Saddle up for the Soundr Hour: wherein we take a canter around funky country, gumbo grooves and swamp-land soul. From Bobby Gentry to Bonnie Raitt, Elvis outtakes to Glen Campbell getting on the good foot.. s'all here..
Worra walloper, worra wing-ding worra way to celebrate our centenary and six years of Podrophenia
Huge salutes are due to the ever-glowing Jo Mondo and Citizen Marmite for bringing in the birthday bling. To George Crockford for the Ship Full of Bombs tech decks duties. Hubbs for the Jingles.. To the guests and chippers in Tommo and Sam (Mondo Jrs) Alan Cathouse, Drakey, Grant, Steve Swindle, Jack Gestures,. Mark Dredge, Ruben, Baz, Bob, Paul FSP – and roaring toot is due to The Long Run boys Darren Gavin and Joe for ripping the roof off the The Railway…
Sample a two tracks here - then full your boots with the full set below...
If you were there, or want to be hear the hi-jinx and hat-popping performance from The Long Run, download and dig it here…
Elvis' death was my JFK assassination moment. I remember precisely where I was when the news was first whispered around the room - at my paternal Aunt Shirley's, well her ladies hairdressing salon in Salisbury (the glamour!). It was like being caught in a morbid tornado hearing this omnipresent superstar had faded, flat-lined and was now, gone forever.
Although I was too young catch the sonic boom of his Rock 'n' Roll years - the aftershock of Elvisness was still resonating in my era - the seventies. His films were repeated in the schedules during the summer holidays, record shops and department stores had endless variations of compilation albums (Separate Ways was a standard) in the racks (including budget tribute LPs - 'insert name here' sings Elvis). Regular radio play for hits from the fifties to the seventies, while Live via Satellite gave a white-suited Elvis the aura of a rock 'n' roll astronaut.
But more than this, his influence was at the core of popular culture: from ginger quiffed, crepe-booted Teddy Boys to prime-time impressionists - whether comic (Freddy Starr) or musical (Alvin Stardust, Cliff, Les Gray) and any number of white suited popsters The Osmonds, showaddywaddy, The Rubettes. At the more respectable end of R.O.C.K Bryan Ferry and Bowie both lent heavily on Elvis' legacy...
An indicator of Presley-power is: long before I had any real awareness of The Beatles, Stones or in fact who any of Rock's heavy-hitters were - Elvis seemed - to me anyway - like an untouchable international idol with a seemingly god-like presence and super-hero stature, revered across the world - while other rock and rollers had come, copied, gone or been forgotten. For perspective, thumb through David E. Stanley's The Elvis Encyclopedia and you'll find Clapton and Led Zeppelin desperate to get an audience with Elvis..
Should you (and you really should, as it's his 80th birthday this year) fancy coming as close as possible to The King, book yourself a trip to Elvis at the 02. It houses the largest collection of Elvis' items ever to appear in the UK, all imported from Graceland and overseen by Priscilla Presley.
Items that include.....
The Heartbreak Hotel Acetate
Dress down casual Elvis-style
The American Eagle suit cape
Front detail
Suits you
68 Special 'Trouble' outfit
A gift from Ali
The Vegas Room
A defining performance is, of course the 68 Special - where you could lucky dip any clip for pure-brewed musical-boom. Although this medley, with Elvis in full flight, revisiting his Rock 'n' Roll back catalogue with a renewed and unrelenting energy is explosive.
But for the essence of Elvis - this outtake is the key to his magic as I wrote a few years back..
' While the offstage boffins were making technical tweaks and possibly 'checking levels' between takes, Elvis asks for his guitar, kicks off the riff for 'Baby What You Want Me To Do' the orchestra jump in, start jamming and the audience go wild'
If you're a Bookfacer - you can see the full set of my Elvis 02 pics here
Paraphrasing the old football cliche - the latest Podrophenia is a show of two halves - what starts out as the regulation songs and natter, become, midway through, a run of improv guest appearances and live music with a drop in track from Phillious Williams (below) and a double-header session from from Blow Up record's latest signing - Dave Woodcock (above)
There's exclusive news on Dave's debut single, breaking news on the formation of a punk super-group and an Elvis rarity
And behold as a new Podrophenia jingle is birthed in front of your very ears. All contained herein....
