Cool and Strange Music! Magazine - 03 - Nov 1996-Jan1997

Raymond Scott, Eden Ahbez, Yma Sumac

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Cool and Strange Music! Magazine - 03 - Nov 1996-Jan1997

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Magazine

• "e:eli~eTe:el Te tJnu~uer ~eunel~ •

The Amo.zing Music Of

Raymond

·Scott

NEAT-0 STUFF!

C1JOI And Stnmge Musicr Magazine

Puhlisher/Etlitor: Dana Countryman Layout anti Design: The Same Guy EKecutive At/visor: Keith 8. Ellis Proolreatler: Tricia Meier Printing Services: Consolitlatetl Press Contributing Writers: Christopher SeKton Craig Anderson Wilhelm Murg R. Preston Peek Dave Wasser Dominec Priore Jell Chenault

Clockwise from top: Editor, Dana 'Tubby" Countryman ("The Big Cheese"), Art Director: Bill Johnson, Girl Friday: Tricia "Patsy" Meier, Office Manager: Barbara "Babs" Stevens, and lastly Executive Advisor and Whiner: Keith Ellis

COOL AND STRANGE MUSIC MAGAZINE is published on a quarterly basis by Dana Countryman for Labor OfLove Productions, in association with Fontmeister Design. All contents are copyright 1996 Ta-Dahl Productions, Inc., unless otherwise noted. Sample and single copy price: $3.95. A years' subscription (4 issues) for the U.S.A is just a measly $12, $19 overseas (U.S. currency only). U.S. and Canada: make checks payable to COOL AND STRANGE MUSIC! MAGAZINE. Because of the adult nature of some of the art, you must state your age and include your signature. Unsolicited manuscripts/articles are welcome, but must be accompanied by a SASE for return. All letters sent to COOL AND STRANGE MUSIC! MAGAZINE may be printed, unless requested otherwise by the sender. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the publisher. Not to be sold to minors or small farm animals, process servers or publishers of metal-working magazines.

Cool And Strange Music! Magazine a

P.O.Box 8501, Everett, WA 98201 USA, Planet Earth e-mail: coolstr [email protected] Fax#: (206) 303-3404 OJol And Strange Music!"' Third Issue!• Nof, '96 ·Jan. '97 - - - - _ . . ; ; . . Magazine

In This Issue ••. .Ed.i'tio.riai Le'fi'fiers, We Ge'fi Le'fi'fiers w-e se-t. •ack.8 an.d •ac&. 0£ ierter.... b y .Da."V"e Wasser Tii:l.y Tiin. b y Chris-top.her Se.x:-to:n. Yin.a S"U.D:l.aC J..\Tew A..n..d Z>i.f:fere:n..'fi CZ> .Re'7i.ews b y Craig A.n.de.rso:n. .Rayzn..oiid Sco'fi'f; Coo.I.. Web -Si'ties! L P Co"V"er A.r-t Cheesecake Spread b y .R • .Pres-ton. Peek S.J..ea.zeca..k:e! b y Wil..he.hn. .Dt'Cu.rg .Ba:n..a:n..a Spli'fis b y .Do~ec .Priore .Edeii A.h.be.z .l.t'Iu.sic Z>e'7i.J..•s b y Wil..he.hn. .Dt'Cu.rg The b y J e f f C..he:n.a.u.l-t .....-aro.J..d Cha:n..g Iii'fie.rv-i.ew S'fira:n..ge C.J..assi.fieds

A Tip O' The Sign 11 and a 11Thanks! to Keith Ellis!! .. From Gramps & Jud

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Grea.tBig Cool Ar\.d. Stra.r\.ge Tha.r\.kYo"U.' s!: Special thanks to the following Cool folks for making the TH I RD Issue of our Strange magazine another rootin'-tootin' success!•••

Tricia Meier • Frank Davis Phil Noh/ • Annie Sattler • Irwin Chusid Joseph Holmes • Belinda J. Montgomery Sean Berry • Harold Chang • Bryan Thomas Vicki Stolsen • Steve Sando • JeFF Morris R. Seth Friedman • Dominec Priore Our new distributors ••• •••and ALL oF our very groovy Advertisers!

Third Issue! •Nov. '96 ·Jan. '97

And Slrnnge Mmic!" l:ool ------Magazine

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•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Hi kids! Welcome lo Issue #3 of Cool And Strange Music! Magazine. Lots of great things hove happened with the magazine since our lost issue ... First of all, we were picked up by Tower Magazines in Sacramento, CA. Right ofter publication of the #2 Issue, they began distributing C&SM Mag into all of their Tower Records and Tower Books stores all over the notion. Now, you con find us al your local Tower store! I can't tell you how happy we are lo be working with Tower, ii gives the magazine both major notional visibility and also credibility in the music marketplace. With this Issue, we also began being distributed by Fine Print Distributors, another national magazine distributor that will put C&SM into Barnes and Noble, B. Dalton Booksellers, Borders, Bookstor and other notional bookstore chains. We're proud to be distributed by Fine Print, who among many, many other magazines, also distribute Rolling Stone and D/S(-overies. Also, starling with this Issue, we ore being distributed by Small Changes, o Northwest distributor, and Get Hip, out of Philadelphia. Thanks lo all of these fine organizations for having faith in our magazine, and for having the faresightto see that we are doing something that no one else is doing. I'm really proud of the fact we are pulling out a quality magazine, devoted to unusual sounds, and Ifeel we ore doing ii with intelligence and odash of good humor! And that reminds me: at this point Ireally must say a sincere 'Thanks!' lo all of our writers and artists, starting with everyone who contributed to the #1 Issue, through the #3 Issue you're holding in your hands. It's their professionalism, and painstaking hard work that really makes this magazine what ii is! Without all of these creative people, there really wouldn't be much of omagazine, al all. Thank you, writers and artists far your excellent work! Special thanks hos lo go lo my extremely tolerant wile, Tricia, for pulling up with my long hours at the computer, day and night. And I'm gelling really good al holding our son, Matthew with one hand and typing with the other! c: 0 The lost thing I'd like lo talk about in this issue, is about everyone joining in. We're > 3~ gelling more and more subscribers lo this magazine, and what I'd really like to see is everyone gelling more involved. I'd love to see more correspondence to the 'Letters' 0 u column. Tell me what you like, and what you don't like. Give us ideas for future articles. c: 0 Send clippings of newsworthy happenings that we should know about. Think about writing ~ on article for the magazine, yourself! I'm always open to discussing new article ideas! 0 ll:'. I've mode many new friends in the 'Exotic/Strange' genre, since starting this publication, and ii really hos been ogreat way lo meet lots of nice people with the same interests, who obviously really core a lot about this music, like Ido. Let's keep talking to one another, and use this magazine to explore the wacky world of unusual records! Ihope to hear from you all soon! Write letters, e-mail or fox me soon! And now, on with the magazine!

