DIG THIS WITH BILL MESNIK AND RICH BUCKLAND- THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS

Not to glorify the use of narcotics, or anything, but this is the most joyous celebration of bored nihilism I’ve ever heard. Joey Ramone said he wrote the song when he was stranded in London during Christmastime, with nothing to do and nowhere to go. And, here, the boys are symbolically kicking down the doors of their hotel room and running amok for our pleasure. These were my contemporaries: they...

THE BEST GARAGE ROCK ALBUMS OF THE 1960'S: https://www.albumoftheyear.org/genre/11-garage-rock/1960s/#google_vignette

I love that the new home owner portrayed in this song squares off against a threatening demon, declaring:  “Ain’t no Ha’nt gonna run me off!”  This is one ballsy gentleman, Mr. Jumpin’ Gene Simmons. And, fittingly Mr. Chaim Witz of Kiss fame, (another ballsy guy),  took his name in tribute to this man.  Morris Eugene Simmons (1937-2006) started his career in 1956, at Sun Records, and opened for El...

This cut off Jeff Beck’s second solo effort was produced by the magisterial George Martin, the Beatle’s north star. The song was gifted to Jeff by Stevie Wonder, who did so, (according to JB), as an apology for having released the barn-burner Superstition first, after promising to let Jeff have it. He needn’t have worried - the plangent tone and human voicing Jeff discovered while creating this tr...

Neil Young, Talking Stick Amphitheater, Phoenix, AZ, 4/27/2024 RAGGED GLORY Maybe Neil Young isn’t as spry as he used to be, but who is? At 78, to be playing hard core rock with the passion he displays isn’t only a goddam miracle, it’s a revelation.  And, just like young Micah Nelson, who filled in for Nils Lofgren (who’s on tour with his other Sensei, Bruce Springsteen) to jam with Crazy Horse st...

https://garagehangover.com/ WELCOME TO THE 60'S GARAGE https://www.the60sofficialsite.com/60s-Garage-Bands.html GET READY FOR A GARAGE HANGOVER

ALL THINGS BLAKE: THE POETRY FOUDATION https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/william-blake

In 1948, New Orleans veteran trumpeter and singer Louis Prima stumbled into a young girl named Keely Smith. She was barely a performer at all, almost half his age, destined for a relatively quiet life; their encounter was pure coincidence. But they went on to invent “The Wildest,” the most exciting and successful lounge act Las Vegas has ever seen, an act that became one of the hottest in the U.S....

The Meaning of “Once in a Lifetime” Byrne might have used preacher cadences as a jumping-off point for the song. But his message is more universal than regional, as he hints at the idea of someone living a life that has developed almost beyond their control. The refrain of You may find yourself supports this notion. Byrne implies that a person’s location, car, and spouse might not be anything they...

COME VISIT THE BILL MESNIK SONG SAMPLE SITE! http://www.billmesnik.com/Samples.html

Inspired by a quote attributed to the eastern mystic Meyer Baba, Bobby McFerrin created this a cappella masterpiece. And, although Michael Musto of the Village Voice has proclaimed it the “worst song of all time”, and Blender Magazine snarked “it’s difficult to think of a song more likely to plunge you into suicidal despondency,” this irrepressible ditty stands as the cornerstone of a singular mus...

Like a cat with nine lives, Chip Taylor’s persona has embodied many iterations. Starting with his successful “songwriter for hire” status, penning golden hits like Wild Thing, and Angel of the Morning, up through his phoenix-like resurgence as an Americana elder statesman, the story of this man’s artistic survival, emerging as it did, out from the quicksand of addiction, stands as one of the Splen...

Like a cat with nine lives, Chip Taylor’s persona has embodied many iterations. Starting with his successful “songwriter for hire” status, penning golden hits like Wild Thing, and Angel of the Morning, up through his phoenix-like resurgence as an Americana elder statesman, the story of this man’s artistic survival, emerging as it did, out from the quicksand of addiction, stands as one of the Splen...

What was that Frankenstein music machine with all the dials, sliders, patch cords etc., that made other-worldly sounds that were supposed to resemble “real” instruments, like strings, horns and flutes, but didn’t?  It was the mighty Moog, invented by Cornell doctoral student and Theremin salesman, Robert Moog. He hooked up with musician-educator Herb Deutsch, developed the voltage regulation for o...

