James Moore aka Slim Harpo

1924-1970

Slim's first record was produced by Jay Miller for Ernie Young's Excello Records out of Nashville.  Jay claims it was his idea for Slim to have a gimmicky, nasal sounding voice.  "I'm A King Bee" b/w "I Got Love If You Want It" is a good place to start.

I'm A King Bee (1957)

I Got Love If You Want It

July Is Slim Harpo Month

Freedom Wins Again

Thanks to Jim Blanchard for sharing this patriotic themed comp!

Get it!

Adiós, Black Belt Jones

From FUNKY CRIMES: A radio spot for BLACK BELT JONES (R.I.P. Jim Kelly), plus "Get It" by Wilmer & the Dukes.

Get it, Jim...

You better open up your door...

Thanks, Debbie D, for asking me to sit in on Jerry Lee Lewis month. I had a blast! I'll leave you all with a bit of Star-Club madness:

The morning after Saturday night...

The Dark Side of the Force is strong in this one

What do I spend my spare cash on?  Commissioned artwork of my favorite musicians meeting fictional characters.   'Cuz I'm a nerd that way.

Illustration by JT Dockery

Jerry Lee Lewis - FULL version of "Jukebox" from the London Sessions

In one of those cases of "clueless producers completely botching incredible Jerry Lee Lewis performances" (the 60s and 70s are full of these unfortunate occurances) - here is a completely mesmerizing version of "Jukebox" from his 1973 album The London Sessions.  Near as I can tell the released version, itself one of the highlights of the 2 LP set, is an almost randomly edited version of this 8 minute drunken biographical yodeling rant, with TWO great solo breaks and enough improvised asides, hollers, and hilarious band directions to fill an entire mid 60s SMASH LP.  Considering the overall sloppiness of the Session recordings in general, how this recording was deemed unfit for public exposure is beyond this Ichibaner's comprehension - this + "Headstone on My Grave" would make for one of the greatest sides of uncut Jerry Lee ever.

Stop what you're doing and give yourself eight minutes to pay attention to this one (actually 15, because you want to take it twice, killer) and if ANYONE can tell me where to acquire a hard copy of this recording in better thanYoutube fidelity, please inform me in the blog posthaste.  Near as I can tell it's not on the Complete London Sessions CDs or any Bear Family Box Set.  The only reference I can find to its existence might be on an Argentinian Jerry Lee fansite, but then again my researches are pretty half-assed, and my half assing is not nearly as genius as Jerry Lee's.

Think about it:

"How Can The Devil Save Souls?!"

Sam Phillips and Jerry Lee talk Jesus, 1957

"The heartaches that pulled Jerry though..."

Jerry Lee Lewis month

In the mid 60s, the Killer would play anywhere that would have him. Silver Dollar Saloon at Terry Town, Loretto TN, July 1965.

Postcard via JERRYLEELEWIS.org

The Dubious Career of Kid Chocolate

By Ken Eppstein

"His soul-shattering show..."

Review of JLL show, Town Hall, Birmingham, England. April 20, 1964. Via Graham Knight.

Who was the last man standing?

The Killer and Keef. The Ritz Club, NYC. January 29, 1981. Photo via JERRYLEELEWIS.org

"I’m no angel, but I’m a pretty nice guy.”

Autobiography

The Many Moods Of Jerry Lee

 Thanks to Rob Santos for the link!

The Remains

Thank You

Resolute

 

1969. Climbing back.

Wine Me Up

Jerry Lee Lewis  -  Wine Me Up 

Greg Cartwright 7

Studio C

Greg Cartwright returns with a stack of wax for Ichiban!

Listen now!

Mello-Tones - Twistin' Guitar
Mel Street - Moonshine Man
Elmer Lush - Tavern Song
Marvin Rainwater - Gamblin' Man
Buck Jones - Box Of Grass
Charlie Starr - Solitary Woman
Red West - My Babe
Wild Bill Cooksy - Mississippi Hippie
Ray Griff - Sugar From My Candy
Mel Tillis - Loco Weed
Rose Maddox - What Good Will It Do
Eddie Noack - Shotgun House
Ilene Rushing - Shake It Baby
Dean Greer - Who Can That Fool Be
Freddy McDuff - Jack Daddy
Red West - Bossa Nova Mommza
Les Waldroop - Watergate Bugs
George Darro - Eye'n You Up
Jerry McGill - I Wanna Make Sweet Love
Betty Foley - Old Moon
Ricky Wilkins - Hang Loose
Loyd Howell - Truck Driving Jack
Zookie & The Potentates - Bachelors Got It Made
Ray Smith - Let Yourself Go
Jerry Reed - Twist-A-Roo
Mello-Tones - Walkin' Charlie
Dennis Wheeler - Rock Bottom

Self-portrait: "My name is Jerry Lee Fuck-up Lewis"

"There Stands The Glass"

One of the Killer's greatest honky tonk performances.

"'Cause I love the women. Women. Women."

El Rancho Hotel, Sacramento, CA, August 21, 1976

Via JERRYLEELEWIS.org

By Request, more Killer at the Star-Club

Jerry Lee Lewis 1963 at the Star-Club. (c) K&K.

The Further Adventures Of Charles Westover

Del Shannon - She

Howlin' Wolf

Today Howlin' Wolf, were he still among us, would be celebrating his 113th birthday (h/t John Funke).  Via the pages of the March 1972 issue of Ebony magazine, here's a glimpse of his home turf club in Chicago's "West Side ghetto."  The Blue Flame Lounge (aka Duke's Show Place) even incorporated Howlin' Wolf into their incredible sign.  It's a little tough to read but right next to the wolf, it says "HOME OF THE HOWLING WOLF."  I like it.

