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February 27, 2010

Lux Interior RIP What's Inside a Girl? Chris T's Posts

Lux Interior RIP

For Immediate Release: February 4, 2009

Lux Interior, lead singer of The Cramps, passed away this morning due to an existing heart condition at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California at 4:30 AM PST today. Lux has been an inspiration and influence to millions of artists and fans around the world. He and wife Poison Ivy’s contributions with The Cramps have had an immeasurable impact on modern music.

The Cramps emerged from the original New York punk scene of CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, with a singular sound and iconography. Their distinct take on rockabilly and surf along with their midnight movie imagery reminded us all just how exciting, dangerous, vital and sexy rock and roll should be and has spawned entire subcultures. Lux was a fearless frontman who transformed every stage he stepped on into a place of passion, abandon, and true freedom. He is a rare icon who will be missed dearly.

The family requests that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.

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Elton and Betty White [listen] 22 Climaxation [listen] 23 Heat [listen] 24 I'm In Love With Your Behind [listen] 25 Little Dicks Fit Me Best [listen] 26 Sweet Little Pussy

Elton and Betty White

PART 2 LOGO 250 As promised, here are my final 25 cuts by the unforgettable Elton and Betty White.  I think that due to the shortness of their songs, one needs to hear rather a lot of them to gain a better feel for what they did. I suppose I should describe their music to those who haven't heard it, I keep assuming that WFMU reader/listeners know about them; the best and most I could say is that they sing straight from the heart about some earthy, patently human things, and what they may lack in skill as poets and players disappears under the weight of their charm. I didn't even expect to be doing Elton and Betty as my first couple of regular posts here on BOTB, but fate seemed to push them into this spot, in several ways.
By the way- I'm tickled to be here.

The second tidal wave of E & B hits after the break.

So many songs, so many happy memories of hearing and singing them with friends. Delightfully accessible, and yet not music for everyone. I enjoy the little moments in the performance where they aren't singing: Betty cracking up slightly when delivering the name of her song Jack-Off Time, Elton talking about his sombrero or bragging on the power of their music. I won't argue with Elton- I was an immediate fan like so many others. I will admit to being puzzled recently when trying to figure out what the heck key he was playing in on a particular song. I think it must be in the patented 'White' tuning.

On the technical side of this week's tracks, I need only point out that Betty's song I'd Rather Not Have Oral Sex was the unlucky tune on the original cassette that was bridging the first and second sides of the tape. In other words it has a split second missing in the middle of the song. Ugh! And such a fantastic piece, too. Let's hope we see a real release of that one someday!

By the way, I think that Betty's You're So Sexy To Me is one of the sweetest and most romantic mini-ballads I've ever heard. It's still touching to me in it's intensity after all of these years of hearing it.

Oh, and again I'll add the disclaimer that these MP3s are probably NOT work-friendly, nor good for babysitting.

Here are links for some crude cover art (by me), and a full tracklist for all 46 cuts.

Note: the track numbering of the MP3s this week picks up where we left off last time, with cut number 22.

22 Climaxation    23 Heat     24 I'm In Love With Your Behind     25 Little Dicks Fit Me Best     26 Sweet Little Pussy Cat     27 Alleycat     28 Dick Fell In Love With Sally     29 Take Me     30 Master of Love     31 Menopause Mama     32 Your Smell (It Makes Me Well)     33 You're So Sexy To Me     34 Please Help Me Bust My Nuts, and Eat With Me     35 Cajun Boy     36 Why Do You Make Me Eat (On Your Sweet Meat)?     37 Jack-Off Time     38 Foreplay Before Love     39 I'd Rather Not Have Oral Sex     40 Breast I'd Love To Caresst     41 Bitch     42 My Three-Feet Red-Hot Tongue     43 What Did I Ever Do?     44 Sounds of Love     45 God's Basketballs     46 contact info # 2

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Hypnotic Star And Superstar (mp3s and videos) Story by Jason Elbogen

Be Mesmerized By The Hypnotic Sounds of Star And Superstar (mp3s and videos)

Story by Jason Elbogen 

Star And Superstar - Mad Man Want To Marry Me

Superstar picNeville Lawrence ("Star") has had a presence on late-night television commercial in the Omaha, Nebraska area for a while, but he originally started performing right around here in New York City back in the late 1980's--when he says he played at places like The Arc and the Samy Hotel (where he shared a stage with Snoop Dogg in 1988). He had emigrated from Trinidad in the early 80's, and his unlikely path to from there to Omaha, Nebraska started on a New York City subway when he approached Ann, a tourist originally from South Dakota. Apparently, he'd caught her eye because he was wearing one of his many 'costumes' (all of which he makes himself--see videos). Neville asked her out right there, and Ann, apparently willing to go on a date with a costumed man in a early 1980's New York City subway station, agreed to meet him. Lo and behold, more than twenty years later they live in Omaha, and have a daughter together. One has to assume the costume was fantastic.

 Anyway, what do Superstar and Star sound like? Well, the Nebraska-area late night television commercial hawking Superstar's CDs describes the music as "a blend of pop and soul with Caribbean flavor and a message: Life is Worth Living. Superstar's music affirms his belief in discipline tolerance respect and peace. Be mesmerized by the hypnotic sounds of Superstar -- positive music for life."

