Byron Lee and the Dragonaires

Artist: Byron Lee and the Dragonaires

LP: Going Places

Song: "Sell the Pussy"
[ listen ]
Song: "Message to a Black Man"
aka: "Message From a Black Man"
[ listen ]

Please don't ask me about Byron Lee. I'll slip into a state of frenzied excitement or, more likely, a dreamy ecstasy—and I won't get anything done at work today. You can read all about the influential Jamaican bandleader here, read about his work with The Dragonaires (and see their discography) here, and find Lee's biography, photos and other things here. There's a nice Byron Lee obituary from the Reggae Times here and you can watch Byron Lee trying to teach a white guy the Pussy Kat Dance on YouTube here. Notes from the back of this 1970 LP included below.

BYRON LEE AND THE DRAGONAIRES
Jamaica's & Caribbean's Number One Band

Ask anyone in the Caribbean about Byron Lee and they'll
either go into a dreamy ecstasy or frenzied excitement as
they talk about the Caribbean's no. 1 band. Ask anyone
also about BWIA and you'll more than likely get the same
type of reaction as they talk about the Caribbean's no. 1
airline, which links these sunny tropical shores with the North
American gateways of Miami, New York and Toronto.

Ask about Byron Lee's last Caribbean and U.S. tour and
people from all walks of life will tell you "it was the greatest."
Ask about their last trip on BWIA's fabulous sunjets and
they'll also tell you "magnificent."

Will Byron Lee fulfill the outstanding demands to
tour Europe? Most definitely!

Will BWIA carry out their expansion programme to serve
the United Kingdom and Europe? Most definitely, and
with new Boeing 707 sunjets, the fastest
between Europe and the Caribbean.

And in BWIA's twenty fifth year of serving Jamaica,
Byron's homeland, the airline is proud to once again
have carried the Byron Lee show throughout
the Caribbean and the United States.

Sit back and relax then as Byron Lee's music, as featured
on BWIA's sunjets, puts you on a real groovy cloud.

[ Byron Lee: June 27, 1935 — November 4, 2008 ]

Sylvia

Artist: Sylvia

LP: Drifter

Song: "Rainbow Rider"
[ listen ]

In this song, a woman faces nothing but loneliness and frustration after falling in love with a homosexual man—or a "rainbow rider," as they're sometimes known in the rugged Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions of the country.

Lena Horne

Artist: Lena Horne

LP: Lena Horne

Song: "Just Squeeze Me"
[ listen ]

Born in Brooklyn on June 30, 1917, Lena Horne celebrates her 92nd birthday today! She appeared in Hollywood musicals of the 1940s like the wacky Red Skelton/Ann Sothern vehicle PANAMA HATTIE in 1942 and the wonderfully strange CABIN IN THE SKY in 1943 (which blew me away when I absent-mindedly stumbled upon it playing in the ship-board cinema during a family cruise vacation back in 1984). You can read about the exciting life and career of Lena Horne here, see her perform "Stormy Weather" from the 1943 film of the same name here and you can watch her sing the ABCs with some Muppets right here. Notes from the back of this 1958 LP:

LENA HORNE — With orchestra conducted by Phil Moore

There are some who will heatedly argue that Lena Horne
is the greatest entertainer in show business today. This
may very well be so. But no one can deny that Miss
Horne is something very, very special. From New York
to London, from Las Vegas to Paris, all have thrilled to
the artistry of this beautiful and elegant lady.

The star was born in Brooklyn. At sixteen, she got her
first singing job in the chorus of the legendary Cotton Club.
Noble Sissle played there, heard Lena, and immediately
hired her as vocalist for his band. Two years later, she
auditioned for Charlie Barnet and got the job. Miss Horne
sang her way across the country and in Hollywood, L.B.
Mayer signed her to do two pictures—first "Panama Hattie"
and then "Cabin In the Sky." These pictures won for Lena
a national prominence and she has gained a larger following
each year since. Now one of the best known entertainers
in the world, Lena Horne is at the pinnacle of her fame.
This album amply demonstrates what put her there.