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- Dana Countryman• Editor/Publisher

SEND IN YOUR 'Favorite LPs I'd Like To See Reissued On CD' REQUESTS!

If you have favorite recording that you really like to see on CD, send in your requests. We'd like to compile a list of everyone's favorites. The record companies are actually listening to this magazine, and to what you want, so you may eventually be able to see some of these records re-released, if we let them know what we want. All correspondence will be printed in the next Issue. I'll start the ball rolling with a few of my own favorites that I think would make great re-issues: THE HAPPY MOOG· Harry Breuer and Jean Jacques Perrey • DELIRIUM IN HI-Fl · Elsa Popping and her Pixieland Band • ZOUNDS! WHAT SOUNDS! -Dean Elliot· Now, SEND YOURS!

C1JOI And Strange Musicr -----=Magazine

lbird Issue!• Nov. '96 ·Jan. '97

lE1'1'ERS

lE1'1'ERS

Letters ofaCool

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Jnd Strange Nature!

lE1'1'ERS

lE1'1'ERS

lE1'1'ERS

and I think you're on to a fun, long-term thing here. Best to all, Lou Smith NYC, New York

Hi Lou, Thanks for your compliments on ish #2 of Cool And Strange. I'm really proud of it. As to the idenlity of the infamous Internet overcharger, his idenlity shall remain nameless, as my lips are sealed! I WILL say that I have NO idea how the guy comes up with lhase prices of his. Since most of these things arenY even listed in record price guides, I can only assume he just makes up his own prices. For example, I just missed buying a NM copy of The Happy Moog' from a dealer for $7, and put a notice out on the Exotic Newsgroup looking for another copy. Guess who wrote me back, trying to sell me one for $30, saying that was the going price!! (Guess I missed that Issue of Goldmine's Price Guide.) Needless to say, I still have my slightly scratchy copy of The Happy Moog', and that'll suit me just fine. As far as your comments regarding Ed Kaz' comments about Enoch Light go... / purposely let Ed state his own ponderings about Light. I really donY think that letting him make that comment will cause bad feelings in the 'Exotic' com-

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Dear Cool and StrangeMy compliments regarding ish #2 - it's certainly getting slicker for one.thing. I like that you put in the family snapshot. I recognize your expression of exhausted delight from photos of me when my kid was that age. Hey, just between you and me, who's the 'famous' internet guy known for overcharging? Anyway, I don't know who you're talking about and wouldn't mind a warning/tip-off if you feel comfortable mentioning names. One tip for you : you may lose some of the really committed collectors if you run 'humor' pieces like the Free Design one which included the line: 'Just who the hell "Enoch Light' and why should I care who HE/SHEfTHEY are presenting?' EVERYONE who seriously collects this stuff knows who Enoch Light was, and DOES know why one cares who HE presents.' A line like this denigrates the knowledge that collectors have worked to attain and shows a lack of interest in the history of the recording industry. Know what I mean? Here's a small list of ideas you've already thought of: -compact regul ar feature of new WWW sites of interest. Just listing the URL and site name - no big reviews -'Recently released' listing to compliment your reviews; just a list of other interesting releases that have come out in the quarter. -a free tape trading feature; not a classified but a place where people could list the type of stuff they'd like to trade stuff for & their addresses. This will build a bit of community around the magazine. -you may want to host your own C&SM! mail-list similar to the Exotica list. Anyway, you're doing great, the issues are improving as you go,

munity I think Light is great, in fact I gave two of his CDs great reviews in the same issue. I think everyone can tell that Ed's tongue is firmly planted in his cheek. ;) Regarding printing of interesting Web Sites, I'm already ahead of you on this, there's a URL section in tha works for the next issue. No reviews, but just URL 's of the ones I think are appropriate or are friends of the magazine. Concerning CD reviews: Well, I pretty much reviewed everything that came in and was appropriate. Would you like to review anything new and great for the upcoming issue? Just check with me first, I may already have a review done for that CD. Now, regarding the tape trading idea: I'm a little concerned about the legalities of this, you know, copyright laws. I'll mull this idea over, it's not the first time someone's suggested it. As to your idea about hosting the magazine's own "discussion/mailing list': I'm so swamped with work on the magazine, that I would never have time to take this kind of project on. Thanks a lot! I really appreciate your positive comments and your feedback, Lou. Dear Cool and Strange, After a long day of 'makin the donuts' I came home to find 2 eye catching copies of 'Cool and Strange' waiting for

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Third Issue! •Nov. '96 ·Jan. '97

lE1'1'ERS

lE1' Tl':

me. Knowing you somewhat from previous snail mail carrespondences and your thematic tapes, I can safely say that your magazine is you. It's simply over the top. The layout and artwork, the attention to detail and the relentless amount of information both humorous and informative makes this a mag for looking at as much as reading over and over. I am impressed and will be sending you a subscription. Be talking to you. -David Schaefer Los Angeles, CA

