Charles Bukowski: Three Poems1973

 

Charles Bukowski was born in Andernach, Germany in August 16, 1920. His father was an American serviceman stationed in Germany. In 1945 he published his first poem. After failing to take the literary world by storm he retired from poetry and went on a decade long drunken “lost weekend”. After a spell in hospital for a near-fatal bleeding ulcer in 1955 he started to write again. By 1960 in order to support himself he took a job at the U.S. Post Office working as a letter filing clerk. He stayed there until 1969, all the time writing and publishing poetry. As his poems often deal with subjects like drinking, being hung over, gambling and sex.  Time magazine in 1986 called him the "laureate of American lowlife". He died of leukemia on March 9, 1994, in San Pedro, California, aged 73. These poems come from a concert recorded in City Lights Poets Theater, San Francisco in 1973. He gave up live readings by the late 1970’s.

**Warning recorded from vinyl, surface noise**

The Creation of the Morning Line.mp3 

Style.mp3 
Earthquake.mp3

The Sundowners: Baby Jane 1963

Teddy Toi, Bob Wynyard, Trixie Willoughby, Sonny Day, Lloyd Tangaio and Max Purdy

The Sundowners were formed in the late 1950’s in Auckland, New Zealand.  Originally called Sonny Day and the Sharks. They played a form of Rock and Roll that had yet to be influenced by The Beatles. They recorded three singles and an EP for local label Viking Records before signing to another Auckland label Zodiac Records in 1963. Released in the same year, Baby Jane was their second single for Zodiac. They release three more singles, one under name of Dave Henry and the Sundowners, before folding in 1964. They never recording an album. The song Baby Jane was also recorded by The Applejacks  a year after the Sundowners. The B-Side was a cover of the Little Richard’s gem Keep A Knockin’.

Produced by Dave Dunningham

Sonny Day                                  Guitar
Bob Wynyard                              Guitar
Teddy Toi                                      Bass
Max Purdy                                   Piano
Lloyd Tangaio                     Saxophone
Graeme 'Trixie' Willoughby        Drums

Baby Jane.mp3

Keep A Knockin'.mp3

Peg Leg Howell: New Jelly Roll Blues 1927

Henry Williams, Eddie Anthony, and Peg Leg Howell 

Peg Leg Howell was born Joshua Barnes Howell on March 5 1888 in Eaton, Georgia. Just twenty three years after the ending of slavery. His music comes from an era that predates the Blues. He worked as a farm worker until 1916 when he lost his right leg after his brother-in-law shot him with a shotgun during an argument. Hence, his nick name Peg Leg. He was sent to Prison for bootlegging in 1925 and 1930. Bootlegging was his primary source of income at the time. In 1926 he started recording for Columbia Records. New Jelly Roll Blues was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia on April 8, 1927. Beaver Slide Rag was the B-Side. After his friends and band members Henry Williams and Eddie Anthony died (Henry Williams in prison in 1930 and Eddie Anthony in 1934). Howell retired from music saying, “I just didn’t feel like playing anymore. I went back to selling liquor.” In 1952 he lost his other leg to diabetes. During the 1960’s blues revival he was “rediscovered” living on welfare and at 75 years old recorded again for Testament Record. He died in 1966 aged 78.

Peg Leg Howell      Vocals/Guitar
Henry Williams                  Guitar
Eddie Anthony                    Violin

New Jelly Roll Blues.mp3

Beaver Slide Rag.mp3

Johnny Cash: The German Connection

In the 1960’s and 70’s many musicians re-recorded their hits in various foreign languages to cater to different markets. Among them were The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Marvin Gaye. Johnny Cash pioneered the practice by dubbing German vocals for his song I Got Stripes in 1959. He also dubbed Five Feet High and Rising and I Walked The Line as well as recording two German songs in German, Besser So, Jenny-Jo and Kleine Rosmarie. His German connection goes back to 1952 when he spent two years as a radio operator with the U.S. Air Force stationed in Landsberg, Germany.  It was there he brought his first guitar and formed his first band the Landsberg Barbarians. Here’s Viel Zu Spät (I Got Stripes) and Wer kennt den Weg? ( I Walked The Line).