[ Happy Birthday, Lena Horne! ]

Brown Banana

The other day I bought some bananas to have on hand for a healthy snack, but they started turning brown right when I got them home so I had to eat them really fast.

side one:
01. New Osage Stomp - Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
02. Nine Little Teardrops - Sue Thompson
03. Duermete, Hijo - Los Bocheros
04. Santa Fe, New Mexico - Sons of the Pioneers
05. Crying In the Chapel - Hugo Winterhalter & His Orchestra
06. My Last Gold Dollar Is Gone - The New Christy Minstrels
07. The Game of Triangles - Bobby Bare/Norma Jean/Liz Anderson
08. Lay Some Happiness On Me - Nancy Sinatra
09. Mr. Jackson - Rose Maddox
10. Kieler Sprotten - Egon Walter's Tanzkapelle German Dance Band
11. Shenandoah - The Browns
12. Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying - Olivia Newton-John
13. Buenas Noches Mí Amor - Los Tres Diamantes
14. Little Joe the Wrangler - Marty Robbins
15. Polynesian Baby - Bobby Austin
16. I Walk the Line - The Robert DeCormier Singers
17. Number Two Girl - Betty Jean Sites
18. Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo - Ethel Smith
[ listen ]

side two:
01. End of Track - Lorne Greene
02. Swamp Girl - Frankie Laine
03. To You Sweetheart, Aloha - Tennessee Ernie Ford
04. Panamama Tombe - Count Desire Steel Pan
05. Teddy Bear Song - Tanya Tucker
06. The New "Frankie & Johnnie" Song - Greenwood Country Singers
07. Kites Are Fun - Tony Mottola
08. Evil On Your Mind - Dinah Shore
09. A World I Can't Live In - Claude Gray
10. Barco Negro - Amalia Rodrigues
11. My Old Man - John Denver
12. Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair) - Gale Garnett
13. High Noon - Duane Eddy
14. Mountain of Love - David Houston
15. High Level Hornpipe - Carl Elliott and His Nova Scotians
16. You Little Devil - Jimmy Dean
[ listen ]

Zack Attack—"Flip Me Over!"

This "unauthorized" biography I found on the book-sale donations table at Safeway last night evidently exposes Zac Efron as a submissive bottom who enjoys being "taken" by surprise. I was shocked to find this kind of smut for sale at my local neighborhood supermarket—and right out in the open where children could see it! I haven't yet dared to peek at the color photos inside.

Farrah Fawcett [1947-2009]

Artist: Farrah Fawcett & Jean Paul Vignon

LP: actually, I stole this one from my friend John's blog
Song: "You"
[ listen ]

One of Charlie's original Angels, Farrah Fawcett got shafted with only about 5 hours of media coverage and memorial tributes yesterday before someone a lot more famous suddenly died and stole all her headlines (see below). Read about Farrah's life and career here, see her complete filmography here [just be sure to avoid this one. trust me.] and there are lots of nice Farrah Fawcett images to be found here.

Farrah Fawcett

[February 2, 1947 - June 25, 2009]
We will miss you, Farrah.

Michael Jackson [1958-2009]

Artist: Michael Jackson

LP: Off the Wall
Song: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
[ listen ]

The King of Pop, and probably the music industry's biggest superstar ever, suddenly up and died yesterday. I still find it hard to believe. If you ask me, his #1 1979 hit "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is one of the best dance songs ever.

Michael Jackson tributes like this really nice one you can hear on NPR have been pouring in from all directions today. You can read about Jacko's wonderful-yet-troubled life on Wikipedia here, check out the Michael Jackson Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page here, view photos of the legendary singer from throughout his career here and watch Michael's influential music video for "Beat It" right here.

Michael Jackson
[August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009]
We will miss you, Michael.

Seattle Helps the Hungry

Artist: Seattle Helps the Hungry

LP: 7" single
Song: "Give Just a Little" [care version]
[ listen ]

Song: "Give Just a Little" [share version]
[ listen ]

I was supposed to be locked inside the Space Needle for charity today, but I had to cancel because I've been too distracted to raise my bail money. Feeling guilty, I'm listening to this local 1985 benefit single on auto repeat as punishment. "Give Just a Little" would have been good advice for the singers featured in both versions of this horrible song... but no, they're giving everything they've got. Some of them sound like they're going to explode! Listeners are left with the impression that these folks weren't really thinking of starving children, but of major-label talent scouts waving blank contracts while eagerly clustered around the office turntable.