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Hi David! Glad you got the Issue and like it so much! I really appreciate your comments. Good things are starting to happen. The best part is meeting nice people, who share the same interests. Stay Cool! (Since this correspondence, David has begun work on a photo-spectacular on his specialty, Moog LPs. Look for it!) Hey, Dana! I did indeed enjoy #2! Love the new glossier look, and I appreciated you ' padding our my story with the Chipmunks album cover, nice touch. One thing you might want to keep in mind for #3, I wouldn't break up the articles as much. I realize it's tough trying to make everything fit nice and neat on a page and have them all end at the bottom, but from a reader's standpoint it can get a bit tricky following an article through a few ·continued on page .. .". Overall though, it was very readable. Also, I could have told Ed that "Kites are Fun' was by the Free Design right away and saved him a lot of hassle and sleepless nights. I have the 45. I pulled it out and played it again for the first time in probably 29 years after I read that. Extremely scratchy, but it brought back somewhat fuzzy memories, after all I was eight years old back then. Tell Ed to play the B-side, "The Proper Ornaments', it's a better song. It sounds like the Mamas and the Papas combined with the Association. Also, my folks took me to see Ferrante & Teicher a few times years ago. Mom and Dad were really into the Buffalo Philharmonic and going to live classical concerts. My favorite song I heard F&T play was "African Echoes", only because they had to retune their pianos to get a really strange hollowlechoey sound out of them. I thought that was a nice switch from the usual classical stuff. Yes, I was into C&S music from WAYYYYYYY back! Well anyway, you can rel ax for a while now before you gear up for #3. Whoa, times up, get to work!;) Tell Matthew that Uncle Dave recommends he hear Jordy's ' It's Tough to be a Baby". -Dave Guhlow Las Vegas, NV

Hi Dave! Thanks for all of your help, everyone loved your article. Thanks for the advice on not 'breaking up the articles'. You'll see in this issue, that I've taken your advice to heart. There's a reason that articles are broken up in publishing. It's the same reason that Nordstrom always crams tables of merchandise in your path, so you can't walk in a straight line, and you're forced to look at everything. I've always kind of resented that, so I'm trying to limff that technique

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And~ Music!"' f,oo/ -------=- Magazine

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The album that launched a million backyard luaus is back with four bonus tracks and completely digitally remasd. One listen and you will . ~ lly find out why Arthur • i; an is The Tiki God.

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GRAMAV I SI 0 N wherever you fufill your musical pleasure or ca ll 1-800-2EARFUL (1-800-232-738SJ

•-mail: hifi@rykodisc .com or visit: www.rykodisc.com

© 1996 Rykodisc

G

If it isn't hifi, it's low-life.

C'------=10I And Strange Musicr

Magazine

Third Issue!• Nov. '96 ·Jan. '97

My Brush With The One And Only . .~

.vL b!:J Dave Wac;;c;;er

fs amazing. really, just how well known Tiny nm is. There aren't too many people in the United States who haven't heard of him or who don't remember seeing him at some point on television. In a white tuxedo. with long hair. he loomed before us with a ukulele. delivering a message of unencumbered joie de vivre in a falsetto voice. About the only group among whom I've encountered widespread ignorance of nny nm are Generation X'ers. But then that's not a surprise. is ii? (A lot of them have never heard of George Bush. either. Also not surprising. but in a different way.) For the past six or seven years. I have been an avid ukulele fanatic. playing and collecting ukes with a bunch of equally devoted/demented fiiends. You can't be an avid ukulele fan without at some point coming faceto-face with "the nny factor." Everyone thinks you musf be o Tiny nm fan. People expect you to play 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips" and sing everything in falsetto. When I first became aware of '1he Tiny factor,'' I resented ii. 'The ukulele is much more than that!", I would tell people. Many of the other uke players I met also had adverse reactions to being stereotyped by '1he nny factor." I even began to think of it as a slur against the poor. innocent ukulele, a stain on its reputation. In my mind. Tiny Tim became an embarrassment. a "scarlet letter,'' a Billy Carter to my Jimmy. Last year, led by my fiiend Paul Syphers. a small group of us began talking about holding a Uke Expo. a Hawaiian-shirt. no-tie event to promote ukulele culture and raise money for an official Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum. Paul had staged a previous Uke Expo, on o much smaller scale, in

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1990. That one featured a display of 60 ukes. a video. and a lecture on the history of the ukulele. Uke Expo '96 needed to be bigger. Between us. we now had a collection of over tf:JJ ukuleles and countless pieces of ukulele ephemera-pictures, sheet music, ads, etc. We planned a much expanded musical program. as well. Right from the start. Paul had Tiny Tim in mind to be on the

bill. I was ambiguous. but could see the practical value of having at least something to draw a little public attention. We wanted Uke Expo to be a showcase of the many faceted expressions of uke-phorio. so why not? Sometime in the spring of this year. a fiiend of mine told me that Tiny nm was making an op-

Third Issue! •Nov. '96 ·Jan. '97

pearance in Providence, RI to promote an occult/alternative-press bookstore. I wasn't sure I really cared. but decided since we were trying to get him for the Expo. maybe I should take the opportunity to meet and chat with the man himself. So. on a Sunday afternoon. after first making the rounds at the flea market in the Drive-In theater behind my apartment. above the liquor store in rural eastern Connecticut (how's that for a string of prepositional phrases!), my wife and I packed a couple of ukes into the Nova and headed off to Providence. II was sunny and brisk as we pulled up along the curb in front of the bookstore. There were "No Parking" signs up and down both sides of the street; a dirty brown 70s model Buick sedan was parked in front of the store. so we were considering parking behind ii and taking our chances. A couple of people got out of the car: a short balding guy with a purple satin baseball-style windbreaker. and a very tall guy with long greyishblack hair. It took me a few seconds to realize ii was nny. I had a pretty clear picture of Tiny in my head from my memories of him on TV and from his albums. which had inevitably been included in our collection of Hawaiian and ukulele-related records. But I had never thought of him as being so big. He wasn't quite fat, just tall and large-framed. The grey hair was also unexpected. After we ha d parked, we made our way into the store . About 20 people were there in the small space. evenly split between browsing through the bookshelves and gathering around the seated Tiny, who wos signing autographs and talking. As we pushed through to the front. I saw a man with a much older face than I had expected. Tiny's age is a well-guarded secret that has led to many con-

