Rocktober '60s Song #23: "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and The Crypt Kickers (1962)

It is All Hallows' Eve, which, alas, means Rocktober is coming to a close.  Please be sure to tune in tomorrow and all next month for Gnomevember -- a daily look at suburban lawn ornaments and the assholes who cherish them.

But for now, we still rock.  I couldn't have a Rocktober celebrating the '60s without one of the most famous Halloween and novelty songs ever.  In 1962, aspiring actor and musician Bobby Pickett wrote and recorded "Monster Mash" with a backing band called The Crypt Kickers.  He had done some Boris Karloff impressions during shows with his regular band, and that had gone over well, so he and another bandmate decided to write "Monster Mash" (and a whole album full of monster-themed songs).  They recorded the song and album in May 1962, with future Rock and Roll HOFer Leon Russell on piano and Mel Taylor of surf rockers (and also future Rock and Roll HOFers) The Ventures on drums, among others. Backing vocals on the song are provided by The Blossoms, featuring future Rock and Roll HOFer Darlene Love.

"Monster Mash" has been a Halloween staple since then.  It was released in August 1962 and hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October of that year.  It has been re-released a few times, and even hit #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973.

Happy Halloween, you ghouls.

Rocktober '60s Song #22: "Season of the Witch" by Donovan (1966)

Happy Devil's Night, Detroiters!  Don't burn too much.  Speaking of burning, witches were often burned at the stake for, well, being witches.  Speaking of witches, we often think of them in the fall.  One might even call fall the season of the witch.  Speaking of the season of the witch, in 1966, Scottish folk rocker Donovan released the song "Season of the Witch" on his third album, Sunshine Superman.

Donovan was an influential folk singer in the mid to late '60s, achieving success on both sides of the pond.  Between 1965 and 1969, he had 11 Top 40 songs on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK pop charts, with songs like "Sunshine Superman" (#1 in the US, #2 in the UK), "Mellow Yellow" (#2 in the US, #8 in the UK), and "Hurdy Gurdy Man" (#5 in the US, #4 in the UK) leading the way.  

While "Season of the Witch" was never released as a single, it has become one of his more popular songs, especially around Halloween.  It's a folksy, psychedelic tune with a creepy guitar supplied by none other than a young Jimmy Page complementing Donovan's verses, before he breaks into the wailing chorus.  The song has been used in a ton of Halloween-themed TV episodes, has been the title of no fewer than three major motion pictures, and has been the title for several books, including one that I read a few years ago about how the occult saved rock and roll.

Whenever anyone asks you what season some event or occurrence is, I implore you to answer, "must be the season of the witch."  I implore you.

Rocktober '60s Song #21: "Helter Skelter" by The Beatles (1968)

You didn't think I was going to go through an entire month celebrating '60s rock and forget to include The Beatles, did you?  Well, did you?  "Helter Skelter" is one of my favorite Beatles songs, off of my favorite Beatles album, their self-title 1968 four-sided masterpiece we know as The White Album.

As rock lore goes, Paul McCartney wrote "Helter Skelter" after hearing an interview with Pete Townshend, who described "I Can See For Miles" as the loudest and rawest song The Who had ever recorded.  Being a Beatle, Paul thought "Hell, I can one up anyone," so he did, writing a blistering (literally, if you believe Ringo's outburst at the end) rock song that is considered one of the first heavy metal songs.

A helter skelter is a British term for a large amusement park slide that spirals along a tower.  You may be thinking to yourself, "Well, GMYH, why the hell are you including this song during Halloween week?"  I thank you for your concern, and I'll tell you why.  You see, a delusional failed folk singer turned cult leader named Charles Manson believed that "Helter Skelter" was a coded song that predicted an international race war.  It was part of his motivation for the Manson Family murders in the LA area in 1969, and it ended up being the name of the best-selling book written by Vincent Bugliosi (the prosecutor in the Manson murder trial) about the murders and the subsequent trials (a chilling but worthwhile read).  After Manson Family members murdered the LaBiancas, Patricia Krenwinkel wrote the misspelled "Healter Skelter" on the LaBiancas' refrigerator door in Rosemary LaBianca's blood.  Creepy shit.

So it's a song about a slide that party inspired the grisly murders that, for all intents and purposes, marked the end of the '60s, flower power, and the Baby Boomers' hope.  It's also a badass rock and roll song that showed The Beatles could rock and wail just as hard as anyone else on the planet.

Rocktober '60s Song #20: "Midnight Rambler" by The Rolling Stones (1969)

No '60s Rocktober would be complete without the Stones.  Like The Who, I saved them for Halloween week.  "Midnight Rambler" is one of my favorite Rolling Stones songs, and it just barely made the cut, as it was a track off of the Let It Bleed album that was released December 5, 1969.  Clocking in at nearly 7 minutes, it's a haunting, bluesy little number about the Boston Strangler.  Fun stuff!

Hair Band Friday - 10/26/18

1.  "Mr. Rainmaker" by Warrant


2.  "Alive and Kickin'" by Mr. Big


3.  "Teaser" by Mötley Crüe


4.  "Long Way From Home" by Britny Fox


5.  "Two Fools a Minute" by David Lee Roth


6.  "Tonight" by Ozzy Osbourne


7.  "What's It Gonna Be" by Ratt


8.  "You Give Me All I Need" by Scorpions


9.  "Excitable" by Def Leppard


10.  "Put The Finger On You" by AC/DC

Ultimate Halloween Party Playlist v. 5.0

Halloween is next Wednesday.  Halloween parties will be happening this weekend.  Call me an old-fashioned goat-sacrificing pagan, but Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year.  