Earphones, EQ and every Tuesday at 9! Musically it's Elvis, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Eno and the unlikely alliance of Edwin and The Beatles moulded and mashed into Starr Club companions
Why? Because the 5th edition of our Podrophonic alphabet gets unwrapped and revealed
on Radio Podrophenia, live from 9 on Chance Radio this very evening. Along with the
usual chat, banter and live action natter from the board members and regulars.
Swing by if you're about... or if not you can grab last week's edition here, via iTunes or stream below..
As a last minute switcheroo, getting pitched in under the 'earworm' entry is this golden nugget of delicousness discovered over at Drew's corner of the interweb. You can grab a copy by zipping here
I saw him live once. I say live, it was actually Elvis's James Burton era band gigging to festival sized footage of him (in fact it's back this year). But like any soundstage size show (this was Docklands arena), after a few songs the moving dots on stage blend away and it's all eyes on screen. Build in some song introductions, jokes and band intro's from El' himself and we were captured by the Presley spell, forgetting he hadn't, at any point, actually arrived in the building.
It's become overlooked/forgotten/rewritten, but if you grew up during the seventies, Elvis was literally everywhere. Resuscitated and resurrected by the 68 Special he ascended from cultural icon to omnipresent overlord: new hits in the charts, old hits in the parents record cabinet, poster magazines, pocket money priced (50p) tribute albums and films on TV,.
By 1970 The Beatles were a bitter, bearded broken band, and a roots level Rock 'n' roll revival started in the late sixties had set in (inspiring McLaren and Westwood to open their first shop Let It Rock). Elvis was 'now'. In widescreen. With his 2001 intro and space-age stage-wear, he towered like a white giant telegraphing his style and substance to low-level pretenders and high-end contenders: Freddie Starr, Alvin Stardust, Les Gray, The Osmonds, Evel Knievel even Bowie's early glam banging was Elvis influenced.
I was at my aunt's hairdressers in Salisbury, when the news broke that he'd died . It hit me like a blow to the solar plexus. Elvis had seemed untouchable and eternal.
So forget the silly sightings, the tackery and tribute acts, the Burger King with a cheesy film portfolio - the clunkers in the catalogue are easy targets. Instead, remember the essence of Elvis for his 75th Birthday...
One Night of Sin Not my favourite 50s track, but worth cataloguing for it's original deviant lyrics and rarity value..
Stranger In My Own Home Town Energised by his 68 comeback the Elvis in Memphis albums are rootsy rock 'n' roll meets Memphis soul - although for my money the 90s remixes beat the original releases
It's Only Love Alternate - Take 9 From The Essential Elvis, Vol. 4 is a selection of undubbed masters from the the early seventies. The 90 second intro eavesdrops on studio banter*, vocal harmony try outs and riff rehearsal before this live take
A King size selection of Elvis treats can be grabbed here..
Watch for the improv vamped up ending at 1:04 Pure magic.
Recommended reading - of course the Guralnick biogs should be ticked off at some point. But well worth tracking down are
I'm nipping off next week, (back to sunny Stow - again) but while I'm away - on August 15th - this piece of ol' puffery completes it's first year of orbit in the blogosphere (I'm discounting, but not deleting the first three directionless posts) - so to celebrate breaking the one year barrier, I've made a pick 'n' mix buffet of tasty treats and groovy goodies gathered from all around my hat.. err, blogroll.
So, a tip of the titfter and a 'thank you for the music' is due to all those on the '1YS' tracklist for the tip top tunes, and to anyone who's ever contributed or commented on this ol' blog, as well as a ton of cyberchums for chit chat, chippings in, inspiration and ideas like ...
And finally a special mention for all those silent peepers, prowlers and binge bloggers that arrive via random.com and spend around 12 hours necking down every page and piece without a whisper.
