Lost Classics!: Di$co Time!

Would Gene Simmons and KISS go disco? You bet! (Photo by Keith Leroux for KISSOnline)

A few years ago, while riffling through my closet, I came across my old pea green leisure suit. In one pocket was a ticket stub to a Bee Gees concert, circa 1979 in the Houston Summit. (Yes, that was the one with the guest dancer appearance by one Mr. John Travolta, in town filming Urban Cowboy). Horrified at this perfect polyester time capsule, I bundled it up and gave it as a Christmas white elephant gift at the office party.

I bet there are some pretty famous people who can’t get rid of their disco mistakes so easily. Remember the Beach Boys’ disco cash-in from 1979, “Here Comes The Night”? So do we, unfortunately. How about the Electric Light Orchestra hiding behind an Olivia Newton-John vocal for the horrid “Xanadu” (1980)? Or Paul McCartney’s “Goodnight Tonight” (1979)? Truly frightening.

Unbelieveable, really.

Even artists you wouldn’t expect to do disco, people with a lot artistic integrity, did some booty-shaking tracks back in the day. They may have tried to disguise it, but a disco by another color still smells … well, you know. How about Bruce Springsteen’s “Cover Me” (1984) – a bit late in the game but you can’t deny that driving backbeat. The Eagles doing “One Of These Nights” (1975) might have been a little early in the curve so you can give them the benefit of the doubt, but had it come out a few years later it would be disco. And what about “The Magnificient Seven” by the Clash (1981)? Hmmm.

Then there are the Rolling Stones. How many disco songs did they actually do? Aside from “Miss You” (1978), there’s “Emotional Rescue” (1980) and probably “Beast of Burden” (1978). And the less said about “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” by KISS (1979), the better.

So do you have a leisure suit in the closet? Break it out, dust off your old dance moves and let’s shake some tail on this Saturday night to your favorite rock acts gettin’ down with some disco!

MP3: “One Of These Nights” (live) by the Eagles

MP3: “Cover Me” by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

MP3: “Goodnight Tonight” by Paul McCartney & Wings

MP3: “Here Comes The Night” (1979 version) by the Beach Boys

MP3: “Xanadu” by Olivia Newton-John & the Electric Light Orchestra

MP3: “The Magnificent Seven” by The Clash

MP3: “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” (2009 version) by KISS

MP3: “Discotheque” by U2

MP3: “Emotional Rescue” by the Rolling Stones

MP3: “Shakedown Street” by the Grateful Dead

MP3: “Run Like Hell” by Pink Floyd

And why not?

MP3: “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” by Rod Stewart

MP3: “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees

Video Du Jour: U2 and Bruce Springsteen

The Best of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame + Museum Live is a 3-CD set featuring rare, one-of-a-kind performances from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, recorded since its start in 1986. The biggest names in rock and roll performed in intimate settings, jamming in combinations not seen anywhere else.

One of the album’s highlights teams Bruce Springsteen with U2 as he inducted the Irish band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. That performance joins nearly 200 others in a special 10-volume digital-only collection arriving at iTunes on Nov. 15 and the 51-song 3-CD set available Nov. 1.

Kiss me, it’s St. Patrick’s Day

Trying to recall St. Patricks’ Days past is always a hazardous endeavor.  If you can’t remember one for some, ah, reason … then you can’t remember any! For the past seven years or so St. Paddy’s Day shenanigans have gotten a little mixed up for me. That’s because it always falls in the middle of SXSW madness – the beer always flows anyway.

Well this year I’m taking some Irish music with me … not that there won’t be some playing around Austin during the festivities. Irish music is a lot like the Cajun music I grew up with – that shit rocks out. And you can’t seem to get enough of it. Nevertheless, here’s my St. Patrick’s Day mix that is good for drinking along to, or not.

