Show #358: "R.I.P. 2011, Part 3 of 3"

Every 3 weeks I leave an open slot to do random themes and whatnot.
This week is my annual "R.I.P." show, where I pay tribute to all the musicians/artists/singers who died in the past year. I will play a track and give a brief bio on each artist featured as a tribute. This is PART THREE of THREE shows. I'll be covering 125 total artists of the 50's, 60's and 70's who died in the year 2011, in a three part show. Tune in tonight and learn about the musicians and singers who died between the months of September and December of 2011, and hear music by bands and artists like: The Ethiopians, Mickey & Sylvia, The Miracles, Kevin Ayers & The Whole World, The Pentangle, The Tymes, The Edgar Winter Group, Brunning Sunflower Blues Band, Brooklyn Bridge, The Unrelated Segments, Joe Frazier, The Tielman Brothers, Passport, The Heptones, The Artwoods, Howard Tate, The Spinners, Howlin' Wolf, Pollution, The Music Machine, The Mothers Of Invention, James & Bobby Purify, and many many others!!!

***To stream The Metaphysical Circus live via the web click this link: http://portsmouthcommunityradio.org/listen ... to listen to past shows, view playlists and more, fan the show on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Metap ... 50?sk=wall … or check out my website (to be updated someday): http://eggmanrulez.com/
Live every Friday night at 10pm to 1am EST on WSCA-LP 106.1 FM, Portsmouth Community Radio!

Watch my playlist unravel before your eyes LIVE here: http://wscafm.radioactivity.fm/

Egg

My first punk show was in the latter half of the '80's, 86 or 87 at the Outhouse (a punk rock club in the middle of a cornfield: http://theouthousethefilm.com/), I don't remember who played, probably some local band, but I had an awesome time!

And now the same week Etta James passes, another singer who Otis helped launch.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/20/showbiz/etta-james-obit/?hpt=hp_t1

A short little piece about Johnny's passing by Dave Alvin:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2012/01/johnny-otis-obituary-dave-alvin-appreciation.html

Guitarist, songwriter and singer Dave Alvin, a founding member with his brother Phil of Los Angeles roots-rock group the Blasters and subsequently a member of punk band X and critically lauded solo artist, remembers Johnny Otis. The bandleader, songwriter, producer, talent scout, drummer and disc jockey died Tuesday at age 90:

Johnny Otis was HUGE in my brother's and my musical education and early musical experience.

I was about 14 when we started following Johnny Otis and his band around Southern Cal like Deadheads and Parrotheads would do years later for the Dead and [Jimmy] Buffett.

He had a stunning band (I can still name them all with the exception of the drummer, who I do recall was from the band Kaleidoscope) and his shows were a consistent, thrilling tribute to West Coast blues, R&B and soul.

Johnny was always nice and friendly to us and that meant the world to us. He was even interested in managing one of my brother’s teenage blues bands way back when. Twenty years later, I saw him perform in Long Beach and he walked right up to me and started talking to me as if no time had passed at all.

He was a huge force in R&B on the West Coast and in the Southwest, from Central Avenue in L.A. to Houston and Memphis. In his way, Johnny was as important as [Sun Records founder] Sam Phillips or [Chess Records co-founder] Leonard Chess in discovering new talent, both as a bandleader but also as a record producer -- everyone from Little Esther to Johnny Ace to Little Richard to Big Mama Thornton and so many more.

Not only was his music a gigantic influence on me, his political and sociological views always forced me to think outside the box. While I didn’t agree with everything he said, I agreed with a lot of it.

Johnny Otis made me think while I was rocking. Not many artists can do that.

Damn. This is really sad.

WA WA makes me Dizzy Miss Lizzy

Great Man, Great Music, Great Greek.  

This is  very sad....I mean , yes , he lived a long , full life and had a career that showed no signs of slowing , but , Rock'n'Roll , Rhythm 'n' Blues , Call it Your mammy if you want , has lost one of it's oldest and dearest friends.... He made it his lifetime ambition to promote the music , and the many great artists that passed through it's ranks. Someone called him , outside of John Brown , one of the least racist White men in history. He worked with Black Singers and Musicians LONG before it was acceptable , and in many quarters , even legal , to do so , necessitating his efforts to pass for a light - skinned Black man , at times.