Viel Zu Spät (I Got Stripes).mp3 

Wer kennt den Weg (I Walked The Line).mp3

Discharge: Decontrol 1980

Discharge were formed in Lemmy’s hometown of Stoke-on-Trent in 1977. They were a Punk band, but their songs have been covered by the likes of Metallica, Anthrax, Sepultura, and Napalm Death. Often hailed as the first band to blend Punk and Metal. Their sound was so widely copied it became know as D-beat (D for Discharge). The two songs on the B-side, It's No T.V. Sketch and Tomorrow Belongs To Us typify that sound. Decontrol was released in 1980 on Clay Records. It reached number 5 on the UK Indie Chart.

 Producers John Brierley and Mike Stone

Cal          Vocals
Bones      Guitar
Rainy         Bass
Tezz        Drums

Warning recorded from vinyl. Surface noise can be heard

Decontrol

It's No T.V. Sketch

Tomorrow Belongs To Us

Greg Fleming & The Trains: Codine Road 1994

Singer songwriter Greg Fleming hails from Auckland, New Zealand.  His backing band The Trains has included an ever-changing line up of impressive musicians. Among them Mark Petersen (Jan Hellriegel, Straitjacket Fits, Cabbage Bomber), Nick Kreisler (the Pet Rocks), John Segovia (Shaft, The Axlegrinders, Boxcar Guitars, Don McGlashan & The Seven Sisters),  Andrew B. White (Bic Runga, Donald Reid, Damien Binder) Dom Blaazer (SJD, The HitList, Don McGlashan & The Seven Sisters), Ricky McShane (Chainsaw Masochist, White Swan Black Swan),  and Cameron Miller (Mike Scott).
In 1993 he released his debut album Ghost Are White. A year later a track from that album, Codeine Road was remixed by Anthony Ioasa and released as a single on Lost Records. The B-Side was All The Time In The World and First Waltz. All songs were written by Greg Fleming.

 

 Produced by Anthony Ioasa

Greg Fleming      Vocals/Guitar
John Segovia                  Guitar
Cameron Miller                Bass
Rick McShane               Drums
Jono Lonie       Violin/Mandolin

Codeine Road.mp3

or the whole EP as a Zip

Codeine Road EP.zip

The People's Choice: I Likes To Do It 1971

 

The People’s Choice were formed in Philadelphia by Keyboardist Frank Brunson in 1971. The instrumental I Likes To Do It was their debut single, released on the Phil L.A of Soul label in the same year. It pecked at number 38 on the Billboard charts and 9 on the RnB chart. After signing to Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff ‘s Philadelphia International Records they had an even bigger hit with Do It Any Way You Wanna. In 1989 I Likes To Do It was sampled by De La Soul for the track Trend Water on their album 3 Foot High And Rising. Big Ladies Man was the B-Side. Both songs were written by Frank Brunson.

Produced By Bill Perry and Rudy Wilson

Frank Brunson        Keyboards/Vocals
David Thomson                        Drums
Darnell Jordan                           Guitar
Johnnie Hightower                    Guitar
Stanley Thomas                          Bass
Marc Reed                                Vocals

I Likes To Do It.mp3

Big Ladies Man.mp3

Blues Magoos: (We Ain't Got) Nothing Yet 1967

Originally formed in The Bronx, New York in 1964 as The Trenchcoats. In 1966 they changed their name to Bloos Magoos, before settling on Blues Magoos. Their debut album (Psychedelic Lollipop) was released in 1966. Even though (We Ain’t Got) Nothing Yet was included on that album, it was not released as a single until 1967. Written by Ron Gilbert, Ralph Scala and Mike Esposito, it pecked at number 5 on the Billboard Top 100.  Gotta Get Away was the B-Side. Just over a year later, after releasing two more albums, they broke up.  But the band’s management and singer/guitarist Peppy Castro backed by various hired musicians kept the name alive until 1972. 

