You know those cartoons with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other? Curtis Mayfield might win the award for most dramatic switch from one team to the other. From “People Get Ready” and “Move on Up” to “Pusherman” and “If There’s a Hell Below” … it’s kind of impressive.
Month: November 2014
Crosby, Stills, & Nash
Neil Young gets an honorable mention here—once in a while he tagged along and turned them into CSN&Y. (Don’t worry—he also gets his own, much more interesting list). Not much to say about the other three—I think one (Nash, maybe?) hung out with Joni Mitchell for awhile in the 60s. And one of them must have hung out with Judy Collins, because I read somewhere that she’s the Judy Blue Eyes in the title.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
El Cerrito in the house! That doesn’t even sound right. Maybe that explains why CCR holds the record for the most #2 hits (six, I think) without ever hitting #1. No respect for El Cerrito.
Coup
When I first saw a picture of the Coup, I realized that I used to run into Boots Riley all the time—on BART, at coffee shops, etc. It’s probably just as well I didn’t know who he was—he doesn’t seem like the type to get excited about a middle-aged white guy asking for his autograph.
Count Basie
The guy at the shop (plug: MANIFESTO, Oakland) who sold me my bike is named Basie. I said, “Like the Count. You must get that all the time.” He said, “Actually, only from …” and stopped himself just before finishing with “older customers.” Nice save there, bro.
Clash
How come when white Brits incorporate reggae into rock/punk/whatever, it sounds natural and works—but when white Americans try to do so, it sounds like … white people trying to do reggae (I’m looking at you, Blondie).
P.S. Same goes for rap.
Chuck Berry
The fact that Chuck Berry’s only #1 hit was 1972’s “My Ding-a-Ling” tells you pretty much everything you need to know about race and the music industry in the 50s and early 60s. You’ll notice that “My Ding-a-Ling” doesn’t make the list.
Charlie Parker
In my perfect world, everyone would know a lot about Charlie Parker’s life and music, and nobody would know or care about Rhianna. I guess that officially makes me an old fogey.
Charlie Haden
Charlie Haden has a special place in my heart, because it was at a Charlie Haden tribute that I met my jazz buddy Marcia. On the down side, Charlie Haden died soon after. Betty Carter also died soon after the last time I saw her, not to be confused with Sarah Vaughan, who died shortly before I was going to see her. Warning to aging jazz stars: If I buy a ticket to your show, you might want to cancel that performance.
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus invited white Canadian folkie Joni Mitchell, of all people, to write lyrics for and record the last set of songs he composed before he died. If you need any more proof of the awesomeness of a man who wrote songs with names like “Pithecanthropus Erectus” or “The Shoes of the Fisherman’s Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers,” there you have it.
Playlist of the Day 