visit our Podcast Central page.