    It's fair to say Deep Purple’s 1970 hit, Black Knight owes a debit to (We Ain’t Got) Nothing Yet’s main riff.

Produced by Bob Wyld, Art Polhemus

Mike Esposito                 Guitar
Geoff Daking                 Drums
Ronnie Gilbert                  Bass
Peppy Castro      Vocals/Guitar
Ralph Scala        Organ/Vocals

(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet.mp3

Gotta Get Away.mp3

Roger Sings The Hits: Part 1 1991

First thing, these songs are owned by Flying Nun Records. They are posted here so people can hear them, as they are very rare and currently unavailable. They are for personal listening only.

On the 20th September 1991 Flying Nun Records had organized a gig at Auckland’s Power Station to celebrate their tenth anniversary. Someone came up with the idea to get some of the bands involved in the gig to record songs from other Flying Nun bands, put them on a cassette and sell them at the concert. So the night before the gig, six bands went into Incubator Studios and recorded and mixed six songs. 500 copies of the cassette were sold the next night. As far as I am aware, none of the tracks have ever been issued on CD.

Here’s Jean Paul Sartre Experience covering Fetus Productions’ What's Going On, Straitjacket Fits doing Jean Paul Sartre Experience’s  Flex and The Bats doing Look Blue Go Purple‘s I Don't Want You Anyway.

Roger Sings The Hits 01

The Saints: One Two Three Four EP 1977

In 1974 Brisbane band The Saints, started mixing their love of 1960’s Pop with their love of high energy Detroit rock. Their set list included speeded up cover versions of Del Shannon, and Ike and Tina Turner as well as Stooges songs. In late 1977 after the release of their debut album, (I am) Stranded, they released the One, Two, Three, Four EP. Which included cover versions of Ike and Tina Turner’s River Deep Mountain High and Connie Francis’ Lipstick On Your Collar. The two other original songs on the EP (Demolition Girl & One Way Street) were different versions than the ones that appear on the (I am) Stranded album.

 

Produced By  Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper

Chris Bailey       Vocals

Ed Kuepper        Guitar
Ivor Hay            Drums
Kym Bradshaw    Bass

The Saints - 1234 EP

John Foxx: Underpass 1980

 

In 1979 after Ultravox! were dropped by their record company, singer and electronic music pioneer John Foxx decided to leave the band for a solo career. Unfortunately, Ultravox’s subsequent success with new singer Midge Ure over shadowed John Foxx’s solo work. By 1985 (his last live gig was in 1982) he had reverted to his original name (Dennis Leigh) and his original career (Graphic Design).  In 1992 he was a Graphic Arts & Design lecturer at the Leeds Metropolitan University. He re-entered the music business in 1997 making Dance and the Triphop music. Underpass was his first solo single. Released by Virgin Records in 1980. It reached number 31 in the British singles chart, his highest solo chart position. All instrument were played by Foxx.

Underpass

Film One

Chant R&B: I 'm Your Witchdoctor 1966

 

Chant R&B were formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1964. That same year they won a Battle Of The Bands contest at Addington Showgrounds. Their prize was time in a recording studio. They rarely played outside of Christchurch.  Only releasing two singles before moving to Australia and disbanding in 1967. I 'm Your Witchdoctor was their second single, like their first (I've Been Loving You Too Long) it was a cover.  It was written by John Mayal. At the time Witchdoctor was recorded the band included Australian Max Croke, who it turned out was really named Max Kelly and was a deserter from the Australian Air Force.

 

Produced by James Tomlin

Trevor Courtney                Drums
Michael Rudd         Guitar/Vocals
Martin Forrer                        Bass
Max Kelly                           Guitar

I 'm Your Witchdoctor

Neighbour Neighbour

The Carter Family: Three Songs 1928

 

The Carter Family are Country music royalty. Their influence on Twentieth Century music is well documented. A little less so is influence of Maybelle Carter’s guitar style. She was one of the first to play a bass line with her thumb on the bottom two strings while still keeping the chords playing the rhythm. Her rhythmic style and feel was so widely copied that today it’s considered the ‘Country Feel’. These recording are of the original Carter Family, before June Carter was old enough to join. All three songs were recorded on May 27 1928 in Camden, New Jersey, for the Victor Talking Machine Company.

