Thousands of people converging on the Camden, NJ waterfront. Lines of food and beverage vendors and Port-A-Potties. A zero-tolerance policy for glass containers. Radio personalities seated behind fences, shouting excitedly into microphones. The sounds of rock, soul, blues, folk, hip-hop, and alternative pop filling the air. A sensitive, delicate-voiced singer/songwriter......rapping. What else could it possibly be but the 2008 XPoNential Music Festival, the current name of the annual shindig hosted by WXPN, a leading public radio station based in my fair city of Philadelphia, PA. Thursday and Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday afternoon and evening. Loads of terrific live music for a terrifically low price, and a great opportunity to get sunburned in the process! This year was my first at the festival, and as an XPN member I enjoyed many perks, including the chance to meet certain artists whom non-members did not get the privilege of meeting. Top local acts and XPN favorites from other cities and countries graced two stages in Camden's enormous Wiggins Park, the large River Stage and the more intimate Marina Stage (there was also a Kids Corner stage). I didn't see every act, nor did I like every act I saw, but there was so much of interest at this year's event that I had to document some of the highlights for posterity. (Click on the links for images; I tried to post images directly to this blog, but they kept ruining the formatting.)
Day One: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Free for XPN members and Camden County residents (Camden County includes the City of Camden and many other municipalities in South Jersey). I didn't know what to expect, but I was getting into it and seeing a lot of familiar faces.
Kicking off the festival was Philly favorite Jim Boggia. I'd heard so much about this guy, yet I'd never seen him. After witnessing his powerhouse performance, in which he was supported by a mammoth 11-piece band, I had to ask myself HOW I'd never seen him before. An engaging performer with intriguing material, a soulful voice, and an irresistible sense of humor.
Image 1: When I met Jim Boggia, I told him he could call me either "SJ" or "Dibai." See how he signed my festival guide.
The Salvador Santana Band had me wondering if they'd be any good. See, Salvador is the son of Carlos; I'd hoped he wasn't just coasting on his famous name. I needn't have worried. Salvador's band delivered a high-energy fusion of hip-hop, funk, rock, and Latin dance music which attracted an impressively diverse crowd and had practically everyone from every imaginable demographic dancing. (Well, those who were physically incapable of dancing were probably nodding along!) Like his father, Salvador Santana knows the importance of surrounding his own talents with those of others. The Salvador Santana Band is truly an integrated unit in which the members trade moments in the spotlight, play off each other, and work together to bring on the good times.
Day Two: Friday, July 11, 2008
This was the day when I started thinking I didn't have the easygoing disposition necessary for a festival of this type and magnitude, and I seriously wondered whether I'd actually make it through all four days. But this was also the day that one of the food vendors told me I looked "chill." I am most definitely NOT a "chill" person, but this was such a "chill" festival that the, um, chills must have been rubbing off on me. This was also the day that I met beloved XPN deejay Matt Reilly, who was gearing up to leave Philly and go back to his former home of Austin, TX. Peace out, Matt.
The Brakes are Philly rock royalty. I'd seen them before about two years earlier and caught them on local TV recently, so my expectations were high for their festival set. Well, they didn't meet my expectations; they exceeded my expectations. A tight, solid band that put on a genuinely entertaining show and got the crowd (myself included) groovin' right along. I met most of them later on, and they were all very nice and truly appreciative.
Friday evening was my first time seeing the highly-touted Dar Williams, and she was a riot. If you like your brainy singer/songwriters to be hilarious on stage, you need to make it out to one of her shows. Being right across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, many artists referred to the city in which the festival took place as "Philly," but Dar Williams actually thanked the City of Camden for letting her call it Philly on several occasions! She was so charming and had such a fully realized stage presence that I keep forgetting she was the only one on stage.
As for Alejandro Escovedo, what word can I use to describe an artist whose arrangements included guitars that threatened to break the sound barrier and overdriven psychedelic cello solos? Oh, right: intense.
One Note Ahead readers know I like The Redwalls, and I saw them on the Marina Stage (my second time seeing them overall). I was especially taken by the personalities of the two brothers in the band, Logan and Justin Baren. Logan is the most prominent singer in the band, capable of a satisfyingly aggressive shout which gives his vocals a distinctive edge. Yet when I met the band afterwards, Logan was the silent one. He just sat there signing whatever people handed him but I never heard him talk to anyone and rarely saw him look at anyone. Mind you, he didn't come off as snobby; just withdrawn and perhaps shy. Conversely, Justin was quite personable. We fans were meeting the band under somewhat rushed, chaotic circumstances, but Justin was easygoing and took the time to talk with people who had something to say. Justin also struck me as the tough guy in the band, which I just had to respect, as I've had to play the role of "tough guy" many times in my own life.
Image 2: Logan Baren might not be the most talkative person, but he sure has a robust autograph. He almost shoved Jim Boggia's off the page!
Day Three: Saturday, July 12, 2008
Chill. That's the way I was truly feeling as this day progressed. I knew I'd have to come back on Sunday. Must have been something in the complimentary beverages available to XPN members. This was also the day that I had the pleasure of meeting David Dye, host of the nationally-broadcast public radio program World Cafe, which originates from XPN. And I made a few new friends as well. Always great to make new friends through music!
I was vaguely familiar with Wilmington, DE's The Spinto Band, so I checked them out. They played a fun style of indie rock, and even though they weren't the sort of band I could see myself becoming a huge fan of, I fondly remember trying to dance to their music while balancing the plate of hot food I was eating! (I didn't spill anything.) I had similar feelings about another popular local band, Fooling April: I couldn't see myself becoming a huge fan, but it was nice to see them.
