Sunday, May 9, 2021

Songs Of The Week, 2021: 5/1- 5/7



I Don't Need No Doctor- Nick Ashford
Battered & Bruised- Chuck Prophet
Electric Trains- Squeeze
Debaser- The Pixies
On Love- Skip Bifferty
Used To Be My Used To Be- Bram Tchaikovsky
Farewell- Rod Stewart

zip

I Don't Need No Doctor- Nick Ashford
Written by Ashford & Simpson, recorded by Ray Charles, made into a rock and roll standard by Humble Pie, this is the original, released as a promo only single for Verve Records the same year as the Ray Charles version.

Battered & Bruised- Chuck Prophet
From the "Feast Of Hearts" record, which I don't believe I have heard in its entirety. If I did, I recall little of it. But I love this track, so a revisit is in order.

Electric Trains- Squeeze
I've written about "Play" being Squeeze's lost masterpiece. I think "Ridiculous" is also pretty great and just as lost. This was the first single, I believe.

Debaser- The Pixies
If you're not a fan of The Pixies...or is it just Pixies?...this track is probably not going to get you on the bus, but it is a Top 5 for me.

On Love- Skip Bifferty
Members of Skip Bifferty went on to play with Peter Frampton, Mark-Almond, World Party, Ian Dury & The Blockheads and Ginger Baker's Air Force. This single is their first from 1967, and it's a psychedelic blast.

Used To Be My Used To Be- Bram Tchaikovsky
My second favorite Bram track.

Farewell- Rod Stewart
From the underrated "Smiler" album, and a fine way to close things out.


9 comments:

dogbreath said...

Thanks for the zipped up SOTW, especially the opener of which I was unaware, knowing only of the version belted out raucously by Steve Marriott & Co. I love a good Squeeze and I think "This Summer" was the lead single - this side of the pond anyway. Cheers!

Sal Nunziato said...

@dogbreath
I believe you are correct, re: "This Summer."

Anonymous said...

The Pixies have a such a strange arc. I saw many early shows and had everything - Pixies, Breeders, Frank Black, Deals, Josephine Wiggs - but now I've jettisoned all of it. I blame them, more than Nirvana, for the whole loud-soft-loud thing which they never seemed to outgrow.

A Walk In The Woods said...

Damn, can't wait to hear this original version of Doctor by Ashford & Simpson - yeah!

JAYESSEMM said...

Okay if Used To Be My Used To Be is your second favourite Bram track what is number one? I'd vote for Girl of My Dreams.

Nice bunch -- thanks Sal

Anonymous said...

When "Doctor" kicks back in on "Rockin' The Fillmore", even after all these years, I get goosebumps. Gawd I miss Steve Marriott and all his excess.
Couldn't imagine jettisoning "Doolittle" or "Surfer Rosa" or so much of the Pixies-adjacent music.
C in California

Sal Nunziato said...

JAYESSEMM,
Absolutely "Girl Of My Dreams," one of the greatest pop singles of all time!

Crab Devil said...

"Girl Of My Dreams" is great -- and so is "Sarah Smiles."

Anonymous said...

Good to see some Bram T love here on Burning Wood. Girl of My Dreams is the song that caught my attention. Also was a fan of Lady From the USA too. I would hear both of those songs on rock radio back in the day.

This Summer is the great lost single that everyone should listen to at least once every July. Shoulda been a hit!

Bill