The Family Vibes

Artist: The Family Vibes

LP: Confined to Soul
Song: "Garbage Man"

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Here's a little something for a funky Friday, coming at you from all the way back in 1973. The Family Vibes are reportedly Ike Turner's backing band, which I suppose is why he is presenting them to us. Thank you. I love this "Garbage Man" track, in which a neighborhood garbage man woos his lady by offering to grant her an unlimited number of treasures that he has gleaned from his work. 

I remember reading about a documentary someone made a few years ago in New Zealand or someplace like that, and it was all about garbage men. They even choreographed a musical number in which all the men sang and danced as they collected the city's refuse. But now that I've typed that out, I wonder if I actually read about this film, or if maybe it was just something that happened in one of my dreams.

I feel like people in society generally look down their noses at garbage men (like, they wouldn't want their daughter or son to date them). But I've run into quite a few garbage men in the North Seattle neighborhood alleyways while delivering mail, and they're generally a friendly bunch, and rather fit too from lifting loads of everyone's discarded shit all day long! The recycling and yard waste fellows are generally an attractive set as well. And who knows? Maybe one day one of them could become a famous artist!

[The Family Vibes ]

Russell Dean

Artist: Russell Dean

LP: Russell Dean
Song: "Foreign Legion Seaman"

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It seems Russell Dean only made this one LP, back in 1971. So you have to ask: Why did it flop? Was it the bangs? The cover of my copy has been vandalized by someone with poor grammar. You have to ask: Did the perpetrator ever eventually learn the proper usage of indefinite articles 'a' vs. 'an'? Their brief critique of Russell is rather harsh, and you have to ask: Was it due to some interpersonal misunderstanding or maybe a hostile confrontation at an open-mic session at a popular Kansas City cafe, something like that...or was it, you know, the bangs? I wonder if Russell Dean is still alive. I just found out that Lynn Shelton and Fred Willard aren't, so you have to ask: Is anyone still alive? I looked for Russell online and came up with several possibilities, so you have to ask: Could one of THESE be this same Russell Dean? ...the one who's a idiot, I mean. These; these; these; these

Yevgeni Doga

Artist: Yevgeni Doga

LP: The Gypsy Camp Disappears In the Skies
Song: "Malyarkitsa"

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While spending my day off this week in Gig Harbor visiting my parents yesterday (bemasked and socially distant, but emotionally close; I hadn't seen them since Christmas!), I was thrilled to get a text from work telling me to take the next day off too, since I'd been working so many hours! That helped me relax, and I ended up staying for a later dinner than planned, and then played games and watched inspiring YouTube videos with them until I finally headed home to Seattle after 10:30pm.

So then I was a little annoyed when, this morning at 6:51 I got a text from the supervisor at work saying that, because there were so many call-outs, the manager wanted me to come in to work after all. "...at 9:30?" I texted in reply. I was thrilled to get a response ten minutes later saying never mind, they'd be able to get along without me and to take the day off after all. I jokingly replied that they were putting me on an emotional roller-coaster! 

Then at 8:02am I was annoyed to get a text from the manager saying that three pallets of Amazon parcels had just been delivered to the station and they needed me to come in to work after all to help deliver them...and that they didn't have a truck for me, so I'd likely need to go pick one up somewhere, and they'd be in touch again with further instructions. 

I was thrilled to get another text at 8:31am saying that they had decided to hold off delivering the new Amazon parcels until tomorrow, so I should go ahead and take the day off after all! So as of now (almost 1pm) it looks like I'll have the day off, but I'm still wearing my USPS uniform, just in case. 

I'm also posting this lovely number from Moldovian composer Yevgeni Doga; it's one of the pieces he wrote for the 1976 Russian film THE GYPSY CAMP DISAPPEARS IN THE SKIES (aka. QUEEN OF THE GYPSIES). I found this (slightly warped) copy in the dollar bins out in front of Beats and Bohos sometime last year. You can read all about Yevgeni "Eugen" Doga here, and go here to find some fun places to visit if you're ever in Moldova.