MP3: “Irish Drinking Song (Drink And Fight)” by Buck O’ Nine

MP3: “As I Roved Out” by The Hit The Bottle Boys

MP3: “Celtic Rock” by Donovan

MP3: “Whiskey In The Jar” by Thin Lizzy

MP3: “I Useta Lover” by the Saw Doctors

MP3: “Ditch” by Irish Stew Of Sindidun

MP3: “I Know My Love” by Maura O’Connell

MP3: “March To Battle (Across The Rio Grande)” by The Chieftains & Ry Cooder w/Liam Neeson

MP3: “Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2

MP3: “And A Bang On The Ear” by the Waterboys

MP3: “Thank Christ For The Kids” by the Mighty Stef

MP3: “Danny Boy” by the Three Irish Tenors

MP3: “Celtic New Year” by Van Morrison

MP3: “Haste To The Wedding” by the Corrs

MP3: “Cracklin’ Rosie” by Shane MacGowan & the Popes

MP3: “Celtic Storm” by the Mighty Regis

MP3: “Whiskey Makes Me Crazy” by The Tossers

MP3: “Tomorrow Comes A Day Too Soon” by Flogging Molly

MP3: “Paint The Town Red 2010” (The Fighter mix) by the Mahones

MP3: “Body Of An American” by the Pogues

MP3: “The Irish Rover” by the Dropkick Murphys

MP3: “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced” by the Dropkick Murphys

Your Sister’s (Record) Rack: Singles, Part 10 – B-sides!

We wrap up our Labor Day singles sock hop rock-a-thon with a few B-sides, some very famous, some legendary and some totally unknown.

In 1970 Led Zeppelin cut its classic Led Zeppelin III, and the first single off that album was “Immigrant Song.”  The flip side was “Hey, Hey What Can I Do.”  The song was the only non-album track Zeppelin would offer up during its career, and for the longest time the only way you could hear it was on a scratchy single (or through the benevolence of a local radio DJ), but it’s since appeared on some Led Zeppelin box sets and as a bonus track on the Coda CD.

MP3: “Hey, Hey What Can I Do” by Led Zeppelin

Elvis had a pink cadillac, John Prine called an album Pink Cadillac, and Bruce Springsteen cut “Pink Cadillac” during his sessions for Born In The U.S.A. in 1984.  Appearing on the flip of “Dancing In The Dark,” Springsteen’s Cadillac got a lot of mileage during his 1984-85 world tour and received radio play worldwide.  The song has since appeared on a few of the Boss’s compilations and Tracks sets.

MP3: “Pink Cadillac” by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

Townes Van Zandt is perhaps the godfather of Texas singer/songwriters.  Before his death in 1997 he wrote and recorded a number of classics, and he has influenced the current generation of Lone Star pickers, like Steve Earle and Robert Earl Keen.  “Dirty Old Town” is the Ewan MacColl song most famously covered by The Pogues, and Townes cut it in 1996 at one of his last recording sessions.  “Dirty Old Town” is the B-side of “Riding The Range,” released on single by a German company in 1999.

MP3: “Dirty Old Town” by Townes Van Zandt

30 Days Out Contest! “Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…” prize pack

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…is clearly the best music program on television. Costello is a great interviewer and we get to see him play not only his songs every week, but his own versions of songs by artists like U2, Bruce Springsteen, etc. So when we received an e-mail to do a “give away” promotion for the show, we jumped at the chance. Here’s what is in the prize package:

* Season 1 of “Spectacle: Elvis Costello with..” on DVD.

* John Prine’s (this week’s guest) new CD.

* Various Sundance Channel parephenalia including a hat and pen…

How can you win? We will give you a question, if you get it right, we’ll put your name in a hat. The drawing will take place on Monday, Jan. 25. The contest is open to U.S. residents only. Please send your answer to the “leave a reply” box at the bottom. Here is the question:

Next week’s guest on Spectacle is Bruce Springsteen, what Springsteen song did Elvis Costello record and release?

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… Official Website

Lyle Lovett talks to Elvis Costello

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Jesse Winchester on a recent episode

Christmas Song of the Day: “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid

After seeing a BBC report on famine in Ethiopia, Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof thought he needed to do something to try and stop all the suffering. On Nov. 25, 1984 he gathered some of the biggest acts in British and Irish pop music for one 24-hour period to record a tune he had written with Midge Ure titled “Do They Know It’s  Christmas?” Paul McCartney, U2, Phil Collins, Queen, Duran Duran, Boy George, George Michael, Sting, and many others took part in what started the “all star charity song” wave of the mid-80s.