A friend of mine who works at XPN was particularly keen to see two of the festival's acts, one of whom was Jesse Ruben. This friend of mine is quite fond of One Note Ahead favorites Matt Duke and Andrew Lipke, so I trust her judgment at least to a certain extent! In fact, I had seen Jesse perform a few songs at an XPN Philly Local concert in May, so I decided to try taking in a full set of his. He fits neatly into the singer/songwriter subgenre, the pre-blues John Mayer being an obvious influence; he has a good voice and a lot of strong material. In particular, his song "Point Me In The Right Direction" left me spellbound; its detailed story of a war veteran reminded me of an uncle who served in Vietnam and was never quite the same afterwards. Jesse was also eminently likeable, down-to-earth and personable on stage and off.
Image 3: Jesse Ruben signed my festival guide with a smiley face!
"She's basically Roy Orbison as a Jersey Girl, so I have no choice but to love her." That's how I described the fabulous Nicole Atkins to friends who were not familiar with her. I also told people that if I went to this festival and missed Nicole, I would not forgive myself. Even the most ardent advocates of forgiveness would have understood my sentiments if they'd seen Nicole and her band The Sea at the XPoNential Fest. Nicole Atkins & The Sea rocked. Yes, rocked. Nicole's music doesn't rock on record, nor does it always rock live. It seems to depend on the show; all I know is that she and her band laid down a heavier, more aggressive sound than I was used to hearing from them, while still retaining the focus on her sweet sweet melodies and her amazingly beautiful voice. It was loads of fun to stand right up front and have Nicole look down at me and smile whenever she caught me dancing; it was even more fun to watch her put her guitar down and rock out herself, her long brown hair and shiny blue dress creating a whirlwind of activity around her. I'd seen Nicole and The Sea once before at the top Philly venue World Cafe Live (which is actually located right next door to XPN and is named after David Dye's program). They didn't rock there, but they were wonderful all the same. Though I'd met her and talked with her after that show, I didn't expect her to recognize me at the festival. "That was three and a half months ago. She meets so many people. I mean, she might remember me, but I'm not holding my breath." So when I went to the meet and greet area and it was my turn in line, she smiled at me, gave me a hi-five, and said, "Hey, man! Good to see you again!" I replied, "So you remember me?" I still had my doubts, but she said, "Yeah......World Cafe Live, right?"
I think I was on Cloud Nine for the rest of the night.
Image 4: While waiting in line to talk to Nicole, I spotted her keyboardist Dan "Cashmere" Chen. Maybe it's because I used to play keyboards, but I am often drawn to keyboardists, and Dan is a damn good one. I asked him to sign my festival guide and his huge autograph hardly left any room for anyone else's! He must not be used to signing his autograph. Or maybe he just has a big ego!
And then there was Amos Lee. Soulful, bluesy, and just plain cool. Nothing more to say.
Day Four: Sunday, July 13, 2008
Exactly how much sleep was I not getting by this point? It was catching up to me, I tell you what. Still, I wanted to see some of the acts who were scheduled for Sunday, and I also wanted to see some friends who were planning on being there. So off I went for one last day!
Back Door Slam are the heirs to Cream's throne. The young British trio gave us a healthy dose of heavy, blues-based rock with rich vocals and wild guitar solos. The sun was really beating down on the crowd and the humidity was high, but we couldn't help moving to such energetic music. I didn't dare go to the meet and greet line because that thing was long enough to extend all the way to hell and back.
I don't know why I felt compelled to see Ingrid Michaelson. Going into the festival, I didn't have any strong feelings about her either way. Perhaps I just thought this would be a good chance to see what she's like in person. Or maybe I just really wanted to hear "The Way I Am" live. Having seen her on TV once, I thought we'd be in for a low-key, pleasant-but-uneventful set of mellow singer/songwriter music. Was I ever wrong about THAT! If Dar Williams was a barrel of laughs, the adorable Ms. Michaelson was two and a half barrels. She didn't even have to try; she just opened her mouth and unbelievably funny things came out. Audience participation played a big role in her set; she even taught us our parts, acknowledging that many of us were probably not experts on her music. And yes, she did perform the XPN (and Old Navy commercial) favorite "The Way I Am," but being sick of doing it the same way over and over again, she opened the song.....by rapping. And rapping. And rapping. At one point, she led us through an impromptu singalong on the theme from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As if her natural humor and charm weren't enough, I was impressed that she had WOMEN in her band! No disrespect to all the wonderful female artists with all-male backing bands, but it's nice to see a woman who actually employs female musicians; two women played right along with two men in Ingrid's fine band. Yes, Ingrid Michaelson is an easy target for critics because she has a sound which is common for female singer/songwriters of today. But she is a truly special performer with many quality songs, and I am now officially a fan.
One more thing: in the meet and greet area, most artists sat or stood behind a table, the separation between artist and fan well-established. Ingrid stood on the same side of the table as the fans who waited in line to meet her, talking face-to-face and letting us hug her! She has to get mad props from me for that.
Image 5: For some reason, Nicole Atkins signed under Ingrid Michaelson's picture, leaving Ms. Michaelson to scribble an autograph over her own forehead!
I was fading fast, and I knew I couldn't stay at the festival 'til the end. But remember my friend who so wanted to see Jesse Ruben? I was intrigued that the other act she most wanted to see was Matt Nathanson. What a pleasure it was to hear and see him. An enjoyable singer/songwriter with a lot of heart and soul and an off-the-wall sense of humor. He was at times snarky and at times inappropriate for an ostensibly family-friendly event, but he made me laugh regardless. I also have to hand it to him for demonstrating why the folks running this event should not have allowed artists to do their grand finales only to say, "Let's have another song!" Matt Nathanson did a wonderful grand finale in which he engaged the audience in a rousing singalong. Then someone in a position of power had him come out and do another song, and he admitted that he had no idea what to play because he hadn't planned on doing an encore. Fortunately, his former touring buddy Ingrid Michaelson was observing him from the rear of the stage, so he brought her up to duet with him. Even more fortunately, the duet worked.
