370: Doubles In The Tea Party

This story is a two-parter.

Part 1:

Several years ago my older brother decided that he had had enough of vinyl, so I swooped in and asked him to bequeath it all unto me (which he did). He claimed that iPods and the digital age made LPs obsolete, but I imagine it was time and space issues as much as anything else (just like Euclid predicted). This collection was probably over 1000 records strong and about as eclectic as my own, but heavily trended towards “classic rock,” by which I mean artists such as The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, and Pink Floyd (all of which he had about 80-100% of their total output up until some point in the 90s). Although we shared a lot of common ground musically we didn’t have much in the way of overlapping collections, but this was mainly because I was around him for long enough to not feel the need to buy what he already had. There were, however, a small collection of duplicates when I  merged our records.

Part 2:

My house has a sizable room for an attic, so in addition to my drum set and some adult clutter, we made a playroom area for the kids to inhabit and have a bit of indoor fun. For a while I was collecting Fisher Price (and other) turntables via Goodwill online, so I put one in the playroom and pulled all the duplicate albums from my merged records and made a mini-collection to play while upstairs. This upstairs area, by the way, was dubbed “The Tea Party,” because that’s the sort of thing that a kid wants to have in a place like that. Therefore, this playlist is selections from my collection of doubles in “The Tea Party.” Sorry militiamen, that’s all it is.

1. Wings — Venus And Mars
2. Genesis — Harold The Barrel
3. Black Sabbath — Wicked World
4. ZZ Top — Master Of Sparks
5. Neil Young — Hard Luck Stories
6. Big Audio Dynamite — Sudden Impact!
7. Elvis Costello And The Attractions — Uncomplicated
8. Electric Light Orchestra — Sweet Is The Night
9. Cameo — Cameosis
10. Prince — I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
11. The Rolling Stones — Can’t You Hear Me Knocking
12. Donovan — Wear Your Love Like Heaven
13. Aretha Franklin — You Send Me
14. Donald Fagen — I.G.Y.
15. Wings — Venus And Mars (Reprise)

59:13

369: PEOPLE

‘All the people, so many people.’

I would have had this posted Sunday, were it not for people. They’re everywhere. I’ve just spent the last few days at the CAA basketball tournament  which has just broken all manner of attendance records. The internet’s out at home, so after yesterday’s game, what with the coffee shops being closed, I took a trip to my wi-fi friendly, ‘not usually very busy on a Sunday’ bar. A friend of the staff was performing, and the place was slammed. Not enough room to swing a cat, let alone operate a laptop. Tonight, after VCU’s glorious victory, I went to my local to get this post done. The place was slammed with celebrating Rams fans. And here we are. The last two selections were covered by last nights bar performer and a college band at the tournament respectively.

369: PEOPLE

1. Gorillaz – People
2. The Housemartins – The People who Grinned Themselves to Death
3. The Stylistics – People Make the World Go Round
4. Spearhead – People In Tha Middle
5. R.E.M. – Shiny Happy People
6. The Verve – The Rolling People
7. The Doors – People Are Strange
8. Rod Stewart – People Get Ready
9. Kate Bush – Them Heavy People
10. The Jam – In the Crowd
11. Echo and The Bunnymen – The Game
12. Edwyn Collins – It’s a Steal
13. Blur – Parklife
14. Patsy Cline – You’re Stronger Than Me
15. Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop

60:42

368: Imagery

This week’s post is merely a hodgepodge of a photo essay featuring a few of the music-related images that I’ve found interesting over the last few months. I know the prose is lacking, but look at the thousands of words below! Please feel free to inform me about any other pictures I need to see.

I cannot (or will not) source any of the images, but as someone may have said at some point, “Information wants to be free” (from being sourced).

367: YES YES

Yes, yes I know. I’ve had two and a half weeks to put this post together and here I am leaving things to the last minutes. And no, no, I will not bore you with more excuses about back pain, visits to the hospital emergency room and painkillers that have turned me in to a foggy, loopy mess. Except I just did.

The season’s first snowfall is presently settling outside, and I’m wondering if tomorrow will for many be one of those housebound days. If so, I have some suggestions.