Produced by Ralph Peer

Sara Carter            Vocals/Autoharp
Maybelle Carter         Vocals/Guitar
A.P. Carter                 Vocals/Guitar

I Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow
Can The Circle be Unbroken (Bye And Bye)
John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man

Guided By Voices: Motor Away 1995

 

Guided By Voices was originally formed in 1983 as a bar band in Dayton, Ohio. It was seen as a part-time thing, with all its members having day jobs. Over the next few years there was an ever-changing line up except for songwriter Robert Pollard who was the band’s only constant member. By the early 1990’s the band had evolved into more of a recording project. They self-released a string of lo-fi albums. Only a few hundred copies of each were pressed. In 1994 they signed a deal with Matador Records and became a gigging band again. At the time the line up included Pollard, guitarists Tobin Sprout and Mitch Mitchell, bassist Dan Toohey, and drummer Kevin Fennell. Now seen as the “classic line up”. Released in 1995, Motor Away was their first single for Matador, their eighth over all. It was written by Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout. It is different from the version that appeared on the album Alien Lanes. The Color Of My Blade was the B-Side.

 

 Robert Pollard              Vocals
Tobin Sprout                  Guitar
Mitch Mitchell                Guitar
Dan Toohey                    Bass
Kevin Fennell               Drums

Motor Away

Color Of My Blade

Montrose: Space Station #5 1973

In 1973, respected session musician Ronnie Montrose formed his own band, Montrose. He  had played on albums by Herbie Hancock (Mwandishil) and Van Morrison (Tupelo Honey & St. Dominique's Preview). The original Montrose line up included Sammy Hagar. But the reason I am posting this is more personal. When I was 17 one of my favorite bands was the Irish Punk band Stiff Little Fingers. Over the years I came to realise that some of their best ideas were not their own and that they were not the most original of bands. But I always thought their debut single Suspect Devise was a great song. One day someone told me to listen to Montrose’s Space Station #5. I finally tracked it down and put it on. After 50 seconds of spacey hippy noises on came the Suspect Devise riff. I was, as we say in my country, gutted. This is the song Stiff Little Fingers stole the riff for Suspect Devise from. The B-Side is a cover of the Roy Brown / Elvis song Good Rockin' Tonight.

Produced by Ted Templeman

Sam Hager               Vocals
Ronnie Montrose      Guitar
Bill Church                  Bass
Danny Carmassi       Drums

Space Station #5

Good Rockin' Tonight

As a bonus here's Stiff Little Fingers' Suspect Device. This is the Rigid Digits  Records single version. Which is different to the one on the album Inflammable Material.

Suspect Devise

The Creation: How Does It Feel To Feel 1968

In 1966, Cheshunt based Pop Art band The Mark Four changed their name to The Creation. Guitarist Eddie Phillips is credited as the first person to play his electric guitar using a violin bow. Jimmy Page, who later popularised the technique in Led Zeppelin, always cited Phillips as the inventor. By 1968 they started to introduce more psychedelic elements into their sound.  How Does It Feel To Feel was The Creation's sixth single. Released in Europe on Ploydor Records and in the US (with a different mix) on Decca Records. In the UK the B-Side was Tom Tom (released as an A-Side in German) but in the US it was Life Is Just Beginning.

Produced By Shel Talmy

Bob Garner               Vocals
Eddie Phillips             Guitar
Jack Jones               Drums
Kim Gardner                Bass

How Does It Feel To Feel
Tom Tom

Young Marble Giants: Final Day 1981

Young Marble Giants were formed in Cardiff, Wales in 1978. Adopting a less is more approach to their music. They simplified the songs and turned down the volume. Not wanting to use a loud ‘live’ drummer, they used tape recordings of a home made drum machine or no drums at all. This is their first single, released on Rough Trade Records a few months after their debut album, Colossal Youth. Final Days and the B-Sides Radio Silente and Cakewalking were all written by guitarist Stuart Moxham. They released one more EP, Test Patten without singer Alison Statton before splitting up.

