Lucha Moreno y Jose Juan

Artist: Lucha Moreno y Jose Juan

LP: Impactos Musicales

Song: "Deja Deja"

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Here's a little something from charming Mexican duo Lucha Moreno and Jose Juan, who were evidently married in real life. According to my online Spanish translator, "Deja Deja" means either "Leaves Leaves" or "It Stops, Stops" in English, and according to the label on the record, that's Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan behind them on this particular track. My search for info about Jose Juan only turned up lots of sexy pictures like this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one. As for the lovely Lucha Moreno, I discovered that she's a film and television actress who's been in lots of shows and movies—including 1961's "Tirando a Matar," which my translator calls "Pulling to Kill" in English. There's some Spanish-language info about Lucha y Jose here, and I've included the "Tirando a Matar" movie poster below along with notes and photos from the back of the "Impactos Musicales" LP, which I'm guessing was released in the early-to-mid 1960s.

 [ Lucha Moreno y Jose Juan... y su tequila. ]

Hugo Blanco y su Conjunto

Artist: Hugo Blanco y su Conjunto

LP: "Mas" Ritmo con Hugo Blanco

Song: "Suky"

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Here's some heavenly harp music (plus organ!) from talented Venezuelan musician Hugo Blanco and his Conjunto. Born in Caracas in 1940, Hugo received only two months of musical education, yet when he was 18 years old in 1958, he composed one of Venezuela's most internationally famous songs, "Moliendo Café." Not only that, but in the 1960s, he founded Venezuela's first ska group, Las Cuatro Monedas. You can read more about Hugo Blanco in Spanish here and here, and go here to read less about him in English. Click here to listen to Hugo's harp rendition of "Moliendo Café."

Alexander Gradsky

Artist: Alexander Gradsky

LP: Variety Soloists Parade

Song: "We Can't Live Without Each Other"

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This 1983 "Variety Soloists Parade" LP offers a collection of songs by contemporary Russian pop artists of the time. Born in Kopeysk, Russia in November of 1949, young Alexander Gradsky was introduced to artists like Elvis Presley and Little Richard through the records his dancer uncle brought back with him from travels abroad. In 1963, when Alexander was just 13, he performed vocals with The Cockroaches for a show at the International Club of Moscow State University. This is reportedly the very first time rock-n-roll was performed in the Soviet Union. Gradsky went on to become one of the biggest rock stars in Russia (figuratively and literally), earning the flattering moniker "The Granddad of Soviet Rock," along with an unflattering one, "The Russian Meatloaf," after putting on a few extra pounds. You can read more about the life and career of Alexander Gradsky here, and go here to see some pictures of Alexander and his lovely young wife, along with a bunch of other startling photos of physically mismatched couples. This one is my favorite.

 [ Alexander Gradsky ]

Desmond Child and Rouge

Artist: Desmond Child and Rouge

LP: Desmond Child and Rouge

Song: "Westside Pow Wow"

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Long before there was ever a Destiny's Child...there was Desmond. If the Desmond Child (and Rouge) song structure sounds vaguely familiar, it's probably because he's the same guy who wrote the graduation theme song for the West Valley Rams' class of 1987. He also contributed his writing talents to an annoying Aerosmith song and wrote a bunch of catchy mega-hits for people like Ricky Martin, Joan Jett, and Cher. Desmond currently lives in Nashville with his partner Curtis and their two kids, and he's still writing lots of songs. More details can be found here, and go here to visit Desmond Child's official website.

Ratata

Artist: Ratata

LP: Jackie

Song: "Prinsessa På Vift"

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It's difficult to find details about '80s Swedish new wave group Ratata by searching Google nowadays, since these guys keep popping up instead. What I did manage to dig up here and here is that Mauro Scocco formed Ratata with three of his mates in 1981, but by the time "Jackie," the group's second LP, was released in 1982, Scocco was the sole remaining member. He and band musician Johan Ekelund, who co-wrote the album's hit title track, continued as Ratata through the remainder of the '80s, finally disbanding the group in 1989. Click here to visit the Ratata website, where you'll find their complete discography, some Swedish-language bio pages, and adorable photos of the Ratata boys like the one I've included below. There's a more recent incarnation of Ratata performing their hit song "Jackie" on a TV show here, where one might note that the grown-up Mauro Scocco bears a striking resemblance to legendary Hollywood actor/singer/comedian/ham Jack Carson.