Jacques Foti

Artist: Jacques Foti

LP: I Wish You Love

Song: "If You Want This Love of Mine"
[ listen ]

This terrific 1965 LP by debonair European bon vivant Jacques Foti is one of the treasures I picked up while dashing in and out of record stores between films at the recent Seattle International Film Festival. Born in Hungary, Foti has evidently been called the male "answer" to Zza Zza Gabor (a question, if ever a woman was), but with this song in particular, it's Eartha Kitt who comes pleasantly to mind. You can read about Jacques Foti's interesting life here (where you can also hire him to speak at your upcoming function.... just don't expect him to look anything like that picture when he shows up), you can see a list of Jacques Foti's film credits—including this one—here, and you can buy an autographed copy of this very LP (with a note that looks like, "Kenny! You're a tiger! & a nice guy!") for twenty bucks on eBay here. Now living (and hopefully still performing) in the L.A. area, yesterday was this continental song-purrer's 85th birthday. Happy Birthday, Jacques Foti!

Intimate Love Songs by the International Favorite
JACQUES FOTI with the Joe Leahy Orchestra.

Jacques Foti, a debonair European bon vivant who wears
a silver ascot in place of a tie, has the continental charm
that has made women sigh for Frenchmen ever since
those attractive Gallic gentlemen invented romance.

An accomplished night club performer who made a name
for himself in Europe before coming to the United States
to capture American femmes, Jacques has been described
by a possibly jealous newsman as "Hungary's
serious male answer to Zza Zza Gabor."

The same critic, somewhat less cryptically, went on to
acclaim his performance as "strictly a heart-flutterer,"
and to Foti as "exactly what women expect
in a continental song-purrer."

A little more basically, another reviewer simply stated that
Jacques Foti "could make even 'Jingle Bells' sound sexy."

Call him sexy, call him romantic, call him charming—and
he is definitely the epitomy of all three—Jacques has an
intimate and unique styling that bids fair to make him a
welcome and appealing addition to the ranks
of singing heart-throbs.

For your listening enjoyment, Vee-Jay recommends
wine glasses for two, soft lights, a cozy sofa...and the
intimate, romantic phrasing of Jacques Foti.

Like Jacques, we wish you love.

Paul Parker

Artist: Paul Parker

LP: Too Much to Dream
Song: "Baby You Can Have My Lovin' Anytime"
[ listen ]
Song: "Too Much to Dream"
[ listen ]

Song: "Nighthawk"
[ listen ]

It took three gay disco songs to wake me up this morning. Paul Parker's invigorating LP was produced by Patrick Cowley and released on Castro Street's Megatone Records in 1983. You can read a little about Parker's music and career here and then read a lot more here, while listening to some auto-play '80s radio. You can visit Paul Parker's webpage and hear samples of his new songs "Don't Stop (What You're Doing to Me)," "I'm Letting Go" and "I'll Be That Man" by clicking here. LP cover photo by Garry Gay.

Poon Sow Keng

Artist: Poon Sow Keng

LP: Popular Songs In Mandarin Chinese by the Orient's Favorite Vocalist

Song: "I Could Hardly Give Him Up"
[ listen ]

Here's a pretty song from a 1960s Poon Sow Keng (or "Pan Xiu Qiong") record I found at a shop just a few blocks from my house. You can read a little about Poon Sow Keng in this blog tribute—where the author calls her ugly and says her songs are popular in Chinese restaurants. Now retired from the limelight, Poon Sow Keng invites senior citizens to volunteerism, as you can see here, and performs at poorly-videotaped Christian festivals like this one. To see Poon Sow Keng lit from head to toe by the aforementioned limelight, go here, where you'll see her perform her beautiful hit, "A Lover's Tears," in the 1964 movie THE LARK. Notes from the back of the LP:

A MALAYAN by birth, the beautiful and immensely popular Poon
Sow Keng has been singing since she was 12 years old.

At 17, she recorded for the first time. Within weeks, her name
was known throughout Southeast Asia.

But for all her popularity, and today she is unquestionably
one of the most popular singers in the entire area, Poon Sow
Keng has never had a lesson in singing. What talent
she has is God-given.