But , of course , today , his music is still loved , and the later concert revues he put on were still barn - burners.  I saw one such show , some 20 years ago , when Otis shared a bill at the now - cornball Chicago Bluesfest (A friend would tell you not to bother with it , anymore. I'm your friend , don't bother.) with Jimmy McGriff and Hank Crawford. The only Johnny Otis Orchestra classic his latter day aggregation performed was "Willie and The Handjive" , but , make no mistake , they tore that sucker OUT.  Johnny's Son , cult hero , and , briefly , member of Arthur Lee and Love , Shuggie Otis , filled the air with tasty and tasteful Blues Guitar leads (This was before his comeback bid.). IT WAS NOTHING IF NOT HIGH ENERGY AND HIGHLY ENTERTAINING.

Johnny met Alan Freed again , today. And , I'm about to tell you what the man had to say......

" HIT THAT JIVE , JACK . PUT IT IN YOUR POCKET TIL I GET BACK. I'M GOING DOWNTOWN TO SEE A MAN. I AIN'T GOT TIME TO SHAKE YOUR HAND ! ".

Rockin' in Heaven . REST , LIKE HELL !

What a life, Otis seemed to have his hand in so many of the early R&B & RnR acts. He had a show on KPFK here in LA for many years prior to his moving to Northern California. Head had the greatest stories, guests and music. My dad,  who would be 80 now, said he used to see Otis around their part of town all the time back in the 40’s and early 50’s. And I believe his KFOX show back then was broadcast from a store front or record store. I still have most of my dad’s 78 collection that I grew up playing on our big console.  That was my first exposure to his music as his name would appear on many of these records. His own orchestra on Harlem Nocturne, or backing Little Esther, Can’t remember if his name shows on the Credits of the Johnny Ace’s Pledging My love 78 or not,  but it pops up on credits on many of those discs. Big loss that I don’t think most people these days would recognize. Here is one of my prized Otis items I found for a few bucks on ebay awhile back .

The Godfather of Rhythm & Blues dies at age 90. Story from the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/arts/music/johnny-otis-musician-dies-at-90.html?_r=2

RIP, Johnny.

Damn, it's been a bad week...

CNN: Etta James Dies At 73

A classic...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt7QpTWbl7U

Too Cool To Fool by the Afrika Korps 1977 1:50

From Light in the Attic Records: http://lightintheattic.net/news/?p=4622

RIP Kearney Barton – Legendary NW Recording Engineer & Studio/Label Owner

Last night we got an email from Kearney Barton’s niece Patti, telling us the incredibly sad news that Kearney passed away peacefully at 8 PM.  He was 81-years old.  Over the last couple years, Kearney’s health had been deteriorating, but he was still sharp as a nail, hanging on and cracking jokes when we last saw him over the holidays.  To say Kearney was a pioneer of the Northwest sound would be a massive understatement.  Maybe he was the inventor?  Whatever the tag, we miss the man.  He taught us about the Frantics, the Sonics, Little Bill, Don & The Good Times, and so many more, but the one that really blew our minds was Black On White Affair’s “Bold Soul Sister, Bold Soul Brother,” recorded by Kearney in February ’70 and released on his Topaz label.  It’s the tune that led me to Kearney’s doorstep in 2003, hoping to convince the wizard to let us license the single for inclusion on a comp of Seattle soul from back in the day.  I quickly discovered the man had a heart of gold and a sense of humor that would make your grandfather proud.  He was a genuine sweetheart who loved to work and record and record some more, making his famous cookies for guests, and watching a hydroplane race now and then.  I remember him saying he’d had a bunch of calls from overseas reissue labels wanting to license the single, but he felt reluctant.  Kearney liked the idea of working with a local label.  Bless his soul.

The one thing that I could never wrap my head around was the wealth of material Kearney recorded since entering the business in the 1950s.  It didn’t seem humanly possible.  There were few, if any, bands who didn’t record at least one tune after walking through the doors of his Audio Recording Studios.  And if it made a sound, he’d record it.

Kearney's "headphone tree," now proudly displayed in our Seattle office. Photo by Chris Gergley

Digging through Kearney’s archive years later, this becomes all the more evident to our eyes and ears.  We discover analog reels of operas, country western, big bands, psych, advertising jingles, downer songwriters, soul, high school jazz bands, crooners, funk, classical, folk, modern rock, radio shows… and whatever else I’m forgetting he probably recorded that too.

It’s a rare thing to master your craft at any point in your life.  To do it in your thirties and stick with it for another 45 years, up until almost the day you die, is a beautiful thing.  RIP Kearney.  We’ll miss you.