And that was it for me. There was more festival left, but I was half asleep and ready to call it a day...weekend...weekend plus. Whatever. It was a rollercoaster ride, but the highs were incredibly high and the pleasant surprises especially sweet. I'm already looking forward to next year's event. Are the tickets available yet???
Missed the festival? Didn't miss it but want to relive it? No problem: http://www.xpn.org/festival08/media.php
Original text copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
One Note Ahead Update
What times these have been! Last December, I reached two major turning points, one right after the other. First, I joined the indie music website Crunkbox as a staff writer. Days later, I was offered a job as the publicist for One Note Ahead favorites Downtown Harvest; of course I took it! From that point onward, I became more and more entrenched in PR work, and when I did turn back to music journalism, my attentions were split between Crunkbox and ONA. In addition, my being Downtown Harvest's publicist meant I could no longer write about them myself. Now, my days as DTH's publicist are over, but in the meantime I began representing another ONA favorite, Laura Cheadle. Therefore, it would now be a conflict of interest for me to write about HER! For all of these reasons, ONA hasn't been updated as frequently as it used to be, but the time is upon us for some news.
Two of our most beloved acts, Andrew Lipke (MySpace ONA) and the aforementioned Downtown Harvest (MySpace ONA) are busy working on new albums and have been previewing the new material at their shows. If you've missed out on the songs Andrew's had on his MySpace page for the past several months, check them out. Judging from what I've heard thus far, both acts are proving that they are not about to get stuck in a rut anytime soon.
Though it would be a conflict of interest to write about her per se, I'm certainly allowed to simply mention that Laura Cheadle (MySpace ONA) is also working on a new album, Live On, and is in fact previewing new material on her MySpace page.
Of course, our biggest celebrity around here is the one and only Matt Duke (MySpace ONA). His second album, Kingdom Undergound, is ready to be released on August 26th. Some of the new songs are currently playing on his MySpace page, and if you're particularly impatient, you can now get two of them ("30 Some Days" and "Rabbit") on iTunes. Having heard several of its songs live and on MySpace, I predict that Kingdom Undergound will be a case of building strength upon strength.
That's all for now. Stay tuned!
[July 14, 2008 update: Matt Duke's album is now scheduled to be released in September. Expect reviews of both Duke's and Lipke's new albums here in the relatively near future.]
Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
Two of our most beloved acts, Andrew Lipke (MySpace ONA) and the aforementioned Downtown Harvest (MySpace ONA) are busy working on new albums and have been previewing the new material at their shows. If you've missed out on the songs Andrew's had on his MySpace page for the past several months, check them out. Judging from what I've heard thus far, both acts are proving that they are not about to get stuck in a rut anytime soon.
Though it would be a conflict of interest to write about her per se, I'm certainly allowed to simply mention that Laura Cheadle (MySpace ONA) is also working on a new album, Live On, and is in fact previewing new material on her MySpace page.
Of course, our biggest celebrity around here is the one and only Matt Duke (MySpace ONA). His second album, Kingdom Undergound, is ready to be released on August 26th. Some of the new songs are currently playing on his MySpace page, and if you're particularly impatient, you can now get two of them ("30 Some Days" and "Rabbit") on iTunes. Having heard several of its songs live and on MySpace, I predict that Kingdom Undergound will be a case of building strength upon strength.
That's all for now. Stay tuned!
[July 14, 2008 update: Matt Duke's album is now scheduled to be released in September. Expect reviews of both Duke's and Lipke's new albums here in the relatively near future.]
Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Obscure Originals, Vol. 2
This is the second installment in a series spotlighting songs that are best known by artists who did not record them originally. As in Volume 1, the histories presented herein are not meant to be exhaustive or unbiased.
Song: “Dazed and Confused”
Best known by: Led Zeppelin
Originally recorded by: Jake Holmes
The story: Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” sounds like a work of such striking originality that it’s hard to believe there is actually almost nothing original about it! First of all, Zep didn’t write the song—Jake Holmes did. The American singer/songwriter recorded it in an acid-folk style with Dylanesque lyrics, an eerily minimalistic arrangement, and a vocal that can only be described as frighteningly intense. It was included on his album The Above Ground Sound of Jake Holmes in 1967; in August of that year, Holmes opened for The Yardbirds in New York City, where Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty found himself spellbound by “Dazed and Confused.” At McCarty’s suggestion, The Yardbirds worked out their own arrangement of the song, complete with one of their classic “rave up” instrumental breaks and heavy riffing courtesy of their lead guitarist at the time, a fellow named Jimmy Page (ahem). As was his wont, lead singer Keith Relf habitually messed around with the lyrics and blew into a harmonica on the break. Page played his guitar with a violin bow. Audiences went crazy. But The Yardbirds were coming apart at the seams, and they finally disintegrated in the summer and fall of 1968. Thus, for all their electrifying live performances of “Dazed,” The Yardbirds never got around to recording a proper studio version; meanwhile, through a long, convoluted series of events, The Yardbirds morphed into Led Zeppelin by the end of 1968. Page knew a hit song when he heard one, so Led Zep took the basic elements of The Yardbirds’ arrangement, rewrote most of Jake Holmes’ lyrics, and cut a thick, screaming rendition sounding as if Satan himself was at the producer’s chair. Released on Zep’s eponymous debut album in 1969, it became one of the all-time classics of hard rock. But, of course, Jake Holmes was screwed because Page and Robert Plant claimed authorship of the song! To this day, ASCAP’s database retains two separate copyrights: one for a “Dazed and Confused” written by Holmes and one for a “Dazed and Confused” now credited solely to Page! In order to learn how ASCAP allowed such things to happen, it looks as though we’d need to consult another Holmes—namely Sherlock. As for Jake Holmes, he found his fame as the composer of commercial jingles: “Raise your hand if you’re Sure,” “Be all that you can be in the Army,” “Gillette, the best a man can get,” and many, many, many more. His version of “Dazed” has become readily available thanks to ItsAboutMusic.com, but good luck obtaining the Yardbirds’ rendition of it; several live recordings have been released, sometimes legitimately, but Page keeps finding ways to get those releases off the market.