Jerry Lee Lewis month

Jerry Lee and Myra. Photo by Memphis Press-Scimitar.

Duane Eddy Steps Up To The Mic...And Sings?

Duane Eddy  -  Guitar Star

I don't know how many records Duane Eddy sang on, but here's the only one I have, the fantastic Guitar Star.  I've always imagined (okay, fantasized) that if the Untamed Youth got back into the studio to record another album, that this would be a can't-miss candidate for inclusion.  Just imagine Mace huffing out the all the grumpy old guy lines like "Gee, I wish someone would take his guitar away!" I swear they'd sell at least a couple hundred copies!

How 'Bout Some Ribs, Pretty Lady?

Bluesman Jimmy Rushing wasn't hogging the ribs.  As you can see from this 1955 JET photo, he was perfectly willy to share with exotic dancer Chinky Grimes.  Chinky, incidentally, was married to R&B guitarist and bandleader Tiny Grimes.

That Lucky Old Sun

One of the Killer's sublime 50s tracks that went unreleased until the 70s.

The Killer at the Star-Club, April 5, 1964

Via Horst-Dieter Fischer.

Boppin' At The High School Hop Indeed!

                                             ICONIC!

"Y'know, there's nothin' like tearing up a good club now and then."

Jerry Lee Lewis Month

Via Deke's Tumbler

Jerry Lee 101

This song was recorded in one take at Sun Studios.

"If I'm going to Hell, I'm going there playing the piano."

Promo ad, 1968

A favorite by "The Killer"

Something kinda tells me I'm gonna like it here...

Jerry Lee

June Is Jerry Lee Lewis Month

Jerry Lee Lewis - "Occupation - Rock 'n' Roll"

Live Like A King...

...The King of Western Swing, that is.

You can do so by purchasing Bob Wills' Fresno home, known back then as the Triple-B Ranch - named for Bob, his wife Betty, and their son Bob Jr.  The somewhat derelict house stands about 10 miles NE of downtown Fresno and it turns out a developer would really like to tear it down to build a subdivision of shiny new houses.  Local preservationists, however, are doing their best to save it and that's where you come in.  The developer has agreed to sell the house for $1, provided you move it and pay for all the associated expenses.  Google map

This is the house, by the way, where Wills resided during the time he and his Texas Playboys recorded the fabled Tiffany Transcriptions in San Francisco, one of the band's many artistic high water marks.  These were basically live recording sessions that were distributed to various radio stations for syndication purposes.

Mace And Grenades: Instrumentalists Sing

1 Johnny Otis: Willie And The Hand Jive
2 Al Casey & Corkey & The Bats: Give'n Up
3 Chet Baker: That Old Feeling
4 Woody Herman & His Orch. (voc Woody Herman): Misirlou

5 Albert Ayler: New Generation
6 Randy Rudolph (aka Boots Randolph): Percolator
7 Hugh McCracken: You Blow My Mind
8 The Cramps (ld voc Ivy): Get Off The Road
9 Little Beaver: I Love The Way You Love
10 The Clash, voc Paul Simonon: The Guns Of Brixton
11 Roy Clark: Thank God And Greyhound
12 Leon McAuliffe: Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
13 Little George Benson: She Makes Me Mad
14 The Ventures: Cookies And Coke (their only vocal ever?)
15 Jimmy & Duane: Soda Fountain Girl (Duane Eddy & Jimmy Delbridge)
16 Hugh Masekela: I Wasn't Made For These Times
17 King Curtis: Ridin' Thumb
18 Jack Nitzsche: Marie
19 Dick Dale & The Del-Tones: Those Memories Of You
20 Lonnie Mack: Where There's A Will There's A Way
21 Mickey Baker: Love Me Baby
22 Link Wray: Fallin' Rain
23 Doc Severinsen: Okefenokee
24 Cliffie Stone Orch., voc Speedy West & Billy Strange: Barracuda
25 Stuff Smith: Here Comes The Man With The Jive
26 NRBQ, voc Tom Ardolino: 1-2-3
27 Jimmy Page: She Just Satisfies
28 Jeff Beck: Hi Ho Silver Lining
29 Jerry Cole: Come On Over To My Place
30 Hal Blaine: Bang Bang Rhythm
31 Dr. Feelgood: Paradise (voc Wilco Johnson -- Lee Brilleaux refused to sing this one!)
32 Huey 'Piano' Smith & The Clowns: You're Down With Me
33 Wingie Manone (pic above) & His Orch.: Stop The War (The Cats Are Killin')
34 Ike Turner: Takin' Back My Name
35 Jimmy Nolen: Let's Try Again
36 Koko Taylor with Willie Dixon: Insane Asylum
37 Lionel Hampton: What's Happening, Baby
38 Moondog: All Is Loneliness
39 Oscar Peterson Trio: Calypso Blues
40 Charles Mingus: Eat That Chicken
41 Travis Wammack: There's A UFO Up There
42 The Sex Pistols (voc Steve Jones): Silly Thing
43 Hugh Masekela: Mace And Grenades

MACE AND GRENADES

Nick Tosches Month

Read 'em all!

Did That Really Happen? Solomon Burke Plays Country!

By Ken Eppstein 5/2013

Nick Tosches Month

Lyrics by Nick Tosches.

I'm In Love With Your Knees

By Nick Tosches and Austin Thomas.

Nick Tosches Month

Here's a great essay written by Joe Bonomo about our hero.