Chavela Vargas [1919-2012]

Artist: Chavela Vargas

LP: Noche Bohemia

Song: "La China"

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The first time I heard Chavela Vargas was when I saw Pedro Almodovar's film, LA FLOR DE MI SECRETO in 1995. I was captivated by her gravely voice and the raw emotion conveyed through her singing. Sadly, Chavela (or sometimes "Chabela," it seems) died earlier this week; she was 93 years old. Born in 1919 in Costa Rica, Chavela fled to Mexico City when she was 14 years old. Known for wearing men's clothing, smoking cigars, and packing heat, Chavela became a fixture in the city's vibrant bohemian nightlife of the 1950s and '60s. She disappeared from public life in the 1970s and '80s, drifting through a 15-year alcoholic haze somewhere in the state of Morelos. Nursed back to health through the kindness of strangers, Chavela rose to international stardom again in the 1990s, due to vigorous promotion by the aforementioned Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, who considered Chavela his muse. Ms. Vargas declared her lesbianism publicly in the year 2000--when she was 81 years old. "I was born this way. Since I opened my eyes to the world, I have never slept with a man. Never. Just imagine what purity. I have nothing to be ashamed of," she told a Spanish newspaper. You can read all about the life and career of Chavela Vargas here, find her New York Times obituary here, and go here to read a nice piece about the singer in the Los Angeles Times. Spanish and English liner notes from the back of the 1961 "Noche Bohemia" LP are included below, along with a clip of Chavela performing in an "exclusive Mexican bohemian nightclub" in 1968.

Chavela Vargas on YouTube:

[ "Macorina / Los Peces en el Río" ]

Chavela Vargas

[April 17, 1919 — August 5, 2012]

We will miss you, Chavela.

Kitty Wells [1919-2012]

 Artist: Kitty Wells

LP: The Kitty Wells Story

Song: "Amigo's Guitar"

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Song: "I Gave My Wedding Dress Away"

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I was sad to hear on the radio yesterday morning that Kitty Wells, the Queen of Country Music, had died. She was 92 years old. With so many decades of Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and Lacy J. Dalton music wafting over the airwaves, it's hard to imagine there was ever a time when women were not the glittery centerpieces of country and western music. But it was man and man alone who topped the charts in Nashville until 1952, when Kitty came along with a big hit song that only a woman could sing: "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." The tune is basically a retort from the female perspective, after years of listening and silently enduring as the whiny men of Kentucky and Tennessee crooned about their bad women, lonely teardrops, and their sad and broken hearts. Kitty, a Nashville native herself, piped up on behalf of women everywhere to point out that, actually, 9 times out of 10 when there's a broken heart and teardrops to be found, there's a wanderin', cheatin', man with a wayward penis who's responsible for the mess. I think she's right. Anyway, Kitty's message caught on, she hit #1, and the rest, as they say, is history. You can read more about the life and career of the lovely and talented Kitty Wells in the liner notes from this terrific double-LP I picked up in Sioux Falls a few summers ago. There's even more about Ms. Wells on Wikipedia here, you can visit the Kitty Wells website here, see a list of all her singles and their peak chart positions here, and go here to find her obituary in the L.A. Times. Sorry I haven't been posting anything here these past few weeks, I've been looking for a job. If you know anyone who wants to hire a Kitty Wells fan, please have them send me an email.

Kitty Wells on YouTube:

[ "There's Poison In Your Heart" ]

Kitty Wells

[August 30, 1919 — July 16, 2012]

We will miss you, Kitty.

Audrey Landers

Artist: Audrey Landers

LP: 7" single

Song: "Manuel Goodbye"

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Born in Philadelphia in 1956, 1958, 1959, or 1960, Audrey Landers came to the attention of audiences everywhere when she began playing Afton Cooper on the popular late-night television drama "Dallas" in 1981. Audrey's 1984 "Manuel Goodbye" single (not to be confused with the theme song for this 1977 French softcore erotica movie of similar title) was one the biggest hits of her musical career. According to Wikipedia, Audrey and her mother, Ruth Landers, recently created a fashion line called the Landers STAR Collection. Speaking of fashion, I'm launching efforts in my local Seattle neighborhood to revive the popularity of big '80s hair, but for men. Plans are set for the trend to go national by summer of 2013, then on to Europe. If you think you can help, please send me an email.

La Compagnie Creole

Artist: La Compagnie Creole

LP: Vive Le Douanier Rousseau!

Song: "C'est Bon Pour Le Moral"

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Turntable Treasures and House of Records is the other store I visited on my trip to Tacoma last Friday. They've moved around the corner from where they were the last time I was there about seven or eight years ago, but their new spot is as cluttered and junky as ever, and it feels like they've been stuck there for decades. Unfortunately, the older fellows who run the place evidently got wind of the news that vinyl sales have been on the upswing and that collecting has become popular with hipsters, and they're hoping to get themselves a big slice of the vinyl-sales pie. The first bin of records I thumbed through was filled with beat-up thrift-store staples like this and this and this, all of them marked at $20 apiece. (The friendly fellow behind the counter said to watch their Facebook page for info about featured sales on Sundays, so maybe those records are offered at a 190% discount at the end of every week to compete with the Good Will down the street.) But as is usually the case in stores where battered Huey Lewis records are going (or not going) for $15, you can usually find a few reasonably-priced treasures if you dig deep enough into the dustiest corners of the place. This lively and colorful 1983 LP by La Compagnie Creole is one of the neat things I found stuffed into the "World" section beneath the bins of "Pop and Rock," in the shelves near shoppers' kneecaps. Originally from French Guiana and the French West Indies, La Compagnie Creole are known for their happy-go-lucky music accompanied by joyful themes like rainbows, sunshine, and harmless animals, with a special emphasis on the Parakeet. You can read about them here. And then go here to read about La Compagnie Creole.