Rare footage of The Yardbirds performing "Dazed And Confused" on French TV in March, 1968:
Song: “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
Best known by: Ray Charles
Originally recorded by: Don Gibson
The story: He was popular for decades, but during his late ‘50s/early ‘60s peak, Don Gibson was country music’s ultimate sad sack. His song titles from that era say it all: “Oh, Lonesome Me,” “Lonesome Old House,” “Blue, Blue Day,” “Bad, Bad Day,” “Don’t Tell Me Your Troubles,” “Sea Of Heartbreak”—okay, he didn’t write that last one, but the point still stands. Under the skillful guidance of the one and only Chet Atkins, Gibson was one of the first country artists to cross over to the pop charts in a big way. In 1958, “Oh, Lonesome Me” became his first major pop hit; in those days, B-sides often became hits, too, and though the tears-in-my-beer balladry of Gibson’s self-penned “I Can’t Stop Loving You” petered out at #81 on Billboard’s pop charts, it was a Top 10 country hit. Ray Charles was not the first to break it out of its pure country shell (Roy Orbison did a delicious Nashville pop rendition in 1960, for example), but Brother Ray’s version was nonetheless revolutionary. A lifelong lover of country music who was trapped in a world that rarely accepted black artists as practitioners of the genre, Brother Ray dared to cut the album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music, from which “I Can’t Stop Loving You” was the lead single. Musically and chart-wise, the track transcended numerous boundaries, topping Billboard’s pop, R&B, and adult contemporary charts in 1962. Moreover, it began a run of popular country covers that earned Ray Charles the approbation of many in the country music establishment.
[Note: Don Gibson re-recorded many of his ‘50s hits for the Hickory label in later years. Look for compilations released by or licensed from RCA or its parent company, which is currently Sony BMG. Roy Orbison re-recorded “I Can’t Stop Loving You” in a radically different arrangement in 1972; these days, the 1960 version can be found most easily on Roy Orbison Sings Lonely And Blue.]
Song: “Land of 1000 Dances”
Best known by: Wilson Pickett
Originally recorded by: Chris Kenner
The story: Chris “I Like It Like That” Kenner was a fixture on the New Orleans R&B scene in the 1950s and ‘60s. He wrote “Land of 1000 Dances” (and later gave Fats Domino co-writer’s credit so that Domino would cover the song) but the only movement Kenner’s version elicits from this writer is to walk to the nearest bed and lie down. Kenner’s sluggish, monotonous rendition represented the New Orleans sound at its least inspired, but it must have gotten some sales or airplay somewhere, because it actually hit the charts in 1962. Fortunately, it didn’t become enough of a hit to make an indelible impact. The song made its way to the East LA scene, where seemingly countless Chicano bands thrived on obscure R&B. Vocal group Cannibal & The Headhunters worked up a smoldering mid-tempo arrangement; lead singer Frankie “Cannibal” Garcia couldn’t remember the lyrics on stage, so he ad-libbed the na-na’s that we now consider an essential component of the song. Cannibal & co.’s record became a Top 30 hit in 1965, and fellow East Los Angelenos Thee Midniters had a minor hit that same year with their competing version. The song was getting faster and faster, and Wilson Pickett’s supercharged Memphis soul reading cranked up the tempo to the max. It was just what the Billboard charts were looking for: #6 pop, #1 R&B in 1966. Even though Pickett’s version is often regarded as the ultimate, that hasn’t stopped the song from being one of the most popular rock ‘n’ roll cover items of all time.
Song: “Do Ya”
Best known by: Electric Light Orchestra
Originally recorded by: The Move
The story: Birmingham, England in the 1960s was overflowing with bands of various stripes. Though The Move never quite caught on in the United States, they had massive success in the UK and “on the continent” during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Roy Wood led The Move, while a young Jeff Lynne led The Idle Race, a Birmingham band with close ties to The Move. Having lost some Move members around the end of the 1960s, Wood invited Lynne to join The Move and Lynne accepted. The early ‘70s Move, led jointly by Wood and Lynne, continued to have hits, but both Wood and Lynne were getting tired of the band and wanted to, er, move into symphonic rock. In 1971, they started Electric Light Orchestra as a side project, but it was soon to become a full-time endeavor. The Move’s final single, “California Man,” came out in 1972 and reached the UK Top 10. However, its throwaway B-side “Do Ya” was plugged as the A-side in the US and picked by many American tipsters to become a hit. In a bizarre twist of fate, the Lynne-composed “Do Ya” became The Move’s only song to make Billboard’s Hot 100—where it peaked at a measly #93. And that was it for The Move. ELO continued on, although Wood left after the group’s first album due to creative differences with Lynne, and in 1976 Lynne elected to dig up “Do Ya” and give it the ELO treatment. Whereas The Move’s version was just loud, crazy guitar rock, ELO’s version had the requisite orchestral and spacey touches. Needless to say, it became a much bigger hit, making #24 on Billboard in 1977.
