Jukebox Joints

Andrew WK

Andrew WK is one of those guys that seemed to get a bit screwed over by the system. He signed some kind of agreement back in the day giving up his name rights, so all his music can't be released in the US and hence now it all seems to only come out in Japan.

Partly because of this he also has started doing quite a bit of TV work for, of all people the Cartoon Network!

Anyway presumably at some point this will get sorted and he can make more records like this one.

So if you ever sign anything, make sure you read it first!

Andrew WK - Party Hard

Lee Dorsey

I've posted about Lee Dorsey before, he's damn good that's why. This track though, is pretty different to most of the tracks you'll know by this New Orleans master.

This feels like a funeral march, the drums almost impossibly slow. If you only know his 60s material then I suggest checking the Yes We Can album he made with Allen Toussaint, it's pretty damn special.

Lee Dorsey - Freedom For The Stallion

Dr John

Iko Iko is one of those classic tracks that has been covered almost as many times as Eleanor Rigby.

The story tells of a "spy boy" or "spy dog" i.e. a lookout for one band of Indians encountering the "flag boy" or guidon carrier for another band. He threatens to set the group's flag on fire.

Interestingly, Dr John started his music career as a guitarist until his left index finger was damaged by a gunshot while defending a fellow musician.

Dr John injects his usual New Orleans creole drawl to great effect.

Dr John - Iko Iko

Bobby Darin

This was one of Bobby's early hits; an English version of the French track: La Mer by Charles Trenet.

Darin personified the American big band performers and rock and roll teen idols of the late 1950s and early 1960s but as time progressed he became concerned with the human rights and social injustice of the time. 

His late 1960s material was more folk inspired and even touching on blue-eyed-soul in the Commitment album (69) before he did two albums for Motown.

Darin, unbeknown to his fans had suffered with heart trouble his whole life and sadly died in 1973 following an operation intended on helping his condition.

Bobby Darin - Beyond The Sea

Jimmy Hughes

Jimmy is one of those great southern soul singers who didn't get enough props, yes, another one. He's not even in Wikipedia!

Anyway, this is one of his later singles on Volt. Most of the stuff he's famous for came out earlier and features on Rick Hall's Fame label.

But this one from 1971 still kicks it out there as you'd hope. I have a few albums and several singles but don't know that much about him. Anyone feel free to educate me!

Jimmy Hughes - Just ain't as strong as I used to be

The Novas

This messy Texas garage rock track from the mid 1960s has some serious wailing in it and with great lines like 'Do the eye gauge' you simply have to take notice.

This record sold 250,000 copies when it was released and propelled this teenage band into the realm of The Trashmen and their peers. Everything went a bit wrong for The Novas when one night one of the guitarists found a full can of beer and put it to one side on the stage. Security saw this and promptly arrested the whole band and slung them in jail. How times have changed!

The Novas - The Crusher