[ Yevgeni Doga ]

Betty Wright [1953-2020]

Artist: Betty Wright

LP: Danger High Voltage
Song: "Where Is the Love"

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I was bummed to hear today that Betty Wright passed away yesterday from cancer. (I'm also sad that Little Richard has died, but I don't have any of his records). Betty's biggest hit, "Clean Up Woman," broke into the top ten on both the R&B (#2) and the pop (#6) charts in 1971, when she was just 17 years old.  

This 1974 LP includes "Where Is the Love," linked to above, for which Betty won the Grammy for Best R&B Song! It peaked at #2 on the Disco charts, and #15 on the R&B charts, but only went to #96 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop charts. Where Is the Love, indeed. You can read all about Betty Wright on Wikipedia here, and go here to find her obituary in the New York Times.

 Betty Wright

[ December 21, 1953 — May 10, 2020 ]

We will miss you, Betty.

#39 - El DJ

When I played records out at some bars a few years ago, I used the name 'DJ Buffalo Star.' At first I considered calling myself 'DJ J-K, L-M-N-O-P,' but it was a moot point, since nobody asked my name anyhow. What El DJ name would you use?

side one:
01. DJ Hit That Button - Dead or Alive
02. Wait For the Sound - Algiers
03. August - Kristin Hersh
04. Un Mondo Raro / Adelita - Los Charrasqueados
05. Love Potion - Sister Power
06. No More Words - Berlin
07. This Chain Won't Break - Wild Nothing
08. I Come From Jamaica - Chris Powell and His blue Flames, feat. Clifford Brown
09. Take Me Home Country Roads - Brad Swanson
10. Brass In Pocket - Pretenders
11. Dancing At the Blue Lagoon - Cayucas
12. Thank You For the Music - Cornelius
[ listen ]

side two:
01. E.S.P. - Deee-Lite
02. In the City - Angel Vladković Group
03. Batucada - Walter Wanderley
04. Powiedz Kim Jestes (Tell Me Who You Are) - Troubadours
05. It's Not Unusual - Little Richie Varola
06. American Guilt - Unknown Mortal Orchestra
07. Mariana - Gibson Brothers
08. Do It All Night - Prince
09. Darkest Dreams - His Name Is Alive
10. It's Good to Want You Bad - Julie London
11. Love Alone - Count Bernadino
12. Mon Amour M'a Baisé - Benjamin Biolay
13. Waste - Foster the People
14. Never Took a Penny - The Tom Tom Club
[ listen ]

The Mountain Goats

Artist: The Mountain Goats

LP: 7" single

Song: "See America Right"
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Like everyone else, when I'm not working I'm stuck at home with nothing to do but order things online—things that I don't really need. I already collected all the 4AD releases from the label's first ten years last year when I was depressed, so now that I'm bored, I'm filling in some of the gaps from the ten years after that.

 

The Mountain Goats weren't initially one of my favorite 4AD bands, but I still bought each of their CDs when they were released. Their music has kinda' grown on me, so now they are also growing in my collection. My copy of this 2002 single arrived last week from The Netherlands. Its artwork was designed by 23 Envelope's Vaughan Oliver, recently deceased.

 

[ The Mountain Goats ]

Olga Guillot

Artist: Olga Guillot

LP: La Mejor Voz Cancioonera de Cuba

Song: "Vivir De Los Recuerdos"

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Song: "Sin Mi"

[ listen ]

Song: "Estamos En Paz"

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I'm not 100% sure, but I think "I-Tunes" is the alternate title of this 1950s Olga Guillot LP, on which the lovely and talented Cuban songstress is accompanied by the Orchestra Hermanos Castro. 