Song: “Dedicated To The One I Love”
Best known by: The Shirelles; The Mamas & The Papas
Originally recorded by: The “5” Royales
The story: Goodness gracious, this is a strange story. Lowman Pauling of R&B vocal outfit The “5” Royales [sic!] shared the writing credit on this tune with his group’s producer Ralph Bass. The “5” Royales cut a bluesy version of the song, complete with raunchy guitar fills, in 1957. Released at the end of the year on the mighty King label, it went nowhere. The Shirelles sneaked into the lower rungs of the Hot 100 in 1959 with their streamlined rendition, released on the fledgling Scepter label. In late 1960, The Shirelles hit the big time with the now-inescapable “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (the word “still” does not technically appear in the title). Scepter, now on its way to becoming even mightier than King, reissued The Shirelles’ version of “Dedicated” as the follow-up. It reached #3 on the Hot 100 in early 1961, but not without some competition: King had noticed that Scepter was giving The Shirelles’ version another go and re-released The “5” Royales original. The two recordings went up against each other briefly, but The “5” Royales’ version ultimately could reach no higher than #81 on the Hot 100. The song was hardly recognizable in The Mamas & The Papas’ elaborate sunshine pop reading, but America’s favorite hippies took it all the way to #2 in 1967.
[Note: If you’re seeking The “5” Royales’ rendition, you should know that there are at least two variations: the original and an awkward overdubbed version. If you get the track on Volume 10 of Ace Records’ excellent Golden Age of American Rock ‘n’ Roll series, you will get the superior version without the overdubs. Other compilations or albums might contain the overdubbed version instead.]
Song: “Hush”
Best known by: Deep Purple
Originally recorded by: Billy Joe Royal
The story: For a few solid years, Billy Joe Royal was the main voice for fellow Georgian Joe South’s compositions, with South himself producing Royal’s records. Though this relationship initially yielded strong commercial results, Royal’s 1967 single of “Hush” didn’t exactly reach the same heights as “Down In The Boondocks,” stalling out at #52 on the Hot 100. Its appealing country-soul style presaged the sound that brought Elvis back to the top of the charts in 1969, but it was perhaps a bit premature in ’67. Lest you think the song’s catchiness went unnoticed, it spawned numerous international covers which experienced varying degrees of success in their respective countries. One such cover was recorded by British singer Kris Ife, whose frenetic soul-rock reading smacked of the Mod scene and got a lot of spins in the UK dance clubs (hear it on his MySpace page). A new British band by the name of Deep Purple learned of the song from Ife’s version and recast it in a low, menacing key, giving it a heavy rock interpretation with a psychedelic jazz slant. Despite doing little business in the UK, it was an enormous US hit in 1968 (#4 on the Hot 100) and has been one of Deep Purple’s signature songs ever since. Incidentally, it was released in the US on Tetragrammaton, a short-lived label co-owned by Bill Cosby! Joe South himself cut the song with a funky country-rock feel, and his version came out on his Games People Play album in 1969. Naaaaah na na naaah na na naaah na na naaaaah....
Stay tuned for Volume 3. Meanwhile, don’t forget The Originals Project: http://www.originalsproject.us/
Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
Song: “Dazed and Confused”
Best known by: Led Zeppelin
Originally recorded by: Jake Holmes
The story: Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” sounds like a work of such striking originality that it’s hard to believe there is actually almost nothing original about it! First of all, Zep didn’t write the song—Jake Holmes did. The American singer/songwriter recorded it in an acid-folk style with Dylanesque lyrics, an eerily minimalistic arrangement, and a vocal that can only be described as frighteningly intense. It was included on his album The Above Ground Sound of Jake Holmes in 1967; in August of that year, Holmes opened for The Yardbirds in New York City, where Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty found himself spellbound by “Dazed and Confused.” At McCarty’s suggestion, The Yardbirds worked out their own arrangement of the song, complete with one of their classic “rave up” instrumental breaks and heavy riffing courtesy of their lead guitarist at the time, a fellow named Jimmy Page (ahem). As was his wont, lead singer Keith Relf habitually messed around with the lyrics and blew into a harmonica on the break. Page played his guitar with a violin bow. Audiences went crazy. But The Yardbirds were coming apart at the seams, and they finally disintegrated in the summer and fall of 1968. Thus, for all their electrifying live performances of “Dazed,” The Yardbirds never got around to recording a proper studio version; meanwhile, through a long, convoluted series of events, The Yardbirds morphed into Led Zeppelin by the end of 1968. Page knew a hit song when he heard one, so Led Zep took the basic elements of The Yardbirds’ arrangement, rewrote most of Jake Holmes’ lyrics, and cut a thick, screaming rendition sounding as if Satan himself was at the producer’s chair. Released on Zep’s eponymous debut album in 1969, it became one of the all-time classics of hard rock. But, of course, Jake Holmes was screwed because Page and Robert Plant claimed authorship of the song! To this day, ASCAP’s database retains two separate copyrights: one for a “Dazed and Confused” written by Holmes and one for a “Dazed and Confused” now credited solely to Page! In order to learn how ASCAP allowed such things to happen, it looks as though we’d need to consult another Holmes—namely Sherlock. As for Jake Holmes, he found his fame as the composer of commercial jingles: “Raise your hand if you’re Sure,” “Be all that you can be in the Army,” “Gillette, the best a man can get,” and many, many, many more. His version of “Dazed” has become readily available thanks to ItsAboutMusic.com, but good luck obtaining the Yardbirds’ rendition of it; several live recordings have been released, sometimes legitimately, but Page keeps finding ways to get those releases off the market.
Rare footage of The Yardbirds performing "Dazed And Confused" on French TV in March, 1968:
Song: “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
Best known by: Ray Charles
Originally recorded by: Don Gibson
The story: He was popular for decades, but during his late ‘50s/early ‘60s peak, Don Gibson was country music’s ultimate sad sack. His song titles from that era say it all: “Oh, Lonesome Me,” “Lonesome Old House,” “Blue, Blue Day,” “Bad, Bad Day,” “Don’t Tell Me Your Troubles,” “Sea Of Heartbreak”—okay, he didn’t write that last one, but the point still stands. Under the skillful guidance of the one and only Chet Atkins, Gibson was one of the first country artists to cross over to the pop charts in a big way. In 1958, “Oh, Lonesome Me” became his first major pop hit; in those days, B-sides often became hits, too, and though the tears-in-my-beer balladry of Gibson’s self-penned “I Can’t Stop Loving You” petered out at #81 on Billboard’s pop charts, it was a Top 10 country hit. Ray Charles was not the first to break it out of its pure country shell (Roy Orbison did a delicious Nashville pop rendition in 1960, for example), but Brother Ray’s version was nonetheless revolutionary. A lifelong lover of country music who was trapped in a world that rarely accepted black artists as practitioners of the genre, Brother Ray dared to cut the album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music, from which “I Can’t Stop Loving You” was the lead single. Musically and chart-wise, the track transcended numerous boundaries, topping Billboard’s pop, R&B, and adult contemporary charts in 1962. Moreover, it began a run of popular country covers that earned Ray Charles the approbation of many in the country music establishment.
