Teddy Pendergrass [1950-2010]

Artist: Teddy Pendergrass

LP: Life Is a Song Worth Singing

Song: "Life Is a Song Worth Singing"
[ listen ]

A few years ago my friend Melissa and I were walking into Fred Meyer when we saw a father/toddler combo coming out of the store. The kid had been stuffed into a hip little Jimmy Hendrix t-shirt, and Melissa and I resolved then that we would jump on the bandwagon by designing and selling our own line of rock-n-roll t-shirts for infants and small children that would feature Teddy Pendergrass.

At Teddy Pendergrass' for-women-only concerts in the 1970s, ticket buyers were given chocolate teddy-bear-shaped lollipops to lick during the show and the ladies in the audience would routinely throw teddy bears and underwear onto the stage while Pendergrass sang. One look at the cover of this record and it's easy to see why—though a frustrated Pendergrass reportedly insisted that there was much more to him than just his chest and crotch. I'd have to agree: there's also his lips, those bedroom eyes, that sexy scruffy beard, his hat...and if they'd turn him around I'd probably be adding a few more things to my list.

Born in Kingstree, South Carolina in 1950, Teddy Pendergrass' family moved to Philadelphia when he was young and it was there that he entered the music scene as singer for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. He went on to a solo career in the mid-'70s and became the first black male singer to record five consecutive multi-platinum albums. A car wreck in 1982 left Pendergrass paralyzed from the waist down and put a damper on his music career, though he did continue to perform and also founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance to help others suffering from spinal cord injuries. Sadly, Teddy Pendergrass died on Wendesday from colon cancer; he was only 59. You can read about Pendergrass here and find a nice obituary from The New York Times here and one from The Guardian here. These inspiring, life-affirming notes come from the inner sleve of his 1978 LP, "Life Is a Song Worth Living":

Teddy Pendergrass
[March 26, 1950 — January 13, 2010]
We will miss you, Teddy.

Bar-Kays

Artist: Bar-Kays

LP: Too Hot to Stop

Song: "Bang, Bang (Stick 'Em Up)"
[ listen ]

I was rummaging through my record collection for some neat old soul/funk/R&B tunes to play at JuJu in Belltown tonight when I came across this grouping of sexy shirtless gents all slathered up with baby oil. Formed as a backup studio session group in Memphis, Tennessee in 1966, the Bar-Kays were touring with Otis Redding when most of the group perished in the same plane crash that killed the young singer. The Bar-Kays were re-formed by surviving members Ben Cauley (trumpet—survived the crash) and James Alexander (bass—on a different airplane) and went on to much success in the 1970s and '80s as a funk/disco/R&B dance band. You can read more about the Bar-Kays here and here and this picture from the back of their 1976 "Too Hot to Stop" LP catches the excitement of the group's live shows—featuring flaming hands, billowing smoke and a naked lady lying on the stage.

Bill Doggett and His Combo

Artist: Bill Doggett and His Combo

LP: Oops! The Swinging Sounds of Bill Doggett and His Combo
Song: "Oops"
[ listen ]

Song: "Stop That Twistin' In Here"
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Born in Philadelphia in 1916, Bill Doggett was hired as pianist for The Ink Spots in 1942. He went on to greater popularity after taking up the Hammond organ in the early 1950s, winning Cash Box magazine's award for Best Rhythm and Blues Performer in 1957, '58 and '59. You can read more about Doggett's life and career here and here and notes from the back of his 1962 "Oops" LP are included here:

[ Bill Doggett: February 16, 1916 — November 13, 1996 ]

Tom Jones

Artist: Tom Jones

LP: A-TOM-ic Jones

Song: "Dr. Love"
[ listen ]

This past Saturday night I got to play some old soul/R&B/funk records at a bar called 9 Million In Unmarked Bills in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. It seemed appropriate to start my set with something by Tom Jones, since he's also a white guy who's into soul music.

You can read all about the life and career of son-of-a-Welsh-coal-miner-turned-international-pop-superstar Tom Jones here and the notes from the back of this radioactive 1965 LP are included here:

ps: Two-time Oscar-winning actress Luise Rainer turns 100 years old today (read about her life and career and centennial celebration here and here and here). Happy Birthday, Luise Rainer!

pps: I just found out that French filmmaker Eric Rohmer died yesterday. He was one of my favorites. I just watched FULL MOON IN PARIS a few weeks ago! I recommend that one, and his 1970 film CLAIRE'S KNEE too.

