Vocal Group 45 of the Week!

 

Moo_Goo_Gai_Pan!

Crayons To Perfume Girls of the Week: The Two Of Clubs, a double dose of blonde ambition!

The Two of Clubs were a double dynamite duo of platinum blonde pretties from Ohio, who met working at Guys & Dolls, a local club. Linda Edmonson was married to the club's band leader, Carl Edmondson who also worked with the Fraternity Records label (and produced Lonnie Mack). Hence, Linda and Patti Valentine were released on Fraternity Records.
Walk Tall 'Like A Man' (a Verdelle Smith cover) is one of my all-time favorite girl group records, although short on the big, broad sounds so many girls used, the Two Of Clubs 'Walk Tall' still holds true to the sounds that make a record catchy like bells, and the Shangri-la's style finger snaps to open the track.




Their first single was a cover of Petula's Clark's fantastic 'Heart'. The Two of Clubs slightly less polished, non-orchestrated version sounds garagey and has a rawness about the production even though the girls vocals just soar together at times. It's a really great version!




1967's final record (and the girls final effort) was 'How Can I Be Happy' on the B-side, with Joe Meek-esque spacy organ sounds that make it sound more like a record from 1963!  It's written by Linda, who wrote several of the groups songs.



For the full story on The Two of Clubs, head on over to Spectropop! Where the whole world of girl groups and big, 60's pop sounds await you!


Crayons to Perfume is coming soon to WFMU's Ichiban Soul, hosted by Glynis Ward, DJ girlgroupgirl

Gene Norman's Son Presents

Sometimes, turning the keys of your jazz-heavy recording enterprise over to your son can produce strange and beautiful results.

Especially if you are Gene Norman, and your son has an otherworldly fascination with sci-fi monster music, and your son can actually compose, AND your son titles his sonic creations with names like "Tits From Mars."

Such is the case of Neil Norman who released a handful of science fiction themed LP's starting in the late 1970's.

But it was this 1974 single that started young Neil's career down the proverbial constellation hole. Kim Fowley certainly did his part in corrupting (?) Neil, producing and adding vocals to the scuzzy A-Side "Wild Boys."

Equal parts Zeppelin, T. Rex, New York Dolls, and Bowie, this anthem of debauchery includes such lyrics as:

"We are in the Wild Boys, satisfied by what you never tried."

The perky-titled flip "Tits From Mars" opens with a bassline eerily similar to Sabbath's "Children Of The Grave," but quickly veers off - warp speed - to boldly go where no record label owner's son has gone before.

Neil Norman still maintains ownership of the GNP Crescendo catalog, and hand delivered this single to Permanent Records in Los Angeles, CA.

Vocal Group 45 of the Week!

Munch!

Crayon's To Perfume Girl of the Week: Shirley Matthews, my Big Town Homegirl!

Shirley Matthews may seem like a one hit wonder with her fab 'Big Town Boy' (also the name of her backing band, the fab Big Town Boys from Toronto, Ontario who released fab records like 'August 32nd' on their own)but Shirley was much more than that.
Shirley was a telephone operator!



Originally from the small town of Harrow, Ontario - a small town near Lake Erie, across from Toledo, Ohio - Shirley moved to Toronto to work for Bell Canada and resided on Jameson Avenue, in the community of Parkdale. Shirley made extra money singing at Club Blue Note in the evenings, and was eventually discovered by Bob Crewe while he was visiting Toronto. Bob took Shirley to New York where they recorded 'Big Town Boy' for Canada's Red Leaf Records in 1963 (released on Atlantic in the US)- and the song rocketed to #10 on the Canadian charts and Shirley won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Juno awards in 1964!


Her follow up 'Private Property' released in '64 charted, but the two following singles 'He Makes Me Feel So Pretty' and 'Stop The Clock'(Tamarac in Canada and Amy in the US) -filled with those wonderful and typical girl group flourishes such as claps & bells, did not fair as well.


In 1965 Shirley, also an athlete, decided to settle down, get married, raise a family and become and entrepreneur in the fitness and sports field. Sadly Shirley passed away in 2013.

As a bonus, here are the Big Town Boys!


Crayons to Perfume is coming soon to WFMU's Ichiban Soul, hosted by Glynis Ward, DJ girlgroupgirl

B. Brock And The Sultans Do The Beetle

Whoever these guys were, they ripped.

Crown Records put out a fair amount of schlock in their day, but this 1964 LP release to capitalize on Beatlemania is in an entire league of its own.

"Do The Beetle" "30 LB. Beetle" and "Feed The Beetle" are all wild surf instro-burners worthy of single releases, but the off-key, unassured vocal cover of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" seals the deal that this off-the-rails kitsch long player would fade into record buying obscurity for years to come.

Happy birthday Herschell Gordon Lewis!

The great Herschell Gordon Lewis celebrates his 85th birthday today, enjoy this 2010 documentary on the one and only "godfather of gore"!

Crime Stoppers Atlanta

Red Dodge Nitro

Our dear pal and Ichiban co-founder, Greg G was the victim of a horrific hit and run on his bicycle this week in Atlanta, Georgia.  He is in stable but critical condition in the ICU at Grady Hospital.  Please keep him in your thoughts for a speedy recovery.  If you know anyone that lives in Georgia, please send them a link to this story.  The driver is still at large and there is a Reward fund that you can donate to.  If you'd like to send get well greetings, email ghostwave@comcast.net.

Ray Price - Invitation To The Blues (2:51)

Vocal Group 45 of the Week!

 

Hungry!

 

Crayons To Perfume Girl of the week - Miriam Linna: She's Everybody's Baby Now!

Miriam Linna has a brand new single and LP out NOW on Norton Records! The fab gal of Norton, Kicks Books, The A-Bones (who also have a new LP out on Norton), Kicks Magazine and yes, of course, The Cramps has knocked it out of the ballpark with a sweep of Spector/Mortonish 60's pop that will be music to your ears.
Here's a taste of Miriam's smashing live debut performance!




Out NOW is Miriam's first solo 45, 'My Love Has Gone' (Del Shannon) backed with an amazingly lush 'There Goes My Babe' - a cover of an early Neil Young composition.

Look for the new LP out June 10th, 2014 - "We tried to do meaningful songs that people may not have ever heard, a lot of 'em are lesser known songs" said Miriam when I spoke to her a few weeks ago. All of the songs are covers except for one, and all of you will be surprised at her choice of material, which is perfect for her style, and her voice such as the Ramones 'Questioningly' and Reparata & The Delron's 'I'm Nobody's Baby Now' which Miriam makes sound more like a Shangri-La's song.

Crayons to Perfume is coming soon to WFMU's Ichiban Soul, hosted by Glynis Ward, DJ girlgroupgirl  
thanks to Rare Meat for the footage!

Freddie King Shows Us What It's All About

King Freddy Shows Us What It's All About

Freddy Cannon! (From Village Of The Giants, 1965).