I'd say 'hypnotic' is about right--although not very 'poppy' at all to these ears. Neville digs repetition; all his songs have him croon-moaning two or three lines of lyrics over an pretty much unchanging looped beat and pretty much unchanging looped synths effects, over and over and over for five to ten minutes (a bit like early rap songs, actually). A friend of mine recently told me he thought Superstar was primarily a video phenomena (and yeah, the videos are, ummm... rather striking), but I just spent the last ten minutes of my life listening to 'I am the Lover Man', a song off their "Superstar & Star In Sexy Girl" cd--and I don't regret it a bit. Neither should you.  Incidentally, if you buy CD's from Neville, you should know that even though he has recorded more than 20 "Superstar & Star" albums, they are ALL self titled!

More Star and Superstar music videos below the fold...


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February 26, 2010

Little Brother - Atari 2600

Solid Gold Dancers vs Hot Gossip - WFMU's Beware of the Blog - Station Manager Ken's Posts are sadly missed

Solid Gold Dancers vs Hot Gossip

Solidgoldposter_1 Those of us of a certain age (okay, in our 30s) remember spending our formative years fantasizing about what was lurking beneath the spandex of those incredibly sexy Solid Gold Dancers. As the most exciting part of Solid Gold, they commanded the airwaves with their weekly pop music countdown from 1979-1988 (though the dancing heyday ended in 1986, when most of the dancers quit the show).

But wait, you say you grew up across yon ocean in England-land? Well, then in that case you probably had the same exciting thoughts about Hot Gossip, the dance troupe that scandalized the average televison viewer and launched the career of Sarah Brightman.

Thanks to the seemingly omnipresent YouTube, you can now relive those Solid Gold and Hot Gossip moments, which have previously been locked tightly in the vaults of your memory.

First, let's meet the Solid Gold dancers.   Quicktime movie (21mb) or YouTube link.

Okay, the jazzercise work-out tights, flashy clothes, poofy hairdos, and vaguely informative song trivia (provided by legendary Los Angeles DJ Robert Morgan) are pretty dated. And it can be painful trying to watch the dancers attempt moves for even the most un-danceable 80s hits (The Miami Vice Theme, Starship's We Built This City). But my heart is with the Solid Gold Dancers, as it takes a certain kind of skill to keep things fresh and new - and they did it every week of the year (with a two hour end-of-year wrap-up to boot).

DarcelwynnEveryone has their favorite dancer, but for me the real allure of the Solid Gold empire was embodied by impressive lead dancer Darcel Wynne. Her flowing straight hair and cat-like ability to slink across the stage made her a stand-out, and her presence is the definition of commanding. Darcel was not a trained dancer, but just happened into the profession by landing a television gig at the tender age of 14 (she lied about her age). Solid Gold was the highlight of her career - though she is also one of the muses in Xanadu - and she unfortunately retired after leaving the show, settling in with Temptations singer Glen Leonard and finding God (always a showbiz career crippler).

Here's a collection of dances that focus on Darcel - starting with one of my favorite Solid Gold scenes, an Snakes on a Plane version of Living In America. Quicktime (22mb) YouTube

And here's another Darcel-heavy collection featuring her rather sexy version of West End Girls. Quicktime (20mb) YouTube

There are tons of other Solid Gold clips on YouTube, including the musical acts and the Solid Gold workout video, some of which I have collected here. Oh, and while we're at it, here's the Solid Gold Theme Song. MP3

Update: Don't miss Mark Allen's personal reminisces about the Solid Gold dancers on his blog!

Hot_gossip The Solid Gold Dancers became a worldwide sensation, but Hot Gossip were first. Organized by disco choreographer Arlene Philips, the Gossips were featured as a part of DJ Kenny Everett's music-video and comedy TV series in the late 70s. They were not confined to each week's top hits, instead picking from whatever full-length songs and pop artists they felt like highlighting. Their dances were risque, wild, over-the-top, and immediately popular, as you can see in this dance to The Flying Lizards' Money. Quicktime(9mb), YouTube.
 

Starshiptrooper_2 Sarah Brightman joined the group at the tender age of 18, and became the breakout star thanks in part to her resemblance to Kate Bush (both in look and dance style). Sarah moved behind the mic with a wonderfully cheesy Euro-disco track (a genre you know we love) that was inspired by the urge to cash in on late 70s Sci-Fi mania. I Lost My Heart To a Starship Trooper not only dropped inaccurate Star Wars references ("Flash Gordon's left me, He's gone to the stars/And evil Darth Vader he's been banished to Mars"), but was immensely danceable and cracked the UK top ten in 1978. See the video Quicktime(15mb) YouTube, or just play the song and make up your own dance.

MP3

With stars in her eyes, Brightman immediately left the group (who weren't really involved in the song anyway, other than lending their talents to the video) and formed "Sarah Brightman and the Starship Troopers". The rest of Hot Gossip hooked up with members of the Human League to make an all covers album (mostly Human League and Heaven 17 songs, though they also did a version of the Talking Heads' Houses in Motion). Both projects flopped. Brightman went on to be a musical stage star, marry and divorce Andrew Lloyd Webber, and eventually have a successful recording career (though I would argue that her output today is almost as cheesy as her Hot Gossip years - and not nearly as fun). Still, you can remember those glory days with more Hot Gossip clips, catalogued here.

Oh, and here's a little bonus. While searching "Solid Gold" on YouTube, I also stumbled across this amazing clip Franken & Davis on the show. Yup, that's Air America's Al Franken doing a pretty darn sweet Mick Jagger impression - though I'm sure Rush would say otherwise. Quicktime(11MB) YouTube

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