W ith its distinctive 16-notes-to-the-bar bassline and unashamedly honky sax solo (played on two saxes at once),   Ian Dury and the Blockheads’ signature hit was certainly one of the more idiosyncratic No 1s of the 1970s. The same could be said of their inimitable frontman, who exemplified the post-punk era’s particular ability to allow unlikely and extraordinary characters to infiltrate the mains...

At the outset, let me apologize for liking this song. It was outre almost immediately after its release. At this point it is so retrograde that I think a person might be able to enjoy it once again for it’s ironic naïveté. But, I have always loved the way her voice swoops up on the name “Bobby”. It still brings chills. I was nine years old, and I wanted to be Bobby for my crush. It’s so interestin...

It came roaring out of the car radio speakers like a sonic boom, powered by Dave Clark’s “Air Hammer” pulsating drum beats and Denis Payton’s beefy saxophone.  (Clearly, this was inspirational to Clarence Clemons, when crafting Bruce Springsteen’s, E-Street sound.) Mike Smith, on double-tracked lead vocal and Vox organ may have looked like the leader, with his cute Paul McCartney face, but without...

Jimmy Scott / James Victor Scott (1925-2014) When Jimmy was first heard on records, the audience assumed it was a woman. He was a one of a kind jazz vocalist, a phenomenon who lived a challenging existence, trying to negotiate his intersexuality with the prejudicial attitudes and toxic stigma of the 1940s and 50s. This caused him to adopt an aggressively “male” stance in order to survive and maint...

https://www.rpmchallenge.com/ “We work not only to produce but to give value to time.” (Delacroix) Ten years ago I participated in the RPM Song Challenge: 10 songs in 30 days. I chose the theme of “Time” - (a fertile and elastic subject), for my inventions.  Included here are 4 songs from that creative surge. It is said that time moves more quickly the older one gets. My brain can’t compute that i...

The lifeblood during my youth was infused by the artists who plied their magical trade via the 45 rpm discs of the 60s and 70s. I never stopped to think about the business men who signed and recorded these artists, distributed their records, and got them played. Art is Art, and Business is Business, and apparently you can’t have one without the other. But, oft-times, in the Capitalist system, cont...

Herb Alpert: you’ll never find a more beloved figure in the pop music world. A mensch. Did you think he was Latin? Nope. He IS an Angeleno, but….he was a Jewish kid, born in Boyle Heights; went to Fairfax High and USC. Before “cultural appropriation” became a dirty word, Herbie had a revelation while attending a bullfight in Baja - came back with “The Lonely Bull”, and ignited a career that has wo...

The first time I heard this tune was on Ricky Jay’s collection of songs about cards and card players. Subsequently, I heard Steve Earle’s story about how, when he was playing some dive for 4 or 5 people, Townes Van Zandt stumbles in and starts heckling him. It’s Outlaw Country lore: Townes demands Earle play Wabash Cannonball- repeatedly. Finally, Steve demurs, claiming not to know the song, but l...

The 4AM Rat Pack performance presented here was privately pressed on vinyl as a special gift to very special 500 Club patrons. We present this untouched audio from the original acetate as it represents the taste and feel of this historic occasion. What tomfoolery! It’s 4 o’clock in the morning, and these bad boys are just getting started. This recording is a rare glimpse into the real, live, Rat P...

A Cherry Bomb is a spherical exploding device, banned in 1966, but whose pop is enjoyed throughout the nation as a salute by rebellious teenagers everywhere. A “cherry” is also a moniker for a virgin’s hymen, the “popping” of which was a badge of honor for teenage boys everywhere. Cherie Curry, the lead singer of The Runaways, an all-girl, hard rocking band devised by notorious L.A. huckster Kim F...

Today The Splendid Bohemians pay homage to three not only consummate artists of the guitar, but teachers of their craft as well - responsible for passing on the mysteries of their music to generations of thankful acolytes.  ARLEN ROTH: Arlen Roth is the ultimate sideman and guitar teacher who has played with everybody. His first book, Slide Guitar , was published by Oak Publications when he was 21...