Bobby Sherman

Artist: Bobby Sherman

LP: 7" single

Song: "Hey Mister Sun"
[ listen ]

2010 has been a pretty rainy year in Seattle so far, and today is the darkest, gloomiest, rainiest day yet. My co-worker just saw a woman get hit by a car as she was crossing the street. Maybe this Bobby Sherman song will brighten things up. Born in July of 1943, Sherman was a teen heart-throb in the late 1960s and early '70s. Since retiring from the limelight, Sherman has kept busy by volunteering with the LAPD and constructing a one-fifth scale model of Disneyland's Main Street in his yard. You can read more about Bobby Sherman here and visit his official web page here for photos and to find out what he's up to nowadays.

Eavesdroppings

Overheard when: 9:43am on Saturday, January 9, 2010
Overheard where: Rain Fitness at 159 Western Avenue W. #355 in Seattle, WA [map]
Overheard who: a thin, blue-eyed 20-something-year-old gal with blond hair in a pony tail and sweat band. She was doing seated leg curls and chattering on and on to her personal trainer about her recent trip to a foreign country where the subways were packed like sardines and she had to wait in long lines. I only caught snippets of her story as I walked past.
Overheard what: "...and I didn't know the word for 'Hey! No cuts!'"

C.B. Victoria

Artist: C.B. Victoria

LP: Dawning Day

Song: "To Claudia On Thursday"
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Song: "I Don't Believe In Miracles"
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This cover of a song from The Millennium's 1968 "Begin" LP is by singer/songwriter C.B. Victoria, who is evidently from the Canadian province of British Columbia. The capital of British Columbia (B.C.) is Victoria though, so I'm guessing this probably isn't his real name. That would be like me being named A.W. Olympia.

Mats Olsson med sin Kör och Orkester

Artist: Mats Olsson med sin Kör och Orkester

LP: Strö Lite Rosor
Song: "Bonnjazz"
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Song: "Tacka Vet Jag Det Som Var En Gång"
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This pair of joyous ditties comes to you with warmth and affection (and silver pants, pretty lady, flowers) from Sweden's Mats Olsson. I've included one track here med sin kör and one medout. My quick morning web search didn't turn up any info about Mats Olsson, but extensive notes in Swedish are included on the back of this LP. I've posted them below, so if anyone reading this can provide a summary in English, I'd find some way to give you a great big tack så mycket!

Michael Henderson

Artist: Michael Henderson

LP: Solid
Song: "You Haven't Made It to the Top"
[ listen ]

Song: "Time"
[ listen ]

Born in Yazoo City, Mississippi in July of 1951, Michael Henderson went on to become one of the top bass players at Motown Records, playing and recording with the likes of Aretha Franklin, The Dramatics, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. It was at one of Wonder's NYC Copacabana shows in early 1970s that Miles Davis first heard Henderson play, after which he reportedly told Stevie, "I'm takin' your fuckin' bass player." He did, and Henderson played bass with Davis for the first half of the 1970s. "Solid" was Henderson's his first solo LP, released in 1976. Now living in Las Vegas, Henderson still plays shows occasionally and has participated in reunion concerts with other musicians who worked with Miles Davis in the '70s. You can see more of Michael Henderson here and read about his life and career on Wikipedia here.

Pearl Bailey

Artist: Pearl Bailey

LP: Naughty, But Nice!
Song: "Around the World With Me"
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Song: "Since I Became a Hussy For My Husband"
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Pearl Bailey started her show business career in the black nightclubs of Philadelphia in the 1930s. She performed for American servicemen during WWII and then went on to sing with Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington after the war. Pearlie Mae was named "Ambassador of Love" by President Nixon in 1970, she got her B.A in theology at Georgetown University in 1985 and she was a big fan of the New York Mets. She appeared in quite a few films and recorded lots of albums, including this one from 1960—one of several risque "songs for adults only" LPs she made in the 1950s and '60s. Pearl Bailey was evidently a Republican, but I would still love to have been chosen as her "traveling paramour"... though I'd probably have been a little too gay in Gay Paree and it's quite likely I'd have sagged in Saginaw too. You can read all about the life and career of Pearl Bailey and find her filmography and discography on Wikipedia here. There's a neat clip of Pearl appearing on an old Bob Hope-hosted variety show included below, along with the liner notes from "Naughty, But Nice!".