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flicting reports of lote, but suffice to say that he is 70 years old, plus or minus a few years. I guess that was what first struck me, and what started my whole reevaluation of my image of Tiny Tim. "He's just a guy," I thought. The next thing that struck me was his voice. It wasn't a falsetto. It wasn't high-pitched. He hos a deep, gentle voice. He spoke about his latest CD release, frequently referring to names of songs and singers from the early port of the century. He'd occasionally sing a line or two from some populor song--0nd not just from the 20s and 30s, but even earlier. It began downing on me that Tiny Tim was much more than just a comical figure with a ukulele. And what about the ukulele? Someone asked if he hod a uke with him, so he reached under his choir and placed a uke case on the table beside him. "This was a gift from my wife, Miss Sue" he said, toking out a dazzling silver, metal-bodied, resonator ukulele. It looked like a Notional, but I could see the decal was different. I thought it might be a Beltano, a newer British mode version of the Notional, and so I asked. ''Yes, that's right," Tiny said, brightening. "You obviously know ukuleles. Do you play?" He handed me his Beltona and asked me ta play something. It was strung lefthanded, but I was able to strum a few chords anyway. I'm not normally a shy person, but I felt some pressure to play well in front of this man who has been playing ukulele since before I was born. As I played, he remarked, "Oh, you're a professional! Hey, he's a real musician!" I took it as a politely patronizing comment, and suggested he play something. He sow I had anotheruke, and suggested a duet. I hod no idea what song we might both know, so I answered, "How about Tiptoe Through the Tulips?"' I almost thought he might say "Oh, not that again!" but, instead, he leapt into a short history of the song: when it was written, who had recorded it, how their approaches were different. He decided to do one of the earlier versions. And off we went. When Tiny sings a particular version of a song, he tries to reproduce the tone and cadences of the

original singer. I don't know how well he was doing, because I don't know the original, but it sure wasn't the 'Tiptoe" version from "Lough In." The singing was very graceful, precise and surprising, coming from this 70 year-old, longhoired, giant of a man. We never really finished the tune, Tiny just segued into another one, pausing between verses to share some historical tidbits. Whatever our media culture hos mode of Tiny Tim, the man himself is much more than a town fool. He has been cast as sideshow freak, but he is in fact, an intelligent and sensitive person. He's been identified with one song for so long, that no one realizes how much knowledge he possesses about thousands of other songs, songwriters and singers. To have the kind of name-recognition he has, even 30 years on since the height of his public career means something. Tiny is an enigma, no doubt about it. But ifs time to admit how powerful an influence he has hod on us. Especially for those of us whose tastes place us outside the mainstream. Can I soy that my perception of the ukulele as on instrument of subversion is not in some way bound up with images connecting it to Tiny Tim? Don't many of us want to don white tuxedoes, grow our hair, pick up a uke and thumb our noses at corporate America? Well, maybe not many of us. Thank God for Tiny Tim.

© 1996 Dave Wasser

0000 s

f,oo/ And Strange Music!" -------=- Magazine

Third Issue! •Nov. '96 ·Jan. '97

FEATURING ARTWORK BY ACCLAIMED CARTOONIST, ILLUSTRATOR, AND ODDBALL MUSIC SCHOLAR WAYNO POSTCARDS Two full-co lor glossy designs avai lable. Red Hot Saxophone features a skeletal hipster blowing chili peppers out of his horn. The Esquivel design sports a portra it and mini-biography of the King of Space

COMPACT DISCS The Makers of Smooth Music is an incredible collection of 28 "set your poems to music" atrocities, including 12 from the Beat of the Traps LP, all presented to you by Tom Ardolino of NRBQ. Comes with a set of wooden nickels illustrating four of the tunes. Only In America contains 33 bizarre musical artifacts from all over This Great Country Of Ours, including a previously-unreleased live Shaggs cut and Tony Burrello's twisted masterpiece "The Sound of Worms. " The 16-page booklet has extensive liner notes plus numerous illustrations by Wayne.

ALSO AVAILABLE:

Red Hot Saxophone baseball cap (black cap, embroidered in ten colors). Send SASE or two IRCs for complete list of comix, T-shirts, and other items. The list is free with any order.

ORDERING INFO: Postcards are ten for $6.50. CDs are $16 and LPs are $13. The baseball cap is $24.

Prices include

postage within the US. Outside the USA. add $3 per item . Make check or Money Order payable to Wayno. Send all correspondence, payment, Homer & Jethro LPs, and Patience & Prudence 45s to:

(:/VAYNO, PO Box 11934, Pittsbur9h, PA 15228-0934) Third Issue! •Nov. '96 ·Jan. '97

f,oo/ And Strange Music!" ------~Magazine

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Third Issue!• Nov. '96 ·Jan. '97

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s we all know, once a volcano erupts, a period of dormancy often follows. One never knows quite when the next eruption will be or how many people will be affected Fortunately for us, Yma ("ee-mah") Sumac, the Peruvian vocal krakatoa who was at the height of her popularity in the 1950s is rumbling again! With the revival of "lounge" music and with exotica quaking the airwaves, her complete Capitol Records catalogue has been released on CD and Yma is even embarking on a short concert tour this summer! Yma Sumac is a direct descendant of Emperor Atahualpa, the last of the Incan rulers. Her mother was a full-blooded Quechuan Indian and her father was half Indian and half Spanish. As a young girl, she used to "talk" to the birds and the

animals, trying to imitate them as closely as possible. "! taught myself to sing and have a technique that I'm told is almost perfect," Sumac recently told the San Francisco Chronicle. While still a young girl in Peru she was singing in sun-worshipping ceremonies in her village of lchocan which overlooks Maccu Piccu. Word soon spread of her amazing vocal range of 5 octaves. Government officials came to hear the girl with the voice of "the birds and earthquakes" whom they believed to be a myth. Sure enough, she was real. Around 1940, Yma lived in a convent in Lima and studied singing and began performing with a South American musicologist and composer named Moises Vivanco. Vivanco, seeing tremendous potential for both his career and hers, soon married Yma at her tender age of 15. He

Third Issue! •Nov. '96 ·Jan, '97

began to manage her affairs and to compose music which would compliment her unique vocal style. South American audiences came to love the voice of Yma and she became known as "Peru 's precious gift to the world. " In 1946, the couple made their first trip to the United States performing under the banner of The Inca Tacky Trio. One review described the performance as, "somewhere between nightclub entertainment and anthropology." During a 1949 performance in New York, a· scout from Capitol Records witnessed Yma in concert and signed her on a risky whim. The resulting album was 1950s Voice Of The Xtabay, which went straight to the top of the charts and hasn't been out of print since. Through frequent touring including several landmark shows at the Hollywood Bowl, Yma Sumac was a phenomenon.