- Matt Sullivan & the Light In The Attic crew

Hey North easterners, I have a college radio show at university of hartford all about garage rock! If more people like it I can get onto a bigger radio station instead of the student station! Help me out and like my page here: https://www.facebook.com/greenslimeradio

Man - 'Spunk Rock' from 'The Greasy Truckers Party'...

All 4 tracks on AMT's The Penultimate Galactic Bordello. And I used to be a diehard prog-head many moons ago, so I'll throw Awaken and Karn Evil 9 out there.

Hey Sam: well, you kinda nailed the silly argument thang on its head. But, it also depends if you think that Punk is just a style of music, or, if it's something else. And THAT depends on personal opinion and experience. I don't see Punk as just one among many styles of music. Maybe that's the difference between listening to punk, and being a Punk.

Sam Sinister said:

Wow, what a tired old argument/discussion... no disrespect to the OP, but this is really a breeding ground for silly arguments. My opinion? Punk is a style of music, the style doesn't change when notoriety and/or money enter the equation. You either play it or you don't.

We set sail in about three weeks!!!!

Jello Biafra added to lineup:

http://www.mxdwn.com/2012/01/18/news/jello-biafra-added-to-bruise-cruise-2012-lineup/

Nice, Dan ring, I was just about to mention the Teen Beats. A few years back when I was hanging out in Montreal I came across a couple of Teen Beats 7"... I used to be quite the mod myself. Still have a parka. But going full mod every day is too much work.

Dan ring said:

The prisoners are a great example of the mod sound. Another band that had some bite,also from the 80's was les elite.

...more on the power pop tip but a personal fave of the mod revival groups of the 80's was the teen beats! They had a great 7" out called I can't control myself.
Thee Retroman said:

The Prisoners were a mod band with bite! and so were the Daggerman... the energy of these bands was how mod should sound. 

The Eyes

The Sorrows

Johns Children

Downliners Sect

The Wheels

Them

The Artwoods.......................

theres a few to start you off lol

I would go see Gary. Totally. I didn't know I loved you til I saw you Rock and Roll is one of my all time faves. 

I've got to say, I've booked Jeremy Spencer in the past and although he's not a convicted pedophile or incest person, everyone know's he was part of that freaky child loving cult Children Of God. The house was still packed though. In the end, he's a great musician. Just keep your kids away from him. 

And, that's how I feel about Gary too. 

Now, let the controversy begin.

 There have been news reports of proto-punk Glam Gang bang Leader of the kiddy fiddlers, Gary Glitter announcing a comeback. but I doubt it. The fact he's paedo goes against him, as does the fact all his fans were 13, but since he got done thirteen years ago he now has 13 fans. His account even says:

'Let ye without sin cast the first stone. My past is behind me now, I want to focus on my tour, remastered album and music. #GlitterTour'

The question is who will own up and say they're a Glitter fan now? One has:

There has been a surprising show of support for the convicted pedophile's apparent reemergence, with one Twitter user calling themselves '@ACloakedFigure' posting: 'At risk of saying something controversial... Glitter served his sentence. And this is a free country or used to be.'

I still respect him as a musician, as he influenced punk, post-punk, new wave, goth, Britpop and hair metal, but wouldn't it take a miracle to resurrect his career? Say, his death?

No one playing his tracks or adding them to compilation cd's, so the royalties have dried up and there's no cash to buy plane tickets to Thailand and Cambodia so he's crawled back out of the woodwork.....please don't support this man in any comeback, he's ruined innocent children's lives and, with cash in hand, he'll ruin many more.

I bet this is the most  accurate observation of all, as it begs the question of what would it take to pull this off? Getting beaten up by vigilantes could be a good start, as he can claim the victim (like he does now, but with the justification for whinging about being beaten up gives him a sympathy ticket). Poor Gary. Yeah, right!

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2088999/Gary-Twitter-Social-media-storm-pop-star-Glitter-appears-set-personal-account.html#ixzz1jxTiLiiM

Nope! I just clicked into this post when I read the title, the track was already here. Too bad no one is replying on this topic!

haha i like the way you mention Jim's singing!It's x-mas for Doors freaks!is it you who added the youtube vid on my discussion?

I lost my mind the day they played it on the radio! The band sounding incredible as usual, and good ol' drunken Jimbo more than likely singing into a beer can...