[Note: Don Gibson re-recorded many of his ‘50s hits for the Hickory label in later years. Look for compilations released by or licensed from RCA or its parent company, which is currently Sony BMG. Roy Orbison re-recorded “I Can’t Stop Loving You” in a radically different arrangement in 1972; these days, the 1960 version can be found most easily on Roy Orbison Sings Lonely And Blue.]
Song: “Land of 1000 Dances”
Best known by: Wilson Pickett
Originally recorded by: Chris Kenner
The story: Chris “I Like It Like That” Kenner was a fixture on the New Orleans R&B scene in the 1950s and ‘60s. He wrote “Land of 1000 Dances” (and later gave Fats Domino co-writer’s credit so that Domino would cover the song) but the only movement Kenner’s version elicits from this writer is to walk to the nearest bed and lie down. Kenner’s sluggish, monotonous rendition represented the New Orleans sound at its least inspired, but it must have gotten some sales or airplay somewhere, because it actually hit the charts in 1962. Fortunately, it didn’t become enough of a hit to make an indelible impact. The song made its way to the East LA scene, where seemingly countless Chicano bands thrived on obscure R&B. Vocal group Cannibal & The Headhunters worked up a smoldering mid-tempo arrangement; lead singer Frankie “Cannibal” Garcia couldn’t remember the lyrics on stage, so he ad-libbed the na-na’s that we now consider an essential component of the song. Cannibal & co.’s record became a Top 30 hit in 1965, and fellow East Los Angelenos Thee Midniters had a minor hit that same year with their competing version. The song was getting faster and faster, and Wilson Pickett’s supercharged Memphis soul reading cranked up the tempo to the max. It was just what the Billboard charts were looking for: #6 pop, #1 R&B in 1966. Even though Pickett’s version is often regarded as the ultimate, that hasn’t stopped the song from being one of the most popular rock ‘n’ roll cover items of all time.
Song: “Do Ya”
Best known by: Electric Light Orchestra
Originally recorded by: The Move
The story: Birmingham, England in the 1960s was overflowing with bands of various stripes. Though The Move never quite caught on in the United States, they had massive success in the UK and “on the continent” during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Roy Wood led The Move, while a young Jeff Lynne led The Idle Race, a Birmingham band with close ties to The Move. Having lost some Move members around the end of the 1960s, Wood invited Lynne to join The Move and Lynne accepted. The early ‘70s Move, led jointly by Wood and Lynne, continued to have hits, but both Wood and Lynne were getting tired of the band and wanted to, er, move into symphonic rock. In 1971, they started Electric Light Orchestra as a side project, but it was soon to become a full-time endeavor. The Move’s final single, “California Man,” came out in 1972 and reached the UK Top 10. However, its throwaway B-side “Do Ya” was plugged as the A-side in the US and picked by many American tipsters to become a hit. In a bizarre twist of fate, the Lynne-composed “Do Ya” became The Move’s only song to make Billboard’s Hot 100—where it peaked at a measly #93. And that was it for The Move. ELO continued on, although Wood left after the group’s first album due to creative differences with Lynne, and in 1976 Lynne elected to dig up “Do Ya” and give it the ELO treatment. Whereas The Move’s version was just loud, crazy guitar rock, ELO’s version had the requisite orchestral and spacey touches. Needless to say, it became a much bigger hit, making #24 on Billboard in 1977.
Song: “Dedicated To The One I Love”
Best known by: The Shirelles; The Mamas & The Papas
Originally recorded by: The “5” Royales
The story: Goodness gracious, this is a strange story. Lowman Pauling of R&B vocal outfit The “5” Royales [sic!] shared the writing credit on this tune with his group’s producer Ralph Bass. The “5” Royales cut a bluesy version of the song, complete with raunchy guitar fills, in 1957. Released at the end of the year on the mighty King label, it went nowhere. The Shirelles sneaked into the lower rungs of the Hot 100 in 1959 with their streamlined rendition, released on the fledgling Scepter label. In late 1960, The Shirelles hit the big time with the now-inescapable “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (the word “still” does not technically appear in the title). Scepter, now on its way to becoming even mightier than King, reissued The Shirelles’ version of “Dedicated” as the follow-up. It reached #3 on the Hot 100 in early 1961, but not without some competition: King had noticed that Scepter was giving The Shirelles’ version another go and re-released The “5” Royales original. The two recordings went up against each other briefly, but The “5” Royales’ version ultimately could reach no higher than #81 on the Hot 100. The song was hardly recognizable in The Mamas & The Papas’ elaborate sunshine pop reading, but America’s favorite hippies took it all the way to #2 in 1967.
[Note: If you’re seeking The “5” Royales’ rendition, you should know that there are at least two variations: the original and an awkward overdubbed version. If you get the track on Volume 10 of Ace Records’ excellent Golden Age of American Rock ‘n’ Roll series, you will get the superior version without the overdubs. Other compilations or albums might contain the overdubbed version instead.]
