Sunday, June 20, 2021

Songs Of The Week, 2021: 6/12- 6/18

 


In The Still Of The Night- Frank Sinatra
First I Look At The Purse- The Contours
Bald Head- Professor Longhair
Secret Love- The Balham Alligators
Buffalo Grass- Todd Rundgren
Don't Let The Rain Fall Down On Me- The Critters
Strawman- Lou Reed

zip

In The Still Of The Night- Frank Sinatra
A friend and coworker used to say, "A little Frank to start off the day never hurt anybody."

First I Look At The Purse- The Contours
The Contours have one official full length for the Motown/Gordy label, but everything is on it, including this track.

Bald Head- Professor Longhair
Many years ago, on my trip home from my first New Orleans Jazz Fest, my friend and I had a discussion about essential New Orleans music. This conversation went on for weeks, as we tried to make a list of not only essential New Orleans records, but those that best conveyed the spirit without pandering. (Even the Preservation Hall Jazz Band makes you pay five times as much if you want to hear "When The Saints Go Marching In.") Someday I am going to post our 50 Top Records From New Orleans. This track is a preview. From the album "Crawfish Fiesta," a record we both agreed is Top 10, this is the Professor.

Secret Love- The Balham Alligators
The great Geraint Watkins, long time piano player for Nick Lowe, and his wonderful Balham Alligators, who convincingly pull off some Cajun rock, rhythm and soul. Fess took me here with that last track.

Buffalo Grass- Todd Rundgren
An internet only track that became a concert staple, I swear Todd has played this song in concert more times in the last 20 years than he has "Hello It's Me" in the last 50.

Don't Let The Rain Fall Down On Me- The Critters
Another gem found in that giant box of 45s. I still love "Bad Misunderstanding" more, but this Critters track is a close second.

Strawman- Lou Reed
Last word goes to Lou:

"Does anyone need yet another politician
caught with his pants down and money sticking in his hole
Does anyone need another racist preacher
spittin' in the wind can only do you harm,
Strawman, going straight to the devil"

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Must be something in the air, 'cause I listened to Graham Parker's "Live! Alone In America" -- one of my all-time favorite live albums -- last night, and here you have the Contours doing "First I Look At The Purse", which J. Geils absolutely killed (in the good way) on another of my all-time favorite live albums ("Live Full House").
"Bald Head" isn't on my favorite Professor Longhair album ("Rock N Roll Gumbo", which was re-issued in 1985 with a punchier remix that made it that much more immediate -- it sounds like he's playing next to you), but anything good by the man is great.
C in California

pmac said...

Nice comp - and, that Prof album is certainly a top 50 pick.

dogbreath said...

Thanks for posting the best SOTW zip since last week's, if only for the track from The Balham Alligators - a nice find plus the Nick Lowe connection. And to my chum who asked: no, the Sinatra tune is not the one on the Whitesnake album. Cheers!

Gene Oberto said...

Back in the day when this was a possibility, I walked up to the box office of the Sunrise Musical Theater in South Florida day of show and got a front row seat for the Lou Reed NYTOUR. Lou’, Mike Rathke, Bob Waserman and Robert Medici. Stunning show and New York is my favorite Reed album.