D-Sides, Orphans, and Oddities
Episodes
Friday May 22, 2020
Elvis Presley, J Geils, and the Tears of the DJ
Friday May 22, 2020
Friday May 22, 2020
When I was a young teen searching for direction, we (Dan and I) went to Joe Lucas's house. We looked at their vinyl collection, which was pretty good. Joe played sax. Did we want a sax player? His brother played too. Who knows. But one day we found ourselves listening to J Geils Band Live. And Peter Wolf, the singer, announced one of the songs by saying "Take out your false teeth momma, I wanna suck on your gums..." And I never forgot that. What the hell? Showmanship. Control.
King Crimson - The Great Deceiver (1973) You know, when you have hired an outside lyricist like KC did until Adrian Belew arrived, you're gonna have some "Health food faggot" in there occasionally.
Supertramp - Hide In Your Shell (1974) An amazing song. I love the Hammond B3 toward the end. I could listen to this over and over.
Bread - Everything I Own (1972)
Elvis Presley - Change of Habit (1972)
Elvis Presley - Clean Up Your Own Back Yard (1969) From the movie "The Trouble With Girls". Although "The Trouble with Girls" is set in the 1920s, several lyrics within this song are anachronistic for the era, such as a reference to "armchair quarterbacks", a term not coined until the advent of television sports broadcasting decades later.
Elvis Presley - A Little Less Conversation (1968) From the movie "Live a Little, Love a Little". Mac Davis wrote songs for Elvis and had his own career as a recording artist in the early 70's. But I will always remember him for his role in "The Sting II".
Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Hot City Symphony (1975)
Aphrodite’s Child - The System/Babylon (1971) Vangelis was a Greek pop star. Later he wrote the theme for "Chariots of Fire" and recorded music with Jon Anderson of Yes. Had Bob Burtman been listening, he would have run for the phone!!
BJ Thomas - Happier Than The Morning Sun (1972) Featuring Stevie Wonder.
Chuck Berry - My Dream (Poem) (1971)
Genesis - That’s Me (1969)
J Geils Band - Homework (1970)
J Geils Band - Pack Fair and Square (1970)
J Geils Band - Wreckage (1977)
Elvis Presley - Solitaire (1976)
Elvis Presley - Power of My Love (1969)
Elvis Presley - No Room To Rhumba in a Sports Car (1963)
Elvis Presley - Yoga Is as Yoga Does (1967)
Elvis Presley - Poison Ivy League (1967)
Chevy Chase - Rapper’s Blight (1980) Cocaine is a hell of a drug, people. See, when Saturday Night Live's original cast fell apart, they all felt (pretty much) that they had artistry that they could offer the world. And so it was with Chevy Chase's album. I have listened to Chevy Chase's record, and the disdain he seems to feel for everyone and everything that he encountered during that long, painful slog up the showbiz ladder, and becoming the face of the show, being hated by his cast members, and leaving the show after one season, it's all there in the grooves. The anger and the ego, no doubt fed by his ample supply of cocaine. As big a star as he was, this album sank without a trace.
Garrett Morris - I Wanna Be a Cowboy (1979) Cocaine is a hell of a drug, people. See, when Saturday Night Live's original cast fell apart, they all felt (pretty much) that they had artistry that they could offer the world. And so it was with Garrett Morris's album. I have listened to this, a directionless dance record, and one is left to wonder which part he played in this. As big a star as he was, this album sank without a trace.
GM: That was when I made a lot of bad, fucked-up decisions. I blame myself for that tragedy. I was making a lot of bad decisions. I was very much into being dependent on cocaine.
Gilda Radner - Honey (Touch Me With My Clothes On) (1979) From her one-woman show, Live From New York. She was going to be the queen of the world. Everyone loved her. Everyone. But the show didn't get great reviews and she didn't turn out to be the big star we all thought she'd be. Her movies (including the one of this show) didn't do great. What was it? We all rooted for her. Maybe GE Smith grunting on her had a long and detrimental effect. Now I'm imagining that. No, GE! No more Hall and Oates!!