CJIOI And Strange Music!" - - - - - - - - - Magazine

"Everyone loved Yma," she told People magazine, back in 198 7. However, all of the adoration soo n changed when a front page marriage scandal crumbled her reputation. Vivanco had fathered rwins by his secreta ry, resulting in a "hair-pulling, slapping and screaming fit" from Yma. "All men is cuckoo," she confessed to People. It see ms Vivanco had also taken all of the cred it for Sumac's compositions, when in reality it was she who helped with the most difficult parts. One New York reporter added insult to injury by suggesting that Yma Sumac was really just Amy Ca mus, a housewife from Brooklyn who bad reversed her name and faked her acce nt. As fickle American audiences lost interest, Yma began to to ur internationally and even received an invitation in 1961 to perform for four weeks in the former Soviet Union backed by the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra. Demand to hear Yma sing was so overwhelming that she ended up sta yi ng in Russia for six months and performing 186 concerts--all so ld our. Exotica pioneer Les Baxter and Yma teamed up in 1972 to create a 10-song LP titled Miracles. After years of perfecting everything from Peruvian folk tales, operatic arias, an d popular Latin rnnes, th e album was Yma's ill-received attempt at rock. Imagin e all of her trademark chirps and warbles backed by Van Halen! The results were striking, yet still uniquely

'Sumacian'. In 1974, Yma gave her last performance for a d ecade when she decided to retire and divide her time among her homes in Peru, Spain and Los Angeles. But, this volcanic Xtabay was active agai n in the mid 1980s when she performed at the Vine Srreer Bar and Grill in Los Angeles a nd sold our three weeks at Manhattan's Ballroom Cabaret and dates in San Francisco . Very limited dares followed including a 1993 show at Miami Dade Communiry College and rwo dares in June 1996 in San Francisco. Her scarce vinyl records can fetch up

to $150 apiece but now, thanks to C D technology, Yma is mo re accessible than ever. Havin g influenced everyo ne fr om the B-52's, Lily Tomlin and Cyn di Lau per, the original is back at age 70 to charm, chirp and growl her way back into the hearts of American a udi ences. "Doing 'musica exotica' is not easy," she continued in the San Francisco Exam in er, "All my music is based on that feeling of the Andes. It transports yo u to that civilization and its beauty through imagination. I have many imitators, but there's only one Yma Sumac."

Christopher Sexton is rh e publisher of B-Hive, The B-52's Nerwork & Fan Club an d will publish a book rided The B52's Universe nexr summer. For a thorough Yma Sumac discography or information abour B-Hive, send a sramp to: Box 50126 Mpls., MN 55405

A Mini-Review of Yma's Recent L.A. Performance

Yma Sumac's performance on July 17th, 1996 at Hollywood's House of Blues was nothing slwrt of amazing. At once grand and g r a ndm oth e rl y, Yma

Continued on page 36

And Strange Music!" DJol -------=Magazine

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Third Issue!• Nov. 96 ·Jan. 197 1

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*THIS ISSUE'S SPOTLIGHT CD*

otico, but he is not afraid to throw in some bongos and

Various Artists · Hollywood Hl·R Brunswick Records · BRU 81013-2 How can I review this without poS11ively raving? Well, since it's not possible to hold

fuzz.tone guitar amidst the pagan strings! The packag· ing sports the original cover art and includes detailed liner notes by Skip Heller. Highly Recommended. - Jeff Chenault

enthusiasm, here

back my



goes: This CD is an absolute joyl Collecting l 8 al the

VARIOUS ARTISTS · Sound Gallery, Vol. 2

·

Scamp SCP 9723-2

If "The Sound Gallery" was your 1

worst, coolest and most in-

cup of tea, then don t miss the

change in imaginary venue

teresting celebrity recordings of all time, the disc starts off with a delightful thud as Bette Davis vainly

27 new gems mined for Vol. 2. EMl/Premier's "Sound Gallery

seems to have refreshed Denny; Afro-Desio jumps out of the speakers like a frenzied witch doctor at the height

attempts to sing with a gong of chorus boys at her

Team " ho s once again un-

of a ritual mating dance. Every song on the album has a edge to it, pushing instrumental and vocal harmonies to

earthed (and bulled to a sheen through bright remastering) a

side. The Addams Family's Ted Cassidy gets 11

into a soul shuffle with The Lurch", and pre-star1

dom records from Joe Pesci, Sissy Spacek and Raquel Welch are here, with Welch's being the worst. Her song here features her real voice, a

quarter-century s-old collection of British "mood"

rather annoying nasal horror that makes it clear

why her vocals were dubbed by a real singer in her TV special. (Trivia Time: The singing voice in her late 60s special was secretly dubbed by My Three Sans' Tina Cole, who in real life was also one of The King Family.) Other favorites are "The Ask Nat Waltz" by President John F. Kennedy. schmaltzy vocal group and sound clips from JFK's speeches. Jerry Mathers cashes in on his Leave It To Beaver lame with "Wind·Up Toy", a really stupid 1962 single that is so dumb it's great. An1

other great one is Superman s Jack Larson singing a rock and roll tune about, believe it or not,

COCKROACHES! It's too fantastic for wards, especially when Larson throws in impersonation s of

Ed Sullivan, Jerry lewis and George Gobel. Toa many great songs here and not enough space, but

I simply have to mention Mamie Van Doren and

music that showcases the best of England's 60s & 70s EMI and KPM studio musicians. Far from the syrupy "mood" goo we all used to love to hate, this music-by turns brassy, jangly, smooth and rockin'-uses Shalt-y

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to the mix. The opening "Tsetse Fly" buzzes back and forth between the speakers in a stereo effect that rivals any RCA demonstration record. "Ma'Chumba" includes some of the funniest pseudo-African mumbo jumbo this

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side of a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Freed and Brown's over-

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recorded "Temptation" sizzles, then climaxes in explo-

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sion that wi ll even have nonsmokers reaching for a ciga-

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rette. "Simba" is vintage Denny with the added effect of what sounds like a kazoos duet. Industrial Ions will be delighted when they hear the "Abungalu, abungalu" opening of "Mumbo" (darkly sampled in Chris & Cosey's CORE: A Conspiracy International Project.) While this Scamp disc stays true to the sound of the original vinyl release (right down to the occasional speaker distortion,) I miss the depth of Rhino's superior sounding Exotical: The Best of Martin Denny (where four tracks are