So my funky friends tuck in, fill your boots, raise a glass, shake a leg and here's to another fab year . 'One Year Souled Mix'
I Just Want To Celebrate - Rare Earth Ain't Nothing But A Houseparty - The Showstoppers Super Party-The Soul Hustlers - Fufu Vince Watch Your Step - Bobby Parker - Roman Empress You Can’t Go On - Lonnie Lester - Matt Beat Collector Cooking Catfish - Albert King - Larry F16 Corners Take Me - Betty Everett - Devil Dick Maybe I'm Amazed - Sunday's Child - Soul Shower (deleted blog) You're The Fool - The Three Degrees - Fufu Stew Crossword Puzzle (Say No Go)- Sly And The Family Stone Ally Funky Mississippi - Rufus Thomas Davey H 96 Tears - Aretha Franklin - Simon Lady Moogdonna - Soundhog Alive - Beastie Boys/Alan Hawkshaw - Soulwax Molotov Cocktail Party - Vivi Bach Und Dietmar Schoenherr - Rock Mother Soul Sitar - Sohail Rhana - Piley Spinout - Elvis Presley - Diddy Wah Dancin' Pain - Wynder K. Frog I Can't Get Next to You - Mongo Santamaria - Bitter Andrew Vertigo Leitmotiv - Bernard Estardy - Paul Blow Up Quittin Time - Big Maybelle - Mr Double Down Doin’ the Banana Split - The Banana Splits - F16 for track facts Talkin' 'bout Soul - Little Richard Do What You Did - Thurston Harris - Rob Do You Love Me - The Sonics Closing Motif
AND to think I was actually worried about running out of puff and stuff to stick in my cyberspace scrapbook.
Did You Know ? The colours on PM and are inspired by Swizzles Double Lollies and the fact that pink/orange/both seemed to be such a popular pallet in the 70s.
Axe Victim says 1973 is the summer of summers. But for me, the top pop year will always be 1977. It's an overlooked classic - and the year sound and vision went Concorde shaped and Skylab sounding - Bowie released 'Low', 'Heroes' (and clonked out 'Lust For Life' and 'Idiot' as hobby projects), Giorgio and Donna gave us deep space disco, there's Space - 'Magic Fly', Meco - 'Star Wars' and JMJ 'Oxygene' - see what I mean? And then you've got Close Encounters, 'Calling Occupants', Bond's Lotus Esprit, Saturday Night Fever, Star Wars, Punk wars, the deaths of Marc Bolan and Elvis - you just don't get designs, dynamics and dramatics like that in many other years.
My personal obsessions during the summer of 77 were...
Sharks (I saw Jaws 5 times). Skateboards (Fibreflex boards and Kryptonic wheels were the kiddies, Skudas were cool and affordable, but Surf Flyers? That's a no-no ) Starsky and Hutch. Admiral football togs.(the Coventry kit being my fave) Lord Anthony clobber (but never had a Parka) Dayvilles Ice Cream Parlours(32 flavours) Krazy Comic
And as I started to make the move from pick 'n' mix singles to adult size albums the record I wanted, really wanted - and got for Christmas was K-Tel's blistering 'Disco Fever'. You can enjoy the full track list here, and for MOR eye popping madness have peep at the cozy cardie coloured charts from 31 years ago - both of which are almost entirely untroubled by any punky doings.
Elvis 'Way Down' ( Alt take with added piano at the coda)
If you fancy a few more sounds from the summer of 77 hop on over to...
Track Lister for Giorgio Moroder - 'From Here To Eternity' (single version) Davey H for Donna Summer - 'I Feel Love' (12" version)
My selection for Book Of The year 1977 - Man Eating Sharks Always wanted one of these G and S Fibreflex boards (and a trip to Skate City or the South Bank), but never managed to get either.
Every Friday is Funky Friday on Planet Mondo, and this week brings you an Elvis special to mark his 72nd birthday earlier this week.
First up a couple of youtube treats.
"Man That's Dirty"
This outtake from the '68 Special is the absolute essence of Elvis and crackles with magic. While the offstage boffins were making technical tweaks and possibly 'checking levels' between takes, Elvis asks for his guitar, kicks off the riff for 'Baby What You Want Me To Do' the orchestra jump in, start jamming and the audience go wild.
