Duty free exports

After a day on Coki Beach, listening to at least a half dozen steel drum performers all covering the late, great Bob Marley, I got to thinking about the legacy of Reggae. Although Marley was a world wide phenomenon, Reggae itself, one of the last truly original genres of music has itself enjoyed far reaching appeal. Maybe its the laid back nature synonymous with the islands and the people. Maybe its the rebellious spirit of the songs. Maybe its the smooth, infectious grooves that force you to move. Maybe it's the fact that the first time you heard it you were baked. Most likely its a combination of all of these things. And this combination has proven successful for authentic Reggae musicians as well as scores of others. Some successful, some not so much. What follows are several original Reggae classics and their respective covers.

First up: Junior Murvin's Police and Thieves. This hit from 1976 was produced by legendary Reggae pioneer Lee 'Scratch' Perry in 1976. It was adopted by the Clash (keen fans of the emerging dub scene) just a year later and featured on their eponymous debut.

Our next selection Pass the Dutchie by England's tween sensations Musical Youth, was a homogenized version of The Mighty Diamonds hit Pass the Kouchie. The Diamonds, driven by a strong Rastafarian influence, were definitely 420 friendly. The 'Kouchie' in the song refers to a pot pipe. Worried about the ramifications of a bunch of kids signing about ganja, the record company brass tweaked the lyrics. The 'Kouchie' was changed to 'Dutchie' and subsequently the entire reference of the song was changed from pot smoking to cooking. A 'Dutchie' is slang for a dutch oven, or small cooking pot used by poor Jamaicans to serve meals. That rather small but very significant change enabled the Musical Youth to achieve a No.1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in September of 1982, as if prophesying this fact in the song itself: "This generation, rules the nation, with version".

Finally, we have what is probably the most recognized Reggae cover. Bob Marley originally released I Shot The Sheriff in 1973 on the epic Wailers LP Burnin'. A year later Eric Clapton appropriated it for his album 461 Ocean Boulevard.

Now who's to say that just because a cover may have outsold the original, that it is in any way better. I myself believe that the original artist who wrote and created a song holds dominion over the work, because no matter how good the cover song turns out, it's only on loan.

Then again, the Clash kick some serious ass.

I'm just sayin'.

Police & Thieves (original)
Police & Thieves (cover)

Pass The Kouchie (original)
Pass The Dutchie (cover)

I Shot The Sheriff (original)
I Shot The Sheriff (cover)

Junior Murvin- Police & Thieves (TOTP, 1976)


The Clash- Police &Thieves (1977)


Mighty Diamonds- Pass The Kouchie (1982)


Musical Youth- Pass The Dutchie (1982)


Bob Marley & The Wailers- I Shot The Sheriff (Date unknown)


Eric Clapton- I Shot The Sheriff (Old Grey Whistle Test, 1974)

'Day-O'ne

So here we are at the beginning of our respite at the Bolongo Bay Resort, slathering our pale white skin in tanning butter in a desperate attempt to forget about winter and soak up some rays. In an effort to share the sunshine, AM brings you the grand daddy of all things Calypso, the luminous Harry Belafonte. From his breakout 1956 album aptly titled Calypso, a few classics.

Decades before he was an activist, Harry was a singer, just a singer, and a pretty good one at that.

I'm just sayin'.

The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)
Jump In The Line

And who could ever forget Winona Ryder, all light on her toes (before she got light with her fingers) lip-synching the Belafonte classic in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice. It's also worth noting the svelte Alex Baldwin before he ate Kim Bassinger.

Harry Belafonte - Jump In The Line (From the motion picture Beetlejuice, 1988)


Harry Belafonte- The Banana Boat Song (Day-O) (The Muppet Show, 1978)

Jump Up!