Alison Statton              Vocals

Philip Moxham                Bass

Stuart Moxham   Guitar, Organ

Final Day 7"

Russ Le Roq: Never Let You Slide / Shattered Glass 1983

In 1982 future Academy Award winner actor Russel Crowe was a young and ambitious eighteen year old living in Hillsborough, Auckland, New Zealand. At the time his cousins, Martin and Jeff Crowe, were playing International Cricket for New Zealand. After being labelled "the singing cousin of the cricketing Crowes' " more than once he changed his name to Russ Le Roq.  This is his third single, like the previous two it was released on Ode Records. Never Let You Slide and the B-Side St. Kilda were written by Crowe. Fire is a Pointer Sisters (Bruce Springsteen) cover.  Unfortunately it failed to chart like its predecessors. For the next single (Shattered Glass) he changed to a more Synth-Pop sound. It failed too. It was released on CBS(New Zealand). I did not include the B-slide to Shattered Glass because it is a dub version of the A-Side.

From the back cover of Never Let You Slide

Never Let You Slide personal

Produced by  Graeme Mhyre

Russ Le Roq    Guitar/Vocals
Ken Chung                  Drums
Graham Silcock           Guitar
Pat Roxburgh                Bass

Shattered Glass Personal

Produced by Trevor Reekie

Russ Le Roq                Vocals
Graham Silcock            Guitar
Pat Roxburgh                 Bass
Steve Edger                 Drums
John Cooper                TS808
Rohan Hunt                  Synth

***Warning recorded from vinyl surface noise.***

Never Let You Slide

Fire

St. Kilda

Shattered Glass

Or the whole lot as a .zip

Russ Le Roq 

Fear: I Love Living In The City 1978

Fear were an early Californian Punk band. They were formed in Los Angeles in 1977.  In 1981 they appeared in Penelope Spheeris’ film The Decline of Western Civilization. This lead to an infamous appearance on the 1981 Halloween episode of Saturday Night Live. Which coursed $20,000 worth of damage to the studio. This is their first single released on Criminal Records in 1978. It was the only recording to feature the original line up.

Lee Ving                 Vocals
Burt Good                Guitar
Derf Scratch              Bass
Johnny Backbeat     Drums

I Love Living In The City

Now You're Dead

Poster For Mr. Lee Grant's Farewell Concert 1968

Mr Lee Grant was a huge Pop star in New Zealand in the mid 1960’s. His real name was Bogdan Kominowski. He was born to Polish parents in a Nazi concentration camp just outside Dusseldorf. Sadly, his father didn’t survive the war. Bogdan and his mother emigrated to Palmerston North, New Zealand in 1949. Using the stage name Mr Lee Grant he had six New Zealand top ten singles including three number ones. In 1968 at the hight of his popularity he decided to leave New Zealand and try his luck in Britain. This poster is from his farewell concert. In Britain his pop star career ended quickly. He ended up moving into musical theatre. He did have a small part in the James Bond film "A View To A Kill". In which he played a Russian. 

The Pretty Things: Talking About The Good Times 1968

In 1967 the legendary wild men of the British Blues movement, The Pretty Things, sign to a new label (EMI's Columbia label). They took that opportunity to change their sound to a more Psychedelic one. Their first ‘Psychedelic’ single, Defecting Grey fail to chart. Talking About The Good Times was their second Columbia Records single. Unfortunately it also failed. Recorded at the beginning of the sessions for their S. F. Sorrow album. Although, neither it or the B-Side Walking Through My Dreams appeared on the concept album.