[ Mauro Scocco & Johan Ekelund = Ratata ]

Thank U Berry Munch

The Girl Scouts at the entrance of Fred Meyer asked me if I wanted to buy some cookies, and I said yes. They automatically told me which cookies were the most popular, so I asked which ones were the least popular. The girls pointed to a box of cranberry-themed cookies, and I said I'd take those. They looked at me funny, so I explained that I always try to root for the underdog. The cookies were delicious, thank u berry munch.

side one:
1. One Less Worry - Pere Ubu
2. Cyclops - The Interpreters
3. The Mahjong Game - Chung Loo
4. Deserted - The Toys
5. One Man Woman - Sandy Posey
6. A Different Corner - George Michael
7. We Were Made For Each Other - Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Benson
8. Akaka Falls - Marlene Sai
9. Group Life - Lol Creme and Kevin Godley
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side two:
1. Serious - Donna Allen
2. Don't Change - INXS
3. $20 - Low
4. The Seventh Plane - The Mystic Moods
5. Another Year - Ann Sothern
6. An Occasional Man - Jim Tyler and His Orchestra
7. Rico Vacilon - Karl Zero with The Karlett's
8. N.Y. Stars - Lou Reed
9. Sempre - Gabriella Ferri
[ listen ]

R-Go

Artist: R-Go

LP: R-Go

Song: "Bombázó (Bomber)"

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If you threw Haircut 100, Scritti Politti, and General Public into a cement mixer with Sheila E. and then poured the resulting stew into an old building in Budapest and had it make a record, you might end up with something like this terrific self-titled 1983 debut from R-Go. Photos and notes from the back of the LP are included below, along with part of an article on the Hungarian rock scene from the June 1986 issue of Spin Magazine. I don't know what R-Go is up to nowadays, but I did stumble upon some unfortunate news concerning one of the lovely young ladies who used to be in the group. Click here to learn more, but adults only—please!

Gunter Kallmann's German Chorus with Orchestra and Bells

Artist: Gunter Kallmann's German Chorus with Orchestra and Bells

LP: Serenade For a Lady In Love

Song: "Liebe, Die Nie Vergeht (Love Me With All My Heart)"

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When I first saw the title of this track from Gunter Kallmann's 1965 "Serenade For a Lady In Love" LP, it kinda' pissed me off. Of course I realized it was just one of those inspirational, positive-thinking, look-on-the-bright-side-type songs designed to help people (Germans, in this case) learn to love themselves with all their hearts... But you know, I've been loving myself with all my heart (not to mention both my hands) for several decades now, and it really would be nice to be loved by someone else's heart for a change! Oh. Just read the liner notes...guess that was just a typo in the title on the cover. Anyway...you can read about Gunter Kallmann and his German Chorus on the Space Age Pop site here, where the writer compares Kallmann's incessant and irritating use of bells to the sound of "a mosquito buzzing in your ear."

 [ Gunter Kallmann ]

Manuel Rodrigo

Artist: Manuel Rodrigo

LP: El Yaqui

Song: "Cuatro Copas"

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When I read in The Stranger this past weekend that Everyday Music had moved yet again (their 4th location since opening in Seattle just a few years ago; now they're in an old industrial warehouse building across the street from their previous spot), I figured I should probably stop by to check things out. This chirpy 1978 trumpet-and-electric-organ-infested Manuel Rodrigo LP from México was one of the neat things I found that fateful rainy evening. I can't tell you much about Manuel Rodrigo, but I think I'm safe in saying that Señor Rodrigo would very much like to join me in wishing Doris Day a happy 88th birthday today! My friend Ryan made my morning by sending me a link to a terrific recent NPR interview with the lovely and talented Ms. Day, which aired yesterday in honor of her birthday. If you'd like to listen, click here. Thanks, Ryan!

Ugo Calise

 
Artist: Ugo Calise

LP: Songs of Siren Land [10" EP]

Song: "L'Ammore Mio...È Francese!"

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This 1955 Ugo Calise 10" was one of the things I was going to clear out of my collection, but I just found copies for sale online for 300€! Guess I won't be dumping this one at the local thrift store. If anyone out there's interested, just make me an offer; the record's in really good condition and I'm willing to let it go for less than 250€. If and when this one does leave my hands, I'm gonna miss staring into Ugo's beautiful dark eyes. He's so darn handsome, even if he doesn't have any legs. You can read all about Ugo Calise in Italian here and Google awkwardly translates the page into English here (just click on Ugo's name). Notes, photos, and an "Ugo Calise" pronunciation guide from the back of the record are included below.

[ Ugo Calise: May 6, 1921 — August 6, 1994 ]