The Ravens

Artist: The Ravens

LP: The Ravens

Song: "Love Is the Thing"

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Song: "Don't Mention My Name"

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Song: "Come a Little Bit Closer"

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I took the day off work last Friday and drove down to Tacoma where I enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Marcia's Silver Spoon Cafe before going to see the incredible HIDE/SEEK: Difference and Desire In American Portraiture exhibit currently on display at the Tacoma Art Museum. My favorite portrait was the one made of candies ("untitled" by Felix Gonzalez-Torres), but the entire show provides a fascinating historical overview of the lives and works of artists and public figures who challenged gender and sexual norms in American society throughout the 20th century. If you're gonna' be anywhere near Tacoma between now and June 10th, you simply must go. I wasn't about to leave Tacoma without visiting a few record stores first; this collection of recordings from 1952-1954 by The Ravens is one of the wonderful things I found at Hi-Voltage Records. Formed in 1945 (or maybe 1946, it depends) by Harlem waiters Jimmy Ricks and Warren Stuttles, The Ravens had a string of hits in the late '40s and early '50s, starting an avalanche of R&B copycat groups also named after birds, including The Orioles, The Swallows, The Crows, The Swans, and The Wrens. The mellow bass voice of Jimmy Ricks (featured on "Love Is the Thing") and Joe Van Lon's glorious tenor (showcased on "Don't Mention My Name") offer a lovely variety on each of The Ravens' records, with the two lead singers backed here by Jimmy Stewart (not THAT Jimmy Stewart) and Warren Stuttles. I've also included "Come a Little Bit Closer" which has The Ravens bobbing along like a quartet of robins. You can read about The Ravens' National label recordings on the JazzWax website here, and find lots of terrific information about the history and lineup changes of the group on the Vocal Group Hall of Fame website here. The Ravens were inducted there in 1998, and they're my favorite musical discovery so far this year!

[ The Ravens ]

Robin Gibb [1949-2012]

Artist: Robin Gibb

LP: 7" single

Song: "Boys Do Fall In Love"

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Yet another legend of the disco era was taken from the Earth this week, with the death of Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. I'd heard the news that Robin had been in a coma and was not likely to recover, but then just a few weeks ago it was announced on the radio that he had miraculously awakened! I had visions of Robin suddenly springing from his hospital bed and dancing around the room, like Grandpa Joe in WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. I wistfully hoped he'd be sticking around for at least another decade. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be and now only one Bee Gee remains. Robin's 1984 "Boys Do Fall In Love" single peaked at #37, and was his last top 40 hit in the USA. You can read all about Robin Gibb's life and career on Wikipedia here, and go here to find his obituary in the New York Times.

Robin Gibb

[December 22, 1949 — May 20, 2012]

We will miss you, Robin.

Donna Summer [1948-2012]

Artist: Donna Summer

LP: 7" single

Song: "The Woman In Me"

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It was sad to hear last Thursday that singer Donna Summer had died—and not just because Chaka Khan had lost one of the few black women she could speak German with either. Born in Boston on the last day of 1948 with the name LaDonna Adrian Gaines,  Donna Summer rose to international stardom in the 1970s with disco hits like "Love to Love You Baby," "Last Dance," and "I Feel Love," but she first came into my life with her finger on the trigger. It was 1982, I was 13 years old, and I thought her top-ten hit "Love Is In Control" was just about the neatest thing I'd ever heard. I also loved the "Donna Summer" LP's two follow-up singles, "State of Independence," which went to #41 on the singles charts, and "The Woman In Me," which hit #33, and which I think showcases Donna's strong, beautiful voice particularly well. Summer's moving performance of my favorite Christmas carol, "O Holy Night," on the Solid Gold Christmas Special in 1982 remains one of my fondest teenage holiday memories. You can see it for yourself on YouTube here—Donna comes on about halfway through the clip. You can read all about Donna Summer's life and career here, go here for her discography, and find the New York Times obituary for The Queen of Disco here.

Donna Summer

[December 31, 1948 — May 17, 2012]

We will miss you, Donna.

Will Powers

Artist: Will Powers

LP: 7" single

Song: "Adventures In Success"

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The economy's finally on the upswing (unless you're in Greece), but life continues to be a challenge for millions of Americans who are still hunting for work. This 1983 Will Powers single should help. Read about Will Powers here, and go here for some personal testimonials.

Will Powers on Google Video:

[ "Adventures In Success" ]
 

Renato Salani y Su Conjunto

Artist: Renato Salani y Su Conjunto

LP: Una Noche Asi...En El Hipocampo

Song: "In Ginocchio Da Te (De Rodillas Ante Ti)"

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Here's a little something from yet another terrific LP by Renato Salani of Caracas, Venezuela—this time he's backed by his conjunto instead of his cuarteto, and that's his brother Julio Salani again on vocals. I looked up "Hipocampo" to find out where I'd be spending the evening—seems we're hanging with Renato in a swanky '60s Caracas nightclub called "El Hipocampo," or "The Seahorse" in English.