Song: “Hush”
Best known by: Deep Purple
Originally recorded by: Billy Joe Royal
The story: For a few solid years, Billy Joe Royal was the main voice for fellow Georgian Joe South’s compositions, with South himself producing Royal’s records. Though this relationship initially yielded strong commercial results, Royal’s 1967 single of “Hush” didn’t exactly reach the same heights as “Down In The Boondocks,” stalling out at #52 on the Hot 100. Its appealing country-soul style presaged the sound that brought Elvis back to the top of the charts in 1969, but it was perhaps a bit premature in ’67. Lest you think the song’s catchiness went unnoticed, it spawned numerous international covers which experienced varying degrees of success in their respective countries. One such cover was recorded by British singer Kris Ife, whose frenetic soul-rock reading smacked of the Mod scene and got a lot of spins in the UK dance clubs (hear it on his MySpace page). A new British band by the name of Deep Purple learned of the song from Ife’s version and recast it in a low, menacing key, giving it a heavy rock interpretation with a psychedelic jazz slant. Despite doing little business in the UK, it was an enormous US hit in 1968 (#4 on the Hot 100) and has been one of Deep Purple’s signature songs ever since. Incidentally, it was released in the US on Tetragrammaton, a short-lived label co-owned by Bill Cosby! Joe South himself cut the song with a funky country-rock feel, and his version came out on his Games People Play album in 1969. Naaaaah na na naaah na na naaah na na naaaaah....
Stay tuned for Volume 3. Meanwhile, don’t forget The Originals Project: http://www.originalsproject.us/
Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Spotlight On: The Idles
Forty-some odd years ago, Liverpool was at the center of a rock ‘n’ roll revolution, and people praised the British Invasion for bringing rock ‘n’ roll back to basics. Now, The Idles are hoping to put Liverpool at the forefront of another rock ‘n’ roll revolution. Are these guys a bunch of Merseybeat revivalists? Hell no. The Idles lay down the kind of raw, badass sound that you might find yourself rockin’ out to in a crowded pub on a Friday night; Dirty Rock ‘n’ Roll is the title of their four-song demo, and dirty rock ‘n’ roll it is. But like many great Liverpool bands of the past, The Idles grab hold of rock ‘n’ roll and whittle it back down to its basic essence. Driving guitars, rolling basslines, spastic drumming, hoarse vocals. Songs that say what they need to say in just a few short minutes—and with no tempo changes, complex chord sequences, or flowery lyrics. But don’t mistake The Idles for a band whose range of talent encompasses the mastery of three chords and the ability to scream like a banshee. These guys know how to play, how to sing, and how to write songs that draw upon their strengths. The crude sound of their demo might provoke some to label them a garage rock band, while their finger-in-the-air attitude (guess which finger) might cause others to call them punks. In reality, The Idles don’t fit into any category but rock ‘n’ roll, pure and simple. Each track on their demo has its own appeal, from the Idles-as-idols “Rock ‘n’ Roll Room Service” to the soulful, melancholy “Rescue Me” and the high-octane shout fest “Wasted.” But “I Don’t Really Think So” is the standout by far, its propulsive rhythm and instantly memorable refrains making it a hit waiting to happen. Or, more appropriately, dirty rock ‘n’ roll at its finest.
For more information and to hear The Idles: http://www.myspace.com/theidlesrocknroll
Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
For more information and to hear The Idles: http://www.myspace.com/theidlesrocknroll
Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Album Review: Swimming Into Trees
“When she comes out, she causes accidents in the street…”
Whether you bake them into a pie, stir fry them, or serve them raw with a zesty salsa, eating your words is never easy. But when I found myself asking for a review copy of The Swimmers’ debut album Fighting Trees, deep down inside I suspected that I’d have to do just that: eat my words. After all, why would I have asked for a review copy unless I thought I’d like it? And yet, just a few weeks ago in my writeup of a MAD Dragon Records concert, I said that the Philadelphia-based indie pop quartet’s “energy on stage was incredible,” but “having heard a few recordings of theirs, I can say that the recordings don’t do the band justice.” Indeed, the highest compliment that I could bestow upon the band’s recordings was the phrase “smile-inducing ear candy.” Smile....inducing....ear....candy. So now I sit here at the dinner table, my napkin tucked into my collar, my words resting upon a bed of Basmati rice and drizzled in a spicy curry sauce. And the specters of guitarist/frontman Steve Yutzy-Burkey, his keyboard-playing wife Krista, bassist Rick Sieber, and drummer Scott French all staring me in the face saying, “Bon appetit, SJ.”
So how about this: The Swimmers sound different on record than they do in person. In person, you have all four of them playing and singing, sometimes switching between instruments during the course of one song, and they get happily caught up in each musical moment, singing with gusto and playing with (you guessed it) an incredible energy while still remaining tight and focused. The sound on the self-produced Fighting Trees is more calculated. The arrangements are complex and sophisticated, the productions multi-layered and carefully crafted. Scott focuses more on his amazing technical virtuosity than the livewire presence he maintains on stage, while Steve (who wrote and sings lead on all but one song) employs a breathy, even whispered vocal approach throughout. Since The Swimmers are a pop band, and a skilled one at that, they manage to make this restraint and precision work in their favor, giving the sound of these recordings a sense of purpose. In particular, the breathy vocal technique is very much in vogue in indie music these days, and thus it gives a decidedly contemporary personality to an album that contains numerous unabashedly retro elements: the crunchy power-pop guitars and lush sunshine pop harmonies heard on most of the album, the ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll triplets on “All The New Sounds,” the almost new-wavey arrangement of “St. Cecilia” (I said almost), the fab Beatlesque production of “Heaven,” the dirty cool Duane Eddy-styled guitar runs on “Pocket Full Of Gold,” and so on. Not content to simply do what’s already been done and not content to simply do what everyone else is currently doing, The Swimmers recall the past with today’s attitude, creating an intriguing sound in the process.