Pearl Bailey on YouTube:
[ "I'm Tired" ]

[ Pearl Bailey: March 29, 1918 — August 17, 1990 ]

The Wrestlers

Artist: The Wrestlers

LP: 7" single

Song: "Land of 1,000 Dances?!!?"
[ listen ]

This 1985 song by The Wrestlers is the perfect anthem to help kick off the new year. My horoscope didn't explicitly say so, but I have a hunch that pro-wrestling will be playing a big part in my life over the next 12 months.

Questions For a Leo

I made this mix about the ups and downs of love after reading my horoscope in the December 10-16 issue of The Stranger. I can hardly wait for all the interesting tests, highly educational games and demanding gifts that will be within my reach this year! 

I bet your relationship life will be a source of revolutionary
teachings in 2010. Adventures in intimacy and partnership
will draw you into some highly educational fun and games.
You will be invited to dramatically expand your understanding
of the nature of commitment. You will also be asked to dig
deeper to discover your real desires, which up until now have
been partially camouflaged by more superficial longings that
were grafted onto you during the darker days of adolescence.
How should you prepare for the interesting tests of the next
12 months? How can you get yourself in shape to earn the
demanding gifts that will be within reach? Now is an excellent
time to start thinking about those questions.

by the way, I'm single if anyone wants to date me.

side one:
01. Love Is a Gamble - The Eligibles
02. Move In a Little Closer, Baby - Mama Cass
03. We Two Boys Together - Rod McKuen w/ Jesse Pearson
04. Prince Charming - Adam and the Ants
05. I Was Born to Love You - Freddie Mercury
06. The Man I Love - Patti Page
07. Hawaiian Wedding Song - Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra
08. I Can't Stop Lovin' You - Goro
09. Who Will Love Me In Winter - Van Hunt
10. Are You That New Person? - Rod McKuen w/ Jesse Pearson
11. Dear Darkness - P.J. Harvey
12. With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming - Hugo Winterhalter & His Orchestra
13. It's Not Easy - Sandy Posey
14. Como Un Adios - Los Payos
15. Nathalie - Los Hermanos Arriagada
[ listen ]

side two:
01. Who You Are Is Not Important - Rod McKuen w/ Jesse Pearson
02. Shattered Glass - Laura Branigan
03. No Queen Blues - Sonic Youth
04. When You Wish Upon a Star - The Mitchell Boys Choir
05. True Love's a Lasting Thing - David Houston
06. As I Lay With My Head On Your Lap - Rod McKuen w/ Jesse Pearson
07. Love, Your Magic Spell Is Everywhere - The Passion Guitars
08. Y Porque Estoy Enamorado - Teddy Trinidad
09. Time Will Reveal - DeBarge
10. Silver Amongst the Gold - Grand Archives
11. The Butcher's Boy - Almeda Riddle
12. Elle Ne Chante Plus - Georgette Lemaire
13. Lay Me Like a Lady - Jenny Darren
14. No One Has to Know - Richard Barone and James Mastro
[ listen ]

Andy Summers

Artist: Andy Summers

LP: 7" single

Song: "2010"
[ listen ]

Here's an instrumental track from guitarist Andy Summers about the year 2010, which is now just a few hours away! If losing weight is one of your goals for the New Year, this song is perfect for a medium-intensity cardio aerobic workout routine.

Orchestre Super Choucoune

Artist: Orchestre Super Choucoune

LP: Instrumental / Myrtho

Song: "Aline et Carole"
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Here's a lovely and leisurely ('60s?) instrumental record from Haiti's Orchestre Super Choucoune—picked up at Weirdo Records when I was in Boston last month. As hinted at by the cover art, this seems like the sort of music fish might secretly be listening to in their aquariums when no one's around.

Vic Chesnutt [1964-2009]

Artist: Vic Chesnutt

LP: Silver Lake
Song: "Band Camp"
[ listen ]

Song: "I'm Through"
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I first heard of Vic Chesnutt about six years ago when both Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly (from the band Throwing Muses) named "Silver Lake" their favorite release of the year. I bought it without hearing it first, and it's still one of my favorites to listen to. Sadly, Vic Chesnutt died on December 25th, an apparent suicide from an overdose of muscle relaxants. You can read about the talented singer/songwriter on Wikipedia here and visit his website here. There's an obituary from Rolling Stone here, where you can also find links to the magazine's reviews of Chesnutt's albums, and there's a nice-but-sad piece on the singer from The Guardian's blog here.

Vic Chesnutt
[November 12, 1964 — December 25, 2009]
We will miss you, Vic.