Produced by Norman Smith

Dick Taylor                 Guitar
Phil May                    Vocals
John Povey                Organ
Wally Waller                 Bass
John Charles Alder     Drums

Talking About The Good Times 

Walking Through My Dreams

Pipp / The Fourmyula: Otaki 1970

Formed in Wellington’s Hutt Valley in 1967 The Fourmyula were one of New Zealand’s most successful bands. Ten of their fourteen singles reached the New Zealand Top 20. In 1969 at least one Fourmyula song was in the New Zealand chants every week of that year. Otaki was the last Fourmyula single to chart. It, and the B-Side Which Way Did She Go were written by Wayne Mason. To avoid confusion with a similar named British band The New Formula. They to released Otaki under the band name Pipp (a Danish word meaning 'mad') everywhere in the world bar New Zealand. Released on HMV Records in New Zealand, Decca Records in the UK/Europe and London Records in the U.S.A. Otaki is a town in the southern part of the North Island of New Zealand. Just up the Kapiti Coast from Wellington.

Produced by Chris Andrews

Martin Hope                     Guitar Vocals
Wayne Mason    Guitar / Organ / Vocals
Ali Richardson                 Bass / Vocals
Chris Parry                                 Drums

Otaki

Which Way Did She Go

Double O Zeros: Be A Zero EP 1984

The Double "O" Zeros were formed in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1982. Originally they had a more purer Power Pop / Punk sound and image. After the release of their first single, Pretty Women in 1983, they adopted a more glam look and sound. This is they second release, 1984’s Be A Zero EP. Released on Mountain Records. It was a 7”, 33 1/3 rpm, five track EP. Singer Sammy Serious wrote all the songs. In 1985 Double O Zeros spent six months in London, England. On their return to America they moved to Los Angeles and shorted their name to The Zeros.

Produced By Double O Zeros

Sammy Serious           Vocals
Joe Normal                  Guitar
Mr. Insane                   Drums
Mace Beyers                 Bass

***Warning recorded from Vinyl. Some Surface Noise***

Be A Zero EP

Wimple Winch: Rumble On Mersey Square South 1967

Liverpool’s Wimple Winch originally formed 1964 as Dee Fenton & the Silhouettes, before changing their name to Four Just Men, then to Just Four Men. In 1966 their sound changed from MerseyBeat to a more Psychedelic Freckbeat sound. So, they changed their name once again, this time to Wimple Winch. They got a new manager, and record label (Fontana) and moved to Stockport. Rumble On Mersey Square South was their third and final single. Mersey Square South is in Stockport. Wimple Winch were the house band at The Sinking Ship nightclub, which was near the square. In 1967 they spilt up after all their band gear was destroyed by a fire at the The Sinking Ship and they where dropped by their label.

Dee Christopholus     Vocal/Guitar
John Kelman                      Guitar
Barry Ashall                         Bass
Larry King                          Drums

Rumble On Mersey Square South
Typical British Workmanship

The Bach: I Can Tell You That 2011

The Bach are an alternative pop band from Auckland, New Zealand. The band members are unknown. This is their second single. It was recorded at Gettoe Studios and produced by Karl Tchernegovski. It was released on Double Mono Records.  The B-Side is Public Domain.

I Can Tell You That
Public Domain

20/20: Giving It All 1978

Tulsa, Oklahoma natives Steve Allen and Ron Flynt moved to Hollywood California in 1977. There they teamed up with Mike Gallo to form 20/20. They played Power pop with strong melodies and harmonies. This was their first single. Released in 1978 on Bomp! Records. Fellow Tulsain Phil Seymour played drums on Giving It All. Which was written by guitarist Steve Allen. After this release they signed to Epic / Portrait Records.

Producer     G. Shryock and S. Ripley

Giving It All line up:

Steve Allen    Guitar/Vocals
Ron Flynt       Bass/ Vocals
Mike Gallo               Vocals
Phil Seymour           Drums

Under The Freeway line up:

Steve Allen        Guitar/Vocals
Ron Flynt           Bass/ Vocals 

Mike Gallo   Keyboards/Drums

***Warning recorded from Vinyl. Some Surface Noise***

Giving It All 

Under The Freeway