The lyrics are often mysterious and subject to much interpretation on the part of the listener, but one thing is certain: whether the songs are, as I interpret them, tongue-in-cheek (“It’s Time They Knew,” quoted at the top; “Goodbye”), wistful (“Heaven”), or philosophical (“We Love To Build”), they all end up bursting with good cheer thanks to the band’s spirited playing and vivid harmonies. Even “Home,” with such bleak lines as “I close my eyes, the ceiling drops/I fall asleep, my heart stops” brings a smile to this angry young man’s face. “Pocket Full Of Gold” is a true gem, its blue collar sentiments and dense sound conjuring up images of Springsteen as an indie kid. “St. Cecilia” is totally out of left field; written and sung by Scott, it pairs a downright unorthodox structure with off-the-wall lyrics and is highlighted by Krista’s atypically hyperactive keyboarding. It’s a divergence, but a welcome one. A more curious change of pace is the title track, a folky ballad which is not really suited to Steve’s voice, but hipsters will probably tell me that his fractured vocal brings a lot more pathos out of the song than a pristine performance would. Not having an ounce of hipster credibility, I’ll just take their word for it and enjoy the Beach Boys-influenced harmonies.
Fighting Trees is not a mind-blowing, earth-shattering album. Few pop albums are, and that’s part of the appeal of pop music: it’s fun, it’s easy to take, and it makes you feel good. Fighting Trees is an album for pop lovers who are looking for something a little outside of the mainstream to complement their spring and summer days or warm up their fall and winter nights. The Swimmers are currently touring behind the album’s national release, and if you have a chance to see them, please do. A good time is almost certainly guaranteed.
For music and more information: http://www.theswimmers.com
http://www.myspace.com/helloswimmers
Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
Whether you bake them into a pie, stir fry them, or serve them raw with a zesty salsa, eating your words is never easy. But when I found myself asking for a review copy of The Swimmers’ debut album Fighting Trees, deep down inside I suspected that I’d have to do just that: eat my words. After all, why would I have asked for a review copy unless I thought I’d like it? And yet, just a few weeks ago in my writeup of a MAD Dragon Records concert, I said that the Philadelphia-based indie pop quartet’s “energy on stage was incredible,” but “having heard a few recordings of theirs, I can say that the recordings don’t do the band justice.” Indeed, the highest compliment that I could bestow upon the band’s recordings was the phrase “smile-inducing ear candy.” Smile....inducing....ear....candy. So now I sit here at the dinner table, my napkin tucked into my collar, my words resting upon a bed of Basmati rice and drizzled in a spicy curry sauce. And the specters of guitarist/frontman Steve Yutzy-Burkey, his keyboard-playing wife Krista, bassist Rick Sieber, and drummer Scott French all staring me in the face saying, “Bon appetit, SJ.”
So how about this: The Swimmers sound different on record than they do in person. In person, you have all four of them playing and singing, sometimes switching between instruments during the course of one song, and they get happily caught up in each musical moment, singing with gusto and playing with (you guessed it) an incredible energy while still remaining tight and focused. The sound on the self-produced Fighting Trees is more calculated. The arrangements are complex and sophisticated, the productions multi-layered and carefully crafted. Scott focuses more on his amazing technical virtuosity than the livewire presence he maintains on stage, while Steve (who wrote and sings lead on all but one song) employs a breathy, even whispered vocal approach throughout. Since The Swimmers are a pop band, and a skilled one at that, they manage to make this restraint and precision work in their favor, giving the sound of these recordings a sense of purpose. In particular, the breathy vocal technique is very much in vogue in indie music these days, and thus it gives a decidedly contemporary personality to an album that contains numerous unabashedly retro elements: the crunchy power-pop guitars and lush sunshine pop harmonies heard on most of the album, the ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll triplets on “All The New Sounds,” the almost new-wavey arrangement of “St. Cecilia” (I said almost), the fab Beatlesque production of “Heaven,” the dirty cool Duane Eddy-styled guitar runs on “Pocket Full Of Gold,” and so on. Not content to simply do what’s already been done and not content to simply do what everyone else is currently doing, The Swimmers recall the past with today’s attitude, creating an intriguing sound in the process.
The lyrics are often mysterious and subject to much interpretation on the part of the listener, but one thing is certain: whether the songs are, as I interpret them, tongue-in-cheek (“It’s Time They Knew,” quoted at the top; “Goodbye”), wistful (“Heaven”), or philosophical (“We Love To Build”), they all end up bursting with good cheer thanks to the band’s spirited playing and vivid harmonies. Even “Home,” with such bleak lines as “I close my eyes, the ceiling drops/I fall asleep, my heart stops” brings a smile to this angry young man’s face. “Pocket Full Of Gold” is a true gem, its blue collar sentiments and dense sound conjuring up images of Springsteen as an indie kid. “St. Cecilia” is totally out of left field; written and sung by Scott, it pairs a downright unorthodox structure with off-the-wall lyrics and is highlighted by Krista’s atypically hyperactive keyboarding. It’s a divergence, but a welcome one. A more curious change of pace is the title track, a folky ballad which is not really suited to Steve’s voice, but hipsters will probably tell me that his fractured vocal brings a lot more pathos out of the song than a pristine performance would. Not having an ounce of hipster credibility, I’ll just take their word for it and enjoy the Beach Boys-influenced harmonies.
Fighting Trees is not a mind-blowing, earth-shattering album. Few pop albums are, and that’s part of the appeal of pop music: it’s fun, it’s easy to take, and it makes you feel good. Fighting Trees is an album for pop lovers who are looking for something a little outside of the mainstream to complement their spring and summer days or warm up their fall and winter nights. The Swimmers are currently touring behind the album’s national release, and if you have a chance to see them, please do. A good time is almost certainly guaranteed.
For music and more information: http://www.theswimmers.com
http://www.myspace.com/helloswimmers
Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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