The song sold a million copies it’s first week and 3.5 million overall. The single lead to “We Are the World” by USA for Africa, which eventually lead to “Live Aid,” an unprecedented concert event on two continents on July 15, 1985. While “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and others like it didn’t put an end to famine in Ethiopia, at least they got people talking about it.

Famine Relief in Ethiopia

 

Christmas Song of the Day: “I Believe in Father Christmas” by U2

This song was released last Christmas as part of Bono’s (RED) WIRE project to fight AIDS in Africa. While it is not as good as Greg Lake’s original, it’s not bad. Enjoy

(RED) WIRE Official Website

U2 Official Website

Grammy Nominations 2009

The 52nd annual Grammy nominations came out last night with one glaring omission. Green Day’s excellent 21st Century Breakdown was not nominated for Album of the Year. How is that possible? While I like the new Dave Matthews Band Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King album, it’s not better than Green Day. The Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. sure as hell isn’t. While I’m sure Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Beyonce have their moments, song for song, there is no way they compare with Green Day.

Bruce Springsteen showed up as a courtesy in a few of categories. Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song for “Working On A Dream” and for his “Sea of Heartbreak” duet with Rosanne Cash, but his Working On A Dream album was a no-show. Producer Brendan O’Brien, however, is up for Producer of the Year. U2’s weak No Line On The Horizon LP also appeared in couple of categories, but was shut out of the major ones. Steve Earle’s excellent Townes showed up in the Best Comtemporary Folk Album along with Neko Case’s Middle Cyclone and Elvis Costello’s  Secret, Profane and Sugar Cane (I love Costello, but this is a joke). Wilco, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams and Levon Helm were also nominated for “Best Americana Album.”

Some pleasant surprises (besides the Americana category) include Adele’s nomination for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance for “Hometown Glory,” Willie Nelson’s American Classic nominated for Best Traditional Vocal Performance, AC/DC’s Black Ice up for Best Rock Album and Megadeth’s Head Crusher being recognized in the “Best Metal Performance.”

The show airs on CBS Sunday, Jan. 31. Maybe Kanye West will steal someone’s thunder again. Maybe Lady Gaga will poor blood on herself again, or maybe, just maybe, we’ll get to see Wilco, Steve Earle, Springsteen/Cash or AC/DC play live. We can only hope.

2009 Grammy Nominations

U2 to stream live concert on YouTube

U2 will stream an entire concert live on the YouTube video sharing site this weekend, the Irish band said on their website.

Sunday’s show at the Rose Bowl in California is already a sellout, with an audience of 96,000 expected, and U2 said it would be the first time for such a large show to be streamed live.

YouTube will stream the concert across five continents, and two replays will be available after the live feed — on http://www.U2.com and YouTube.

More information available at the official U2 website

Lost Classics! Lone Justice/Maria McKee

In the 1980s, Los Angeles was the birthplace of a curious genre called cowpunk, a mashup of punk rock with roots music.  Among the more famous practitioners were the Beat Farmers, the Blasters, Los Lobos, Green on Red and of course, Lone Justice. 

Lone Justice came together in 1982 under the guidance of guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee, an L.A. singer whose half brother was Bryan McLean from the psychedelic band Love.  In their early days, Lone Justice was a hot band in the L.A. area – thanks in part to having famous champions and fans like Linda Ronstadt and Benmont Tench, Tom Petty’s keyboardist and Maria McKee’s boyfriend.

Geffen Records put out Lone Justice’s self-titled debut album in 1985 and although a few songs (most notably the Tom Petty-penned “Ways To Be Wicked”) got radio airplay, the album didn’t sell as well as everyone hoped it would.  Maybe Lone Justice wasn’t really a true cowpunk band – the first album showed evidence of ambition beyond the boundaries of the genre.  To my ears, Lone Justice sounded more like a California-style U2 rather than the other bolo tie bands that were out at the time.