PS - Does anyone know what model of guitar Elvis is cranking? - I'm stumped.
"Some a y'all never been down south too much"
Bill Belew who did 'wardrobe' for the '68 Special, also created Elvis's jumpsuits. This is one of his earlier, less fussy designs and a style later reworked by The Osmonds, Evel Knievel David Bowie and possibly the crew of Moonbase Alpha. Elvis delivers a true blue eyed Soul stomping, Vegas vamp version of 'Polk Salad Annie'.
A duet of 'Polk Salad Annie' performed by Tony Joe White (its composer) with Johnny Cash is here if you fancy a peep.
This hidden sizzler from Elvis has everything you want from a fatback track - funky keyboards, a shout of "Hot Damn" and double tempo drums on the home run. Elvis - I Got A Feeling In My Body(Take 1).mp3
Written by Gamble and Huff, the masterminds behind the The O Jays, The Three Degrees and The Sound of Phildelphia 'Only The Strong Survive' is a Northern Soul nugget with Elvis sounding exactly like The Six Million Dollar Man on the spoken intro. Elvis - Only The Strong Survive.mp3
Hurrah for the 8th of January. "Why the 8th of January?" they chorused.
It's the birthday Of Elvis Presley and David Bowie of course. But as well as sharing the same date of birth there are several other Elvis/Bowie connections, here are 8 of them....
1) Bowie is quoted as saying "Elvis was a major hero of mine. I was probably stupid enough to believe that having the same birthday as him actually meant something."
2) Both had tragedies with their brothers - Elvis' twin Jesse, died at childbirth. Bowie's half-brother Terry, was a schizophrenic who committed suicide in 1985.
3) They were both comic book fans - Elvis's hair and capes were inspired by Captain Marvel, and both used a 'Shazam' style lighting strike symbol - Elvis for the 'Taking care of Business' logo, Bowie for Aladdin Sane.
4) Bowie's manager Tony DeFries styled himself as a 1970s Colonel Tom Parker (Elvis's notorious cigar smoking Manager) a factor in Bowie signing to RCA also Elvis's label, and the DeFries Mainman Management logo being designed to look a cigar band.
5) The Kubrick Link - Elvis's seventies shows started with "Also Sprach Zarathustra" from '2001: A Space Odyssey'. During the Ziggy period Bowie used the 'Clockwork Orange' version of Beethoven's 'Ninth Symphony' for his intro' music.
6) Apparently Bowie wrote Golden Years for Elvis but recorded it himself after Presley turned it down.
7) The 1972 Thailand reissue of 'Space Oddity' featured as Elvis's 'Fool' as the B-side.
8) They've both recorded Beatles covers which are still in the vaults;
Elvis - Lady Madonna ( with Elvis seemingly 'effing and jeffing' around the 'make ends meet' line).
Bowie - Penny Lane (with an extremely flaky accent on 'customer').
Instead of adding to the flood of anniversary facts, theories and opinions about Elvis on the ‘net - I’m going let the music speak for itself, by listing 5 tracks (and the albums they come from) which really capture the essence of Elvis for me
This the version where Elvis bump-and-grinds himself into TV history. Stunning. Can you imagine how shocking this must have been back in the black and white 50’s?????
Elvis in full funk mode. And there’s country, folk and acoustic - all recorded at Stax studios. He may be a bit wobbly on a couple of tracks. But, Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues, and For Ol’ Times Sake are his best ballads ever.
I'm nipping off next week, (back to sunny Stow - again) but while I'm away - on August 15th - this piece of ol' puffery completes it's first year of orbit in the blogosphere (I'm discounting, but not deleting the first three directionless posts) - so to celebrate breaking the one year barrier, I've made a pick 'n' mix buffet of tasty treats and groovy goodies gathered from all around my 
'One Year Souled Mix'
* 'Celebrate Summer' - Marc Bolan
Always wanted one of these G and S Fibreflex boards (and a trip to Skate City or the South Bank), but never managed to get either.