Our request for a little R&R has been approved. To celebrate Actual Monkey's jaunt to the US Virgin island of St. Thomas, a little Jump Up to get things going. The song from the 1962 soundtrack to the motion picture Dr. No. was performed by Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. Lee, a pioneer and mainstay of the Caribbean music scene enjoyed a career spanning over 50 years.

So as we depart to a land where all the beverages have tiny umbrellas, we say Bouyon!

Jump Up- Lee & the Dragonaires

Blood, sweat and tears

On this day in 1975, Bob Dylan released the ultimate breakup record, Blood On the Tracks (Columbia). My favorite Dylan album, it is his penultimate expression as a singer/songwriter. It's achingly personal and simultaneously accessible. Taste the pain.

Although Dylan has denied the album is autobiographical, it is widely accepted the album is pure confessional, a reflection of a tumultuous period in his life, underscored by the separation from his wife Sara.

Not unlike the cathartic nature of the record replete with drastic mood swings, Dylan had a change of heart just before the LP's scheduled release and pulled the record in order to re-cut several tracks, subsequently discarding his simple, concise versions for richer, more polished renditions. IMHO, I think the tangible intimacy of the original tracks is lost amid the lavish productions on the official Columbia release. Ironically, the record hit store shelves just prior to Valentine's Day,

An absolute cornerstone in any collection, Blood On The Tracks stands as the best lonely hearts album of all time.

Over the last 15 years or so, Dylan's 21st century doppelganger, Beck Hansen has set himself apart from other contemporary singer/songwriters with an eclectic discography, displaying his deft musicianship and a maturity beyond his years.

Like Dylan, Beck released his own breakup record, the 2002 opus Sea Change (Geffen), which he acknowledged was inspired by his split with long time squeeze, Leigh Limon. A sucker for sad songs, Sea Change is another of my all-time favorite albums.

Both artists possess a chameleon-like ability to exploit whatever style of music that happens to tickle their fancy. The key to their success is the underlying mastery of their songwriting capabilities.

So get yourself a box of hankies, it's gonna be a long, sad night.

I'm just sayin'.

New York Test Pressing

Update: It has come to my attention that the correct release date of Blood On The Tracks was January 17, 1975. Since I was all of 7 years old, I was not on line at Record World to get my copy in vinyl, and carelessly cited the Internet as my source. Pure Idiot Wind. I'll trust an astute visitor to correct me in necessary.

Forever evolving as an artist while never leaving well enough alone, check Zimmy as he tweaks some of his lyrics and arrangements on the following tracks:

Bob Dylan- Tangled Up In Blue (Rolling Thunder Revue, 1975)

Bob Dylan - Tangled up in blue @ Yahoo! Video

Bob Dylan- Simple Twist Of Fate (from "the world of John Hammond" 10 Sept 1975)


Bob Dylan- Shelter From The Storm (Fort Collins, Colorado, 23 May 1976)


The times they are a-changin' but it's uncanny how Beck emulates Dylan some 40+ years later:

Beck- The Golden Age (10 October 2000)


Beck w/ The Flaming Lips- All In Your Mind (11 November 2002)


Beck w/ The Flaming Lips- Already Dead (11 November 2002)

Beatlemania-day one

45 years ago today, the Fab Four arrived at Kennedy Airport. You know the rest.

Ed Sullivan Show February 9, 1964
All My Loving
Till There Was You
She Loves You
I Saw Her Standing There
I Want To Hold Your Hand

New York Meets The Beatles (New In Brief Newsreel, 1964)


Beatles Conquer America (Newsreel, 1964)


The Beatles first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show (February 9, 1964)

Hurry boy, its waiting there for you

On this day in 1983, Toto held the No. 1 position on Billboard's Hot 100 chart with the power-ballad, Africa. The song was one of three to make the charts, all from their Grammy winning, multi-platinum LP, Toto IV (Columbia). No small feat for a little furry dog.