She sings in Mandarin Chinese. She is particularly successful
in Singapore and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya.

Here are brief notes on each song, all of which were
recorded by EMI in Asia:

I COULD HARDLY GIVE HIM UP—She longed to see him,
yet when she did she was unable to say anything—and
when she eventually spoke, he failed to respond.
A song of frustration.

Christophe

Artist: Christophe

LP: 7" single

Song: "Aline"
[ listen ]

"Aline" was French pop star Christophe's first big hit, back in 1965. He's evidently had numerous comebacks over the years as well as the requisite drug problem in the 1970s, which you can read all about here. Click here to see him perform "Aline" back in the early days, and if you want to watch Patrick Sebastien doing a flamingly pink take on the song with a half-dozen limp-wristed backup dancers, go here.

35: Totally Tetrahedral

35 is a very special number. 35 is a tetrahedral number. know what's three degrees above freezing? 35. this lady is 35. 35 millimeter... a film gauge! the number of minutes on each side of this mix? 35. plus 10. join... the 35 club.

side one:
01. Toreador's March [from "Carmen"] - James Last
02. Superman - The Clique
03. Laugh Track - Dengue Fever
04. Love Is a Song - Walt Disney Studio Orchestra
05. Why Do You Want Me Around (Ononkisakae) - The Manhattan Brothers
06. So You Are a Star - Hudson Brothers
07. The Arms of Orion - Prince w/ Sheena Easton
08. Magic - Richard Hayman & His Orchestra
09. Klapste Ourani Ki'asteria - Stavros Xarchakos
10. 'O Surdato 'Nnammurato - Gino Del Vescovo
11. Tapioca Tundra - The Wichita Train Whistle
12. Cheerleader - Grizzly Bear
13. C'mon Every Beatbox - Big Audio Dynamite
14. Why I Went Missing - The Style Council
[ listen ]

side two:
01. Come Together - Diana Ross
02. Even Though - Rejoice!
03. Fresh Blood - Eels
04. How Do You Stand - Symphonic Slam
05. Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight - Eddie Rabbitt
06. Pacho Galan - Las Estrellas De Acapulco
07. Oye Negra - Sy Mann & Nick Tagg
08. Stasou - Litsa Diamadi
09. The Exciting Mister Fitch - Marian Montgomery
10. Somebody Loves You - Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra
11. He Ono La - Sam Kapu
12. Black Satin - The Raveonettes
13. Make the World Go Away - Donny & Marie Osmond
14. Hot Hot Hot!!! - The Cure
[ listen ]

Van McCoy

Artist: Van McCoy

LP: The Disco Kid

Song: "The Disco Kid"
[ listen ]

Van McCoy, mostly known for his instrumental disco hit "The Hustle," wrote for many legendary R&B acts of the 1960s and '70s and was responsible for forming the popular singing duo Peaches & Herb. Sadly, McCoy died of a heart-attack when he was only 39 years old. You can read about Van McCoy here and go here to see more pictures and to find out how he is still touching the world with his music.

[ Van McCoy: January 6, 1940 — July 6, 1979 ]

Botti Endor Quartet

Artist: Botti Endor Quartet

LP: Souvenir of M/S Victoria

Song: "Oh, Baby, Kiss Me"
[ listen ]
Song: "I Love Paris"
[ listen ]
Song: "Pullechinilla"
[ listen ]

Ahh, the memories came flooding back to me last night as I listened to this record in the privacy of my home. My folks were actually on the M/S Victoria in July of '69, a few weeks before I was born, and according to witnesses I was still humming "I Love Paris" as I sprang from my mother's womb.

Souvenir of M/S Victoria—1969 Edition
A MUSICAL MEMENTO OF YOUR VICTORIA CRUISE

Weeks from now, months from now, ten years from now,
as you play this record in the privacy of your home, wonderful
memories will come back to you. You will recall, once again,
the music you danced to, the songs you hummed, the
congenial friends you met...the grand and glorious time
you had on your cruise...and wish you were
back aboard the VICTORIA.

We, too, would love to see you back again...soon!
—Incres Line Luxury Cruises—

[  The Botti Endor Quartet ]