~

duplicated.) Also, full price for a 33 minute CD is a littie

sional wordless vocals and even electronic shenanigans to create music that's manic, mellow and everything inbetween. There's an extended version of "light My Fire" (John Andrews Tartaglia) that can only be described as EZ psychedelia; a rollicking big band jazz rendition of

steep. A second album could have been added to fill up the rest of the disc. These quibbles aside, the booklet includes good liner notes and a beautiful reproduction of the classic cover (featuring "Exotica Girl" Sandy Warner; pant, pant, pantl) Afro-Desio is an essential

LES BAXTER • Que Mango! Scamp 9718-2 Que Mongol represents the late great Les Baxter's final output in the exotica vein. This time around, Les has teamed up with The l 01 Strings fora thrill-seek· ing polyester jungle ride that will leave you longing for more.

"Open House" (Brion Fohen); and "Avengers Tog"

aural odyssey for anyone interested in exotic music.

(Laurie Johnson), which uses the sharp end of a muted trumpet to sketch the melody . This is a trip for those of us (ahem) who were around to hear the sounds first· hand; a chance for the rest of you to get experienced. ·R. Preston Peek

"Bazooba.zooba."

·Wilhelm Murg

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PRICE GUIDE·Gofdmfne Comedy Record Price Gulde by Ronald L Smith. Krause Publlcatlons ISBN 0-87341-444-6 OK, who else has this? It's quite an effort (by Ronald L. Smith) in that he tries to describe every record liste~n ) ))J~ terms of sheer discography information, I

(Continued on page !18)

.

i:

greatly to this musical safari, adding both their trade-

woh-woh guitars, sitars, strings, horns, vibes, the occa-

• The orchestration is more lush than precious Baxter ex-

S3

1 cal contributions to "The Flintstones'" and "The Jetsons" theme songs. ) The legendary singing group contributes

Tap". If you love bad celebrity collections, like me, this is by far the best one I've ever heard. Highly Recommended I - Bill Johnson

1 June Wilkinson s rockin 1 "Bikini With No Top On

11:3

the breaking point, then back again. Alro·Desia is actu· ally a collaboration between the exotic maestro and The Randy Van Horne Singers (best known far their vo

mark ultra-smooth vocals and surreal cartoon zaniness

Well, it's actually a studio concoction featuring a

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MARTIN DENNY • Afn>.Desla: The Exotic Sounds Of Martin Denny Scamp SCP 9702 After exploring the South Seas in his earlier albums, The Godfather of Exotica turned his attentions toward the dark cont~ nent in this re-release of his orig~ nal 1959 recording. The

