BW's Saturday #88

 

"Glittering Sequence": THE WEEKEND MIX

 

On the surface this may appear to be a random collection of songs. But I wouldn't be lying if I said, the idea for this mix first came to me in 1981. And again years later. And once again in 2014. 

And here we are.

Back to 1981, I was throwing a birthday party for my girlfriend at the time and my friend Chris invited me to the DJ studio at Baruch College where he spun music for the college station WBAB. We spent the day creating mixed tapes for the party, and that's when I first heard the genius of The Beatles' "You Can't Do That" fading out into the drum intro of "Train In Vain" by The Clash. It also reminded me of how eerie the transition from "Poorboy Shuffle" into "Feelin' Blue" on CCR's "Willy And The Poorboys" was.

And so, for years and years, I've paid attention to transitions. As you know, I love sequencing songs and I saved some of my favorites in a folder. Unfortunately, you won't be able to experience the crossfades on this mix. I tried once, using that feature on iTunes and it was a shambles. But use your imagination and try to dig what's here. At the very least, it's a pretty good random collection of songs.

Plus, it sounds good altogether. 

 

TRACKLIST:

She Cries Your Name- Beth Orton
Ode To Billie Joe- Bobbie Gentry
Mais Que Nada- Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
Little Floater- NRBQ
Jane- Golden Smog
A Whole New Thing- Big Star
Poorboy Shuffle- Creedence Clearwater Revival
Feelin' Blue- Creedence Clearwater Revival
Rock Music- Charli XCX
I Get Lifted- George McRae
Time Of The Season- The Zombies
Feelin' Alright- Lulu
You Can't Do That- The Beatles
Train In Vain- The Clash
Rosalita- Brice Springsteen

DIG IT 

Pippin'

 

Cheetah Chrome, 1955-2026

 

Eugene Richard O'Connor, aka Cheetah Chrome passed yesterday.

 

I've listened to "Young, Loud & Snotty" and "We Have Come For Your Children" twice a month for almost 50 years. That's no lie. I was listening to "Young, Loud & Snotty" just a few hours before hearing the news. Another truth. I'm stunned.

 

I knew Cheetah for a few years in the early 80's. We shared a rehearsal space on The Bowery across from Phebe's, lovingly called The Pit. He'd pop in and out with his then girlfriend Gyda. It was always a blast. The band I was playing with at the time, The Bandits, with my long time friend Frank De Stefano and bassist Janet Rage, loved hearing him jam with with the guys in the back- Lower East Side legends Shebo, Mugsy and Elda Stilletto--and we particularly latched onto a Cheetah original called "Used To Be Fun," which we were lucky enough to play with him. (Somewhere out there is a cassette with some of that crazy shit.) "Fun," if memory serves, was also the name of Cheetah's dog. Cheetah was a wild man and he was also a sweetheart.

 

This hit me hard. It was unexpected. But then, it always is.

 

Songs Of The Week, 2026: 9/5-9/11

 

You Got The Love- Rufus
No Religion- Van Morrison
Life Is Good- Los Lobos
You're Doing It With Her- Rhetta Hughes
Life Is A Rollercoaster- New Radicals
Dead Finks Don't Talk- Eno
Submission - Sex Pistols

 

 

A few notes:

Chaka Khan has a new album ready to drop, as the kids say. It's called "Chakzilla" and I can't decide if I love or hate that title. I know I love "You Got The Love," a song with a pocket so deep, you'll need a miner's helmet to get out.

"No Religion" is my favorite song off of an okay Van album, "Days Like This."

I've seen the Rhetta Hughes track listed as "You're Doing With Her (What You Should Be Doing With Me)" and "You're Doing It With Her." I like the latter and I dig the track.

Thanks to cmealha who found yet another New Radicals track. This one is actually a Gregg Alexander demo written for the aborted second album, but then Ronan Keating took it to #1 in Ireland.

Enjoy.

It's HERE 

 

BW's Saturday #87

 

25 Years

I know I have my memories of this day, 25 years ago. They have not faded at all. Every second of that day is vivid, and some of those memories still occasionally haunt me.

 

"Never forget?" Come on, now. How could anyone forget?

 

Because of that shared tragedy, the nation came together, at least for a few days. Americans seemed to bond together in shared sorrow and determination. For a few days, there were no hyphenated Americans, no Irish, Italian, Native, Afro, Asian or Latin before the term American. People seemed to care for each other. 

 

That is something that we've unfortunately forgotten. 

 

Today we remember the dead, the heroes, those left behind without mothers and fathers, parents who lost children. We honor EVERYONE who did what they could to get all of us through the horror.

 

Tomorrow?

 

Well, I predict it'll be back to business, hating on skin color, sexual preference, women, and the litany of phobias that for a short time 25 years ago, mattered not.