Thursday, August 21, 2014

FILTHY FRIDAYS: "Shakin' Fit"

Squares beware!  We're in week 3 of our salute to the most tasteful of mid-century tastelessness. And here's another album that probably makes the most amount of sense at a party where everyone's stoopid drunk. A really great compilation, released in 1992, of '50s/'60s r'n'b, and if you think that means the same, tame Motown, Drifters, Platters, etc., well, check this action, daddy-o. We're talkin' way gone, wild, crazy screamin' novelty tunes and failed dance crazes by unknowns, with songs like "The Chicken Astronaut," "Mo Gorilla" and "The Boss With The Hot Sauce" that are at least as good as their titles, maybe even better. This is the "Nuggets" of soul, and should be as famous. Fans of the Specials will recognize the original version of 'Sock It to 'em J.B.,' but otherwise this stuff is criminally obscure. Compiled by Todd-o-Phonic Todd from WFMU?

 IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT THE SOUND: This entire album appears to be panned somewhat to the left. I can't find another copy on-line, and the used copies on Amazon are pretty expensive and who knows if they're any better.  You can't correct panning on iTunes (good job, Mr. Jobs!), so check your computer output. It's something like: Control Panel/Sound/Playback/Speakers/ Properties/Levels/Audio Output/Balance and turn the left way down.  Or just crank it thru speakers real loud after everyone's had a few.

  "Shakin' Fit"
1. Nervous - The Fabulous Playboys
2. Love-Itis - Harvey Scales & The 7 Sounds
3. The Chicken Astronaut - The Five Du-Tones
4. Standin' On The Corner - Dorothy Berry
5. I Live The Life I Love - Willie Parker
6. Whiplash - The Shells
7. Mo Gorilla - The Ideals
8. What's The Matter - The Gardenias
9. Welfare Cheese - Emanual Laskey
10. The Dog - Junior And The Classics
11. The Chicken Scratch - J.C. Davis
12. The Wallop - The Tabs
13. The Frog - Sir Guy
14. Skin The Cat - Jimmy Merchant
15. Shakin' Fit - The Pyramids
16. My Baby Likes To Boogaloo - Don Gardner
17. Ain't That Bad - Pancho Villa & The Bandits
18. Damper Down - Bobby Davis
19. Sock It To 'Em J.B. - Part 1 - Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers
20. Grandma Bird - Four Holidays
21. Gotta Change - Kitty Love
22. Wang Dang Dula - Donald & The Delighters
23. Whip It On Me - Sonny Raye
24. Hey Sah-Lo-Ney - Mickey Lee Lane
25. Boss With The Hot Sauce - Davis Jones & The Fenders
26. Sticky Pig Feet - R.T. & The Pot Lickers
27. The Cow - Bill Robinson
28. Heartattack - Don & Dewey
29. Get Down - Harvey Scales & The 7 Sounds


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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:58 AM, August 27, 2014

    Re: what you were saying about the death of cool, and the vitality of this kinda stuff, read the last paragraph here -
    http://www.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2012/08/23/the-20-worst-hipster-bands-the-complete-list?showFullText=true

    -DBCooper

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  2. Mr Fab12:02 PM, August 27, 2014

    Thanks DB, I certainly wouldn't have bothered to read another snarky 'list-icle' were it not for your tip, esp. as it concerns bands that for the most part I'm not familiar with, but some of that last paragraph does sum things up nicely:

    "Those who came before us rocked, bumped and grinded. They exuded raw sexuality, riotous anger, and sweaty human realism. They hoovered drugs or angrily rejected them, they humped strangers in club bathrooms in adolescent indiscretion; they broke shit, laughed, cried, partied on rooftops or in warehouses, exorcised cultural demons and personal failures, made spectacles."

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  3. Anonymous4:21 AM, December 06, 2014

    Some really mighty fine material here Mr Fab. Thank you for the FF stuff!!

    Nathan.G

    ReplyDelete