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Not to mention music by the mentally ill ... or soundtracks from Japanese TV commercials ... or the latest in phone-prank technology... It's all in WFMU's Catalog of Curiosities with an array of over 400 aural delights.

~~~!~t~ F~~n~~I~~

In the early 1960's, Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley slipped on their lab coats and set out to create the pop music of the future. These two pioneers combined the techniques of avant garde composition (tape loops, Moogs, etc.) with their parochial notion of pop music, and ended up creating uniquely ludicrous sounds. Imagine that someone slipped you a powertul hallucinogen and subjected you to all the Jetsons episodes played simultaneously. That's just how good it is. The In Sound From Way Out CD $13 #10203C

The Shemp Meditation For the stooge who has evel)'thing. One full hour of Shemp sound bites looped into a mallet-numbing sensol)' overload. Feel Shemp's pain on the "Heeeee Beee Beee" side. Rip the tape and laugh like an idiot to the "Ahh Ha Ha Ha" epic. Rip the tape again. Flip out! Great for parties or for those introspective evenings alone. Cassette $8 #20301K

Theremin

Shut Up Little Man

Time was when you had to be either an electronics genius or independently wealthy to own an actual theremin. Now you can pertorm mid-air arpeggios at an affordable price! Assembly is required, but knowledge of soldering is enough, and each kit includes free phone tech support and a 90 day warrantee on parts. Basic Theremax• kit includes knobs and circuitl)', but doesn't include antennae, face plate or a box. Partial case includes both antennae and a face plate, but no box. The lectern case (pictured) includes both antennae, a face plate and a white pine box. Basic Theremax Kit $95 #35301Z Theremax Partial Case $35 #35303Z There!llax Lectern Case $85 # 35302Z

Raymond & Peter Eavesdrop on Raymond and Peter, two real-life alcoholics who give new meaning to the term "love/hate relationship." Hear them massacre the English language, their apartment and each other. 72 non-stop minutes of harsh hilarity. Let the abject cruelty of this CD ring through your halls and brighten your day. 100% audio verite. Tasteless, hilarious, and without redeeming sociafvalue. CD $14 #14201C

Eilert Pilarm Greatest Hits There's a lot of Elvis impersonators in the world, but none like Swedish garbageman Eilert Pilarrn. Eilert belts out his Elvis covers in a tongue all his own. Maybe that's his way of thanking the King, who lifted Eilert out of a fit of schizophrenic delirium. Eilert promptly punched out his doctor, donned the satin lame suit and started off to rockin'. You ain't never heard nothing like this, rest assured. A WFMU Catalog of Curiosities exclusive. .-· up a few wedges of sleaze ...

u

Git . . . . .

Example B: Genuine Sleazecake!

Put The Kids to Bed, It's Time To Have Some Fun All sleazecake records fall into one of three categories: someone singing dirty songs, someone telling dirty stories, or someone presenting a ribald "play" (complete with "amorous" sound effects). In the dirty song category, the Fax, Adam and Davis labels are the hands-down favorites. Collectively they constitute an extensive library of raunchy songs ("Blinded by Turds," "She Sits Among the Cabbages and Peas," ''I'm a Virgin, But I'm on the Verge"), not to mention the array of brazen, unashamed, and often quite beautiful nude models. I guess there were those who actually listened to these things, but I'm afraid I never have. Puerile poop humor notwithstanding, it's the cover that sold them then, and it's the cover that sells them now. (By the way, many labels, especially earlier vintages, had the annoying habit of covering the model's breasts with a "band-aid" to avoid the wrath of the community and possible jail time; most copies I've found show the dark stain where it was carefully pulled off. Today this comes across as modest, almost quaint; I'm sure that 30 or 40 years ago, however, it created panted heights of excitement as shaking fingers slowly revealed hidden treasures.) Fax Records listed 34 LPs on the back of "Sin Along With Us - Adam Stag Party Record 9." There's no indication of how many are actually in the numbered series, but they're tough to find , and I'm still working on my set. They all use wonderful models-just check out 1, 6 and 9-taking up almost the entire cover. These girls are on the more respectable edge of sleaze-pretty, studio-posed, even demure; although the lack of pretension toward a higher thematic goal firmly prevents them from hanging out with the 'cheese' crowd. Not so with the Adam series. Featuring "Wild Party Songs," these gals charge by the hour, caught in lewd (but carefully distanced from the riskier X-rated scenarios) poses in somebody's basement. "Spice After Hours" looks like a party in progress, paused long enough to shoot a few pictures (check out that 60s two-cans hair-do!). "The Ballad of Fanny Hill, Part 1," despite the baffling sewing kiUteddy bear motif, stands as pure sleaze, with the ample charms of the model as the only redeeming value of the shot. "Seduction Bachelor Style" reminds us that only the unmarried are actually sanctioned to stalk this naked prey. And "The Shocking Humor of Bert Henry" features another poof-haired 60s model on a construction -, site with panties slipping down one leg. Cute, but definitely sleaze. ~ Speaking of Bert Henry: Who knows how many records this raconteur of raunch would ~actually have sold without the nameless naked vixens on his covers? Would "Bert Henry The Hard Way" have found it's way into so many homes (tucked behind the bookcase, or sandJ; wiched in with the Amadeus and Ludwig Van, where one old yardsale widow found "Sex Is My ~ Busines:_:nd exclaimed "Well~::r knew he had that~!") without the lank and loun~

L s ______

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Third Issue! •Nov. '96 · Jan. '97

C1JOI And Strdnge Music!"' -------Magazine

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27

ing brunette wearing nothing but an attitude on the cover? (Can you believe you're even pausing now to consider the question?) Joe Davis also knew the value of a good cover. He released a handful of records on his own New York "Davis" label ("Joe Davis: Record Manufacturer" proudly stamped on each cover) in the late 50s/early 60s. While not exclusively on the seamy side (he actually issued "Hymns of Faith" and even a collectable blues LP by Otis Blackwell), Mr. Davis had a curious (and, for us, lucky) habit of re-releasing LPs with identical catalog numbers and contents, but with different nude women on them. This is a useful piece of knowledge if you're collecting his stuff, especially if you find an LP on a mail-order list and think you've already got it. "Humorisque: Sophisticated Songs Sung by Saul T. Peter" (groan) and "Treasure Chest: Spicy Tales told by Captain Kidd" are two good examples. The range of photos is quite broad; a bikini, an anonymous black and white chest shot, a burlesque queen in sheer robe , and ... of all people, Jayne Mansfield. My copy of the latter has the telltale stain of a removed "band-aid;" how disappointing to find that Jayne's skimpy towel has just enough material to cover what the buyer surely was counting on to be more of the superstar than he had ever seen! Beacon and Laff are two other labels that sought to cash in on the adult humor/nude cover market. Some of the Laff titles, like "Land of Fruits & Nuts" (Bob Thomas), and "Sex Menu Internationale" (Various "Artists") even point out that their LPs have "Frame-able Cover Moments before the photo shoots, these models Art." Since this handy piece of information apstrolling down Crack Street, USA, wonderwere but informs only not it cover, the on right pears contributes to the defacing of that very item it ing where their next fix was coming from. purports to elevate. (As if you needed someone to prompt you to frame these things!) My strong suspicion is that they, like most of their sisters, not only went unframed, but stayed hidden in the darkest recesses of middle America's attics and basements. Finally, we reach the netherworld of Sleazecake: the 1970s Triple-X dreck featuring no-holds-barred covers and explicit (and quite filthy) vignettes (or, as the covers say, "erotic dramas," which is a real reach for either word). Aside from their shock value, I find these lacking the relative innocence of the older stuff-after all, anyone can put a naked body on a cover-but you can't beat 'em for just plain weirdness. With titles like "Bold and Butchy Female Freaks," "Swapping Swingers Orgy Party," and "Case Histories of Sex Starved Women," how can you not chuckle? Unless you take this stuff seriously (and I guess some folks do), there's no better way to raise eyebrows as you show off your vinyl collection to envious friends .