Africa would become the band's only No.1, and surprisingly, it almost didn't get released. The following is lifted from Wiki:

It was almost cut from the Toto IV record prior to its release. Having spent an incredible amount of time producing the tune, the band became so tired of the song that they didn’t want it on the album. The song itself was very different from anything the band had done before, and some members felt that it didn’t sound like Toto.

Recorded prior to the rise in popularity of World Music, the song doesn't even pretend to sound anything like or attempt to incorporate any aspects of authentic African music. Instead, with it's power chords, swirling synthesizer and cow bell it guaranteed itself a spot on the charts. Joseph Conrad be damned.

It should also be noted that the song contains one of the worst lyrics ever included in a pop song (as voted in a BBC poll).

"The wild dogs cry out in the night, As they grow restless longing for some solitary company, I know that I must do what's right, Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti."

I would tend to agree, it's as pretentious and cerebral as you can get in a four-minute pop song.

The band itself was an assemblage of gifted session players whose sound was akin to that of Steely Dan, utilizing an amalgam of styles including Pop, Rock, Jazz, Soft-Rock and Progressive in crafting their music. Suffice to say they were an anonymous bunch with no defining personality or sound. The song (and album) represented the high water mark for the group, and although they never repeated the chart successes of Toto IV, they remained active, recording and touring, in different iteration until 2007.

Recently, the song has experienced a resurgence in popularity thanks to its inclusion by the a capella group Straight No Chaser's comic interpretation of the 12 Days of Christmas. In addition, the group included a bona fide cover on their 2008 release Holiday Spirits (Atlantic). Proving that a bad joke is a bad joke, no matter who's telling it.

I'm just sayin'.

Africa (original)
Africa (cover)

Toto- Africa (1982)


Straight No Chaser- Africa (2007)


Straight No Chaser-12 Days of Christmas (2007)

Not Fade Away

The story: tragic and familiar. Over the years it has transcended fact and and become woven into the tapestry of American legend. It was fifty years ago today, Buddy Holly, J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson and Richie Valens were killed when the single engine Beechcraft Bonanza they were traveling in crashed in a snow covered corn field shortly after takeoff from Mason City Municipal Airport near Clear Lake Iowa. The event would become known as 'the day the music died'. And as a matter of fact, the Don McLean songs sucks. Always has, always will. Now let's move on.

Having been born nine years after his death, I grew up a HUGE Buddy Holly fan quite accidentially, after stumbling across his music in my parents record collection and through repeated viewings of the wholly entertaining biopic, The Buddy Holly Story starring gonzo Hollywood legend Gary Busey.

The film was one of the first I can remember on the fledgling pay television service WHT (Wometco Home Theater). Back in the late 70's there was only one premium 'cable' channel, and on it the film was run ad nauseum. The movie, while not factually correct, did focus on Holly's unlikely rise to fame and more importantly, his amazing songwriting abilities. It should be noted that Busey and fellow actors Don Stroud and Charles Martin Smith did a stellar job performing all the songs for the film.

IMHO, Holly was light years ahead of contemporaries like Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and even Elvis. What he lacked in style he made up for with substance. One of Rock's first true singer/songwriters, his songbook runs rich and deep. Holly's catalog is still, over fifty years later, one of the most covered in Rock. He might not have invented three-chord rock, but he definitely perfected it. He and the Crickets were the first garage band, successfully combining simple chord progressions with catchy, accessible lyrics. Buddy Holly was the creator of the three minute pop formula that became the standard and has stood the test of time. As far as an influence, his legacy speaks for itself. If it weren't for the likes of Holly, it can be disputed there would have been no Beatles. Need I say more.

Not to discount the others who perished on that fateful night, I do, however, think they were novelty acts, as forgetful as the one-hit wonders the were peddling. Holly, on the other hand had already matured beyond the greasy kid stuff. His later work, albeit less edgy, displayed a brevity beyond his mere 23 years and showcased his prowess as a deft producer, allowing him to dress his sound in lush orchestrations. All from an artist that could not read or write music.