To begin the day, I recommend spending an hour of your time with Kate Bush’s latest album, the highly appropriate ’50 Words for Snow’. Next, for irony’s sake, seek out the 15 minute official video for Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds ‘Babe, I’m on Fire’. Consider it your patriotic duty to then check out the Boss man’s hot off the press ‘We Take Care of Our Own’ -“Anger”, a wise man once said, “is an energy.” I’ve just checked and am amazed to discover that over the course of one hundred and eighty two and a half posts I did not use Public Image’s magnificent ‘Rise’, nor indeed The Bad Shepherds wonderful cover version. We should be in to the afternoon by this point, time, I think, to get cosy and snuggly under a blanket to embark on a music doc marathon. My two favourites are probably ‘New York Doll’ and ‘The Devil and Daniel Johnston’, but you also can’t go wrong with ‘The Filth and The Fury’, ‘Let’s Rock Again’, The Miriam Collection’s ‘Joy Division’ and ‘Respect Yourself – The Stax Records Story.’

Now go build a snowman and I’ll talk to you in a couple of weeks.

367: YES YES :Total Running Time: Depends how long it takes you to build a snowman.

366: Ya Ya

A year or two ago I got into buying lots of records from Goodwill online, mostly for the surprise factor of finding something cool or because there happened to be a record or two in the lot that I wanted. Eventually I found I was just buying stacks of junk records, so I stopped, but I did find a cool surprise or two. One was this 45 by Johnny Restivo, which I listened to and liked but put it away until recently, when my one-year-old started calling my four-year-old “Ya Ya” (it’s the last part of her name), so now I play it for the two of them and they love it. Below is all you need to know and more about Johnny Restivo, and I stole it from the Dutch website Black Cat Rockabilly Europe. Below that is a link to the song on YouTube.

Johnny (John Charles) was born in the North Bronx, New York September 13, 1943. He enrolled in Cliffside Park Junior High School, New Jersey and was graduated in June of 1958.

Johnny and his 9 year younger brother Gerard were sons of Jack and Jeanette Restivo. In 1959 Johnny was discovered by Joe Mulhall and Paul Neff and in June 9, 1959 he recorded “The Shape I’m In” and “Ya, Ya” at RCA only 15 years old with Paul Simon (aka Jerry Landis) playing his guitar. In 1960-1961 Johnny was on tour in Australia. He played in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Perth as well as many other places while there. From there he also had engagements in South America, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Belgium. While in Argentina he hosted his own variety television show called “The Johnny Restivo Show”. The program was on the air for 3 years from 1961-1963 and was sponsored by the Coca Cola Company. Between 1962-1964 even while doing the television program Johnny found time to play at the South American “Copa Cabana” club in Rio and the Waldorf in Santiango, Chile. He also performed in Uruguay and Brazil.

Johnny went on tour beginning in 1963. His first country of this multi-country tour was South Africa. He visited Kenya, Southern Rhodesia and Johannesburg. This part of the tour lasted about 6 months. While in Johannesburg during 1963-1964 he recorded an album on the RCA label entitled “Spotlight On Johnny Restivo”. In 1965 he went on to London, England, where he performed at the London Palladium as well as many other venues. During the years of 1965-1966 London became Johnny’s home base for the next leg of his tour. From there he spent 2 months touring Israel. One of the places he performed at was the Caliph Club in Jaffa. He also had engagements in Eilat. Then it was on to Italy for a multi-city tour working through the “Johnny Pangazio Agency”. After completion of the Italian segment of his tour he went on to Paris, France, for a short stay. In 1967 the final leg of the tour took him back home to the USA. Once back home in New York City Johnny was represented by many different agencies including the William Morris Agency. He mostly worked nightclubs, resorts and cruises throughout the USA.

In 1969 Johnny was drafted into the United States Armed Forces. He did his basic training in South Carolina and Advanced Infantry Training in El Paso, Texas. He was then stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. He inquired about Special Services, auditioned and was accepted into the 7th Army Soldiers Chorus. Touring again but now for the US Army. He visited Germany, Austria, Holland, Belgium and Italy.

In 1971 Johnny took a European discharge and remained in Europe for the next 6 months, after which he headed back home to the USA. In that same year Johnny and Gerard began working together, Gerard as his drummer and musical director, as he attempted to get his career back on track. They did primarily club dates, hotels and resorts throughout America. They also travelled to Mexico and Puerto Rico as well as playing cruises in the Caribbean. During many of the recording sessions that were done in New York City, Gerard was allowed to stay in the recording studio with Johnny or sit with the drummers where he quitely would watch, listen and learn about show business and the recording industry. It was in those very early years that Gerard decided he was going to be in show business and more importantly that he was going to work with his brother making music.