Rationalizing Sleaze Sleazecake is fun. It balances the gravity of the classics, the intricacy of jazz, the pummeled rhythms of rock. It injects a level of playfulness to any record collection; it's as if all this bare fiesh is leaning up against the shelf, gazing across the room, and challenging the other LPs to lighten up a little: "You may be a Miles Davis Columbia 6-eye, but I'm a 3BDD and proud of it!" or "Hey, you! Yeah, you, the RCA Shaded Dog over there! Meet me at the turntable and we'll have some real fun." Having survived both the shadows and the attempt to politically correct them right out of existence, these LPs have finally earned a place in the limelight. Just make sure the kids don't find 'em. - R. Preston Peek © 1996

(Ii. Preston Peek is an inveterate collector of interesting and unusual lPs, and the sole proprietor of VINYL l/VES! See his full-page ad in this issue.)

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And Strange Musicr f,oo/ -------Magazine

Third Issue! •Nov. '96 ·Jan. '97

Vinyl For The Esoteric LP Collector I specialize in "the marginal and "the obscure, "the offbea"t and the unusual. My periodic lis"ts extol "the LP as art, artifact, and amusemen"t. When was the last time you found Colonel Sanders, Esquivel, Julie Newmar, Les Baxter, and George Wallace in "the 5ame catalog? I assemble rarely-seen electronic, Space Age Bachelor Pad, personality, nude/chee5ecake cover, moog. 5poken word, cartoon, exo"tica, belly dance, cool spy jazz, quirky soundtrack and various o"ther s"trange and exci"ting LP5 in-to wha"t I call Exo"tica I E"t Ce"tera LP Lis-ts. They include dozens of cover pho"tos, in"tere5"ting "tidbi"ts about the LPs, reviews- and "the firs"t one's free. (If you order somethi ng, "the next one's free too.) I've 5ent "them all over "the world, and I'll be glad "to send one to you, "too. Vinyl Live5 .

., 1401 Ravenhurst Dr, Raleigh, NC 27615 USA (919) 846-9571 - (919) 846--9507 (fax) e-mail: [email protected] Visa• Mastercard• Discover• Check• IMO

Third Issue! 1Nov. '96 · Jan. '97

CAJOI And Strange Music!" - - - - - - = Magazine

29

by Wilhelm Mutg or those of you too young to even hove a hazy memory of the 1960s, there was a movement in television that basically initiated the young post-boomer generation into the mind-bending world of psychedelics! During the Summer of Love, those of us in the first grade sot hypnotized every Saturday morning watching cereal commercials that looked like they were produced by Kesey's Merry Pranksters. (One was so intense that ii sent a friend of mine into on epileptic fit.) I've often wondered how much the lote-1960s Saturday Morning cartoons factored into the psychedelic revival of the late 1980s (For that molter, how many gongstos ore being bred today by "Bill Nye, The Science Guy" teaching physics via Rap music?) The height of kiddy-psychedelio was achieved with The Bonano Splits, four guys dressed up as Hanno-Barbero characters living in a strangely two-dimensional world (i.e.- half the furniture was pointed onto the set backgrounds.) The line-up was Fleegle (guitar and vocals,) the flustered, lisping dog who seemed to be the leader; Bingo (drums & vocals, kind of the Mickey Dolenz of the bond,) who was a Doy-Gia orange monkey sporting late 1950s-type streamline sunglasses; Drooper (boss & vocals,) the granny glosses wearing lion; and Snorky (keyboards and effects, kind of the Brion Eno of the group,) who was a mute, pop, elephant who sported jumbo, proto-Elton John, pink sunglasses. The quartet worked in the

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C.ool And Strange Musicr -------'~ M agazine

nude, except for the glosses and their bright red English bobby helmets with bananas on the crown (you con make up your own jokes.) Each show was basically twenty minutes of cereal commercials innercut with The 'Bananas' doing slapstick between some of the dullest octionoriented cartoons ever produced. Hanno-Barbero included music video segments on each show complete with melting lighting effects, and pictures of other HonnoBorboro characters (Atom Ant, Huckleberry Hound, et.al.) floating by, inside of pop-art, rickie tickie flowers. I've never understood exactly why the music segments were included; no records were available except for the two 7" EPs offered by moil from the bock of Kellogg's cereal boxes. Hanno-Barbero should have attempted another cartoon chart-busting sensation like The Archies. The Bonano Splits' records ore far more sophisticated than anything The Archies (or many of the real pop groups of the time,) ever created. As for ovonte-gorde packaging, the record label hos two Bananas making a circle design. It's conceivable that this may hove been designed before The Beatles started putting fruit on their labels, and ii come nine years before The Rutles' hall-peeled banana logo for Rutle Corps. Personally, I like to think it was a tribute to Andy Warhol's cover to The Velvet Underground & Nico,

Third Issue! •Nof. '96 ·Jan. '97

but Warhol and Hanna-Barbera were such masters of Pop that they could have just been on the same wavelength. The set opens with the jangling "Tra-La-La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)" used as the theme for their show. It's a good catchy song for a cartoon, but it's not exactly the "Duck Man Theme." "That's The Pretty Part of

the best psychedelic tracks ever. Afriend from New York told me that it's gelling heavy airplay up there. Crunchy Vanilla Fudge organ, sitar riffs from the guitars, a rather strange staccato "ChoCha-Cha" background vocals sets the mood for one of the most confusing love songs since Love's "Forever Changes"; "I live in a cucumber castle, on the bank of a cranberry sea, and starfish dance under my drawbridge, and blackbirds may nests in my tree ... I-al-a-I enjoy being a boy in love with you, in love with you girl, oh ye-ah." "The Beautiful Calliopa" opens kind of like Martin Denny using instruments procured from the local Toy 'R' Us, but the song is killed by the bland vocals (it sounds like the same guys who do "The Tro-Lo-Lo Song" picking up a few extra bucks.) The Al Kooper copenned "Let Me Remember You Smiling" is good 1960s pop, but it's just doesn't measure up with the rest of the record. It's a tragedy that The Banana Splits never got any airplay al the lime. If these records hod become hits, just think of what the 1996 revival concert would have looked like. © 1996 Wilhelm Murg

0000 You" is a classic sounding pop ballad fro the mid-1960s, complete with aped Bill Medley vocals. "It's AGood Day For AParade" reeks of early San Francisco pop with a few whistles and noises thrown in for good measure, kind of like John Sebastian meets Spike Jones. It ends with a child crying as the singer attempts to get him to look al the parade. "The Very First Kid on My Block" is the highlight of the first record; Sitar inspired guitar twangs, Magical Mystery Tour cum Herb Alpert horns, harmony closing background vocals. I like the hermetic images in the words; "I was the first to lose her, all I did was a-muse her, 'Iii she had her fill and left me with a bro-ken heart that is men-ding still." The second record hits the turntable running with Barry White's Stax/Volt inspired "Doin' The Banana Split," (which was also used as the closing theme of the show.) The song Banana Splits sweats! The Big Maestro's probably the only person who could effortlessly mix the sexual metaphors of 1960s dance records with the joy of making and eating a banana split; "We're doin' ii, doin' ii, doin' ii, doin' the banana split, y'oll, we'll be slidin' ii, feelin' ii, scoopin' ii, dippin' the banana split y'all . .. OW! WOO! HEY! Dip in, scoop one time, OW! Dip in, scoop two times, OW! OW! Dip in, scoop three limes. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! Hey! Lookie here, now everybody should be slidin', WOO! Now peel, all you boys and girls out there . .. Whip it! A-Whip it! A-Hey! Hey! Hey!" You get the idea. The closing lyrics are mostly just "WWWWWWWWWWHAA!!!" and "YYYYYYYYYAAAA!!!" but done with conviction. "I Enjoy Being a Boy (In Love With You)" is simply one of

Third Issue! •Nov. '96 ·Jan. '97

And Strange Music!" fAJOI -------Magazine

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