Fun, Fun, Fun. And I do mean fun. Sometimes this summary of a weekly radio show veers off to a serious side, but not today. Not with this batch of winners. Not when we’re leading off with Los Xochimilcas. Like a mix of The Three Stooges and Spike Jones, they clamor for a round of “pulque for two!” with an eloquent danzón accompaniment. Then there’s Pigbag showing off some serious jazz chops…but is it jazz? Then again, who cares? Why fret over labels when we’re here to have fun?!
So The Magnetic Fields’ tune isn’t exactly light-hearted glee and all, but fun comes in many packages. I had fun when I first heard I Die You Die. They sounded like the Velvet Underground had they hailed from West Virginia instead of New York. That’s not fun? Relatively speaking, there’s always room for Ennio Morricone. That lonesome whistle thrills me, along with the chorus of grunting injuns. A Spaghetti Western at its stereotypical best. Allen Toussaint, by the way, is one hell of a song writer, in case you were unaware. From a Whisper to a Scream is a subtle masterpiece, placing him in the rank of Lee Hazlewood. Segues can be fun too. For instance, Peruvian Julia Illanes wails about how damned liquor has destroyed her world. And who should follow that but mixed-up Betty James. Maybe not redeeming themes but fun nonetheless in a screwed-up way (fill in the emoji of your choice here). And has there been a better verbal smackdown than Buddy Guy telling his woman “Baby, you ain’t no Frigidaire. You can’t keep nothin’, tell everything you hear.” I can’t quite grasp the imagery, but it’s a heroic attempt at rhyming. The Floaters didn’t need to rhyme. Float On allowed their sexy selves to take turns telling just what kind of woman each of them would choose. Along with astrologic mumbo-jumbo (and fun), I believe the best line describes Charles’ ideal of a woman who “carries herself like Miss Universe”. Float on, Charles, float on! - JH
Run list for potpourri of fun, fun, fun
First broadcast 2-8-24
01 Los Xochimilcas - Pulque para Dos (Mexico)
02 Pigbag - Papa's got a Brand New Pigbag (England)
03 The Magnetic Fields - I Die You Die (USA)
04 Neko Case - Furnace Room Lullaby (USA)
05 Ennio Morricone - For a Few Dollars More, Main Theme (Italy)
06 Ramiro Musotto - Bayaka (Brazil)
07 Allen Toussaint - From a Whisper to a Scream (USA)
08 War - Low Rider (en Español) (USA)
09 Ambi Bilga - Tu Beja Beja (India)
10 Ashley MacIsaac - Rusty D-Con-Struck-Tion (Tatter Jack Walsh-O'Reilly's-Sailor's Wife) (Scotland)
11 Julia Illanes - Licor Maldito (Peru)
12 Betty James - I'm a Little Mixed Up (USA)
13 Buddy Guy - Keep It to Myself (USA)
14 Ken Boothe - Artibella (Jamaica)
15 Khaled - Ragda (Algeria)
16 The Floaters - Float on (USA)
17 The Soul Machine - Twitchie Feet (USA)
Ode to Betty James -On a sunny Derby Day/Milwaukee/the East Side/up by the pagoda-looking gas/station around 1971 / got lost /got lost just / a few blocks from home. /And kids came out / climbing over rubble /singing "hippies in town" / singing "hippies in town" / me and dave and jim did / a sort of cold tremble / when a car engine would start /it was like a slow explosion / as we found our way / got back to the pad / and there is an old hippie / fellow traveller playing / I'm a Little Mixed Up -JV
~&~
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