As a music critic, the previous owner of this record sure was a tough nut to crack, finding just one five-star song in the bunch. As you can see, they somehow managed to enjoy one other track enough to assign it a three-star rating, but all of Olga's other tunes earned only one lone star apiece. To be honest, I can't tell the difference. I've included "Vivir De Los Recuerdos," the five-star number, here, along with two of my favorite one-star Olga Guillot songs. See what you think. 

Born in Santiago de Cuba in the autumn of 1922, Olga traveled to Mexico in 1948 and hit the big time there with her recording of "Mienteme" a few years later. She went on to travel the world, once performing in Cannes with the legendary Edith Piaf. In 1964, Guillot became the first Latin artist ever to sing at New York's Carnegie Hall. You can read more about Olga Guillot on Wikipedia here, and LP liner notes in Spanish and English are included below.

 [ Olga Guillot: October 9, 1922 — July 12, 2010 ]

An Emotional Sponge

My good friend Eduardo often calls me Patrick, and I call him SpongeBob. Sometimes he really can be such an emotional sponge, that guy. 

side one:
01. No, I Don't Believe - Eyes on Fire
02. You're My Magician - Lime
03. Painted Bird - Siouxsie and the Banshees
04. Two of Everything - Torres
05. Two Different Worlds - Robert Goulet
06. Walk On the Moon - Asobi Seksu
07. Count On Angels - Breathless
08. Imagining My Man - Aldous Harding
09. If It's In You to Do Wrong - The Impressions
10. Spacewoman - The Breeders
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side two:
01. It's Her Factory - Gang of Four
02. Orange Flip - Book of Love
03. The Trolley Song - Eddie Layton
04. Your World - Tei Shi
05. Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven - Love and Rockets
06. Jimmy - M.I.A.
07. Drink Me - Belle Epoque
08. C'mon Baby - Chilly
09. The Most Beautiful Girl In the World - (Prince)
10. Stop That Man - Tune-Yards
11. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby - Mardi Gras
12. See Jungle! (Jungle Boy) - Bow Wow Wow
[ listen ]

Kenny Rogers [1938-2020]

Artist: Kenny Rogers with Kim Carnes

LP: 7" single
Song: "Don't Fall In Love With a Dreamer"

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I'm a little late with this, but wanted to pay my respects to country music legend Kenny Rogers, who passed away last month at the age of 81. Kenny was on the radio a lot when I first started listening to pop radio in Yakima, WA back in 1981. I especially enjoyed Kenny's collaborations with Dolly Parton, Sheena Easton, and this one with Kim Carnes. And, um, has anyone seen SIX PACK? I'm afraid I've never managed to set myself down in front of that one. You can read all about the life and career of this particular Mr. Rogers here. 

 Kenny Rogers

[ August 21, 1938 — March 20, 2020 ]

We will miss you, Kenny.

Doris Day

Artist: Doris Day w/ Jack Smith

LP: 7" single

Song: "Cuddle Up a Little Closer"
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I think what Doris and Jack mean is that if you're like 9 or 10 feet away, cuddle up until you're only six feet away to create the greatest possible amount of intimacy while still maintaining adequate social distancing. Oy vey. A global pandemic. 

The only good thing about Doris Day passing away last May and not being around to turn 98 today is that, if she WERE still alive, I'd constantly be worrying that this goddamn virus was gonna' get her. She's too dignified for that. Happy Birthday, Doris Day. I miss you.

[ Doris Day: April 3, 1922 — May 13, 2019 ]

Tony Orlando & Dawn

Artist: Tony Orlando & Dawn

LP: Greatest Hits

Song: "Candida"

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One of my mail-carrying colleagues at the Wallingford Post Office is named Don. He delivers mail on route 4. The other day I asked him if he's ever worked with someone named Tony Orlando, but he says he has not. I found this gem at The Junk Drawer tonight on my way to get a chicken caesar sandwich at Palermo Pizza and Pasta. 

[ Tony Orlando & Dawn ]