In 1978 Johnny formally ended his career in show business after a performance at the Nevelle Hotel in the Catskill mountains town of Ellenville, New York. During these years and beyond, Johnny has been married and divorced 4 times and has 3 children from oldest to youngest: Kelli Hope, Darin and Brandon. He has been in business for himself since 1981 with “Rockland Mattress”, which sells bedding, headboards and beds. And now in 2002, Johnny finds himself preparing to retire and move permanently to the state of Florida (he always wanted to be in a warm climate). He now spends most of his time playing golf and winding down.

I’m in great debt of gratitude to John and Gerard Restivo for all supports indeed.

Åsmund – November 11,  2002

“Ya Ya” on YouTube

365: IT TAKES TWO (COLLABORATIONS)

Well, in the words of the aforementioned Barry Manilow (see post 69), looks like we made it. 365 posts in 365 days, for what it’s worth. Cancer has not been cured, but we have finished something we started. For this post, we thought it might be nice to collaborate, and so we have. Thanks again to anyone who paid us the slightest attention. BUT WAIT !!! usefulmusic IS ALIVE !!! We’re just having a bit of a morph. Beginning next week we’ll be back, but different than ever before! Stay tuned!
So, goodbye it is then, for now. See you next week.
usefulmusic would also like to thank each other.
365: IT TAKES TWO (COLLABORATIONS)

1. The Only Ones featuring Pauline Murray – Fools
2. Madness featuring Ian Dury – Drip Fed Fred
3. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds and Kylie Minogue – Where the Wild Roses Grow
4. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
5. Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man – Mysteries
6. Time Zone featuring John Lydon and Afrika Bambaataa – World Destruction
7. Cornershop featuring Bubbley Kaur – Topknot
8. Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston – It Takes Two
30:04

9. Minuteflag — Fetch The Water
10. The Fucking Am — Doing Research For An Autobiography
11. Anthrax featuring Chuck D from Public Enemy — Bring The Noise
12. Dwight Yoakam with Buck Owens — Streets Of Bakersfield
13. Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder  — Ebony And Ivory
14. Queen & David Bowie — Under Pressure
15. A Tribe Called Quest featuring Leaders of the New School — Scenario
28:49

Total: 58:53

So Paul ended his half-hour with a poignant tribute to dual collaboration, and I ended mine with the greatest posse cut of all time. It takes a village to big-up oneself, you know. But wait, you might say, your total running time falls short of the 59-61 minute mark that you promised way back in who-knows-when! Well, as Marie Antoinette may or may not have said: “Always leave them wanting more.” Therefore (but conversely), we will be back next week, but with only a weekly post each (unless there is an internet clamor for us do more or to give up entirely). But wait, you might say, what will these subsequent posts be about?!? Well, interrobanger, you’ll just have to wait and see…

364: Comedy

Wouldn’t it be funny if I ended this year of playlists by creating one that had no music, no distinct “cuts” even, and it would actually be easier to produce in real life than virtually? Well, that’s what I’m doing. I’m taking 20 of my favorite comedy LPs, and I’m imagining that I would drop the needle at any random place on each of these and record for three minutes apiece. “But what about continuity, or even understanding the bits?” you might say. I say “Dada is funny too.” So I’m just going to list the albums, and you can imagine me imagining myself dropping an imaginary needle on these real records over and over.

1. Rae Bourbon — Let Me Tell You About My Operation
2. Godfrey Cambridge — Them Cotton Pickin’ Days Is Over
3. George Carlin — A Place For My Stuff!
4. Cheech & Chong — Los Cochinos
5. Jerry Clower — Mouth Of Mississippi
6. Bill Cosby — To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With
7. Sloppy Daniels — Laff Of The Party
8. Redd Foxx — The New Fugg
9. Dick Gregory — The Light Side: The Dark Side
10. Pigmeat Markham — Pigmeat At The Party
11. Bob & Doug McKenzie — Great White North
12. Bob Newhart — The Button-Down Mind Of Bob Newhart
13. LaWanda Page — Mutha Is Half A Word
14. Richard Pryor — “Craps!” After Hours
15. Rowan & Martin — Rowan & Martin’s Laugh In
16. The Smothers Brothers — Curb Your Tongue, Knave!
17. Robin Williams — Reality…What A Concept
18. Flip Wilson — You Devil You
19. Justin Wilson — Keep It Clean
20. Jonathan Winters — The Wonderful World Of Jonathan Winters

60:00