Who's to say Holly wouldn't have wound up a soft-rock pariah, but I think he was just hitting his stride when his life ended. Unfortunately, we'll never know. One thing is certain, Buddy Holly crammed a lifetime of amazing music into a very short lifespan.

Rave On
Rockin' Around With Ollie Vee
Well Alright
Not Fade Away
True Love Ways

Buddy Holly & The Crickets- Peggy Sue (Arthur Murray Dance Party, December 1957)


Buddy Holly & The Crickets- Oh, Boy! (Ed Sullivan Show, January 1958)


The Buddy Holly Story (1978)


Buddy Holly & The Crickets-Rock Around With Ollie Vee (1956)


Sir Paul, paying homage:
Paul McCartney- Words of Love (The Real Buddy Holly Story, 1985)

Born to run- but not run over

Not a huge Bruce fan here, but I think he did an admirable job during tonight's halftime show. Playing it safe and sticking to the classics and the schedule, the Boss and the band belted out a four song medley in just under 12 minutes. It should be noted that three of those songs were at least 25 years old, about how long it's been since Bruce put out a really good record. He did, however tease with a few verses of the gospel groove Working on a Dream, from the forthcoming album of the same name. Even with a full choir backing him up, it paled in comparison to the oldies.

Several years removed from 'Nipplegate', Springsteen was an easy bet to cover the spread, a crowd pleaser sans the drama. The only whiff of controversy was his inking of an exclusive distribution deal for his new LP with Walmart. A move he has since gone on record to regret, allowing him to cling to his working class hero persona while hopefully raking in the bucks. It is well known that the retail giant is a union-busting outfit with a track record of 'unfair' employment practices. Maybe it'll provide him fodder for another lackluster release somewhere down the road. Perhaps Darkness on the Edge of Aisle Nine ?

I have to admit, although I enjoyed the performance, I did not relinquish control of my chicken fingers.

I'm just sayin'.

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Born To Run
Spirit In The Night

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (Hammersmith Odeon, 1975)

Have a Rotten birthday

John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten turns 53 today, proving that Punk may not be dead but it is eligible for AARP.

I'm just sayin',

God Save The Queen
Bad Life
Seattle


Anarchy in The U.K. (So It Goes, BBC 1976)

Hot wax please

On this day on 1977, Rose Royce held the No.1 position on Billboard's Hot 100 with Car Wash, the title track to the Joel Schumacher penned, blacksploitation comedy of the same name.

A pinnacle LP for the Los Angeles group, the soundtrack for the film topped the charts and produced a bevy of hits, including the slow jam classics: I'm Going Down, Wishing On A Star and I Wanna Get Next To You.

30+ years later, the band is still gettin' their groove on.

I'm just sayin'.

Car Wash
I Wanna Get Next To You
Wishing On A Star

Car Wash Trailer (1976)


Rose Royse- Wishing on a star (1977)

Giant Steps

Who could miss today's Google home page homage to Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock on what would have been his 97th birthday.

IMHO, Pollock was a innovative painter and revolutionary artist. He took the canvas off the wall, and in turn took modern art to a different stratosphere. The urgency and spontaneity of his work still resonates today.

Drawing a musical parallel, we need look no further than a contemporary, and kindred spirit - John Coltrane.
Coltrane did for Jazz in particular, and music in general what Pollock did for art. It's not surprising their careers overlapped. Whenever I listen to Coltrane, I visualize Pollock. A soundtrack to the splatter.

I'm just sayin'.

Giant Steps
Cousin Mary

Pollock, the home edition: http://www.jacksonpollock.org/

Jackson Pollock 51 (1951)


John Coltrane- Impressions (1961)

Glad I'm not a Kennedy

Breaking from tradition, Caroline becomes the first Kennedy to shoot herself- in the foot. Glad I'm not a Kennedy. I'm just sayin'.

Shona Laing-(I'm Glad I'm Not A) Kennedy (1986)