Last year, I failed to post my Ultimate Halloween Party Playlist, mainly because I spend most of my 40th October in Haiti, becoming as proficient as I could in Haitian Vodou.  The year before, however, I added 13 songs to the playlist, bringing the total number of songs to 124.  This year, I'm adding another 17 songs to the list because that was the deal I made with Papa Legba.  Why he only wanted me to add 17 songs -- no more, no less -- to my Halloween party playlist (and a bottle of spiced rum) in exchange for the ability to speak with Jim Varney from beyond the grave, I'm not sure.  But Papa Legba makes only one offer, and you must either take it or leave it.  Know what I mean, Vern?

Alas, I have added 17 more songs to the list this year, compiling the best songs for you to use either at a Halloween party to set the mood right or in the background on Halloween night, when you're dressed like John Wayne Gacy, passing out candy and balloon animals to the neighborhood kids while telling people "that smell coming from my basement is probably just, uh, sewage" and then cackling like a hyena.

Halloween is the one time of year when it's okay to embrace evil.  At any Halloween party or during trick-or-treating, you want there to be a certain level of creepiness, as well as some campiness, because Halloween is supposed to be a mixture of paganism, macabre, and fun.  As a result, the playlist below includes songs that have dark and evil themes, talk about monsters or the devil or witches or the like, mention the word "Halloween," or are just plain creepy.  My mix has a lot of heavy metal, but that's kind of expected, since metal bands are more likely to embrace darker subject matter than, say, Portugal. The Man.  That said, it's all pretty palatable, even to those ears that might not be used to wailing guitars and double bass drums.  

As always, you don't want to go too dark, like, say, Norwegian black metal, because you're going to lose your party-goers, or the neighbors are going to think you're really into church burning.  And if you are into church burning, you're probably not going to want to tip the neighbors off by blaring Gorgoroth out your front door while handing their children packages of sour octopuses (or is it octopi?), even if it should be obvious from the fact that you're wearing all black (other than the fresh goat's head covering your head), wielding a battle axe, and loudly proclaiming your allegiance to Satan in response to the call of "trick or treat."

For parties, you'll probably want to mix these songs in with your regular party mix.  After all, who doesn't want to hear "Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight" after "Feel It Still"?  For trick or treating, you're probably going to want to just go straight spooky, which probably means a heavy dose of Ghost, Pentagram, Misfits, and Black Sabbath.  Just make sure the songs you choose for trick or treating don't have any swears in them.  Parents can be real assholes about that.

With that, here are my recommendations for your Halloween playlist, in alphabetical order by artist, with comments where I felt it was necessary.  For your sake and the safety of your offspring, I suggest you add at least some of these to your Halloween party playlist, lest your soul will become the next offering to Papa Legba.

1-4.  "Highway to Hell," "Hells Bells," "Night Prowler," and "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" by AC/DC

"Highway to Hell" is an obvious choice and a crowd pleaser.  "Hells Bells" has those instantly recognizable bells -- hells bells, if you will.  "Night Prowler" is a slower, creepy song that, several years later, serial killer Richard Ramirez (aka, "the Night Stalker") claimed inspired him, or something like that.  "If You Want Blood" was added solely to appease the Countess.

5.  "Demon Eyes" by The Answer

6.  "Zombie Graveyard Party!" by Be Your Own Pet

7.  "Helter Skelter" by The Beatles
This should be played just before or after "Look At Your Game, Girl" by Charles Manson.

8.  "Howling for You" by The Black Keys

9-13.  "Black Sabbath," "War Pigs," "The Wizard," "Children of the Grave," and "Heaven and Hell" by Black Sabbath

"Black Sabbath" was inspired by a vision Geezer Butler had one night after reading a book about witchcraft that Ozzy Osbourne gave to him.  He woke up in the middle of the night, and a black figure was standing at the foot of his bed.  The figure disappeared, and when Butler went to get the book, it too was gone.  "War Pigs" is about war, death, and bodies burning.  "The Wizard" is about a wizard.  "Children of the Grave" is about zombabies, presumably.  "Heaven and Hell" is the title track from the first Sabbath album with Ronnie James Dio as the lead singer, and it is awesome.

14.  "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult

But do fear people who would actually vote for Donald Trump.

15.  "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow

16.  "Howl" by JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound

17.  "Satan Is My Motor" by Cake

18.  "Halloween Theme" by John Carpenter

Instantly recognizable as one of the more creepy horror movie themes.

19.  "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash

20.  "The Night Time is the Right Time" by Ray Charles

Baybaaaaayyyy!

21.  "Spooky" by The Classics IV

22.  "I Love The Dead" by Alice Cooper

23.  "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" by The Cramps

I wasn't.

24.  "Zombie" by The Cranberries
Sure, it's about The Troubles, but it takes on a more prescient and sinister tone now that Dolores O'Riordan died.  Or should I say, undied?

25.  "Am I Demon" by Danzig

No, no I'm not.

26.  "One Way Ticket" by The Darkness
You see, it's a one way ticket to hell.  And back.

27.  "Demon's Eye" by Deep Purple

28.  "Am I Evil?" by Diamond Head

"Yes I am."

29.  "A Nightmare on My Street" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

This is a classic late '80s rap song, playing off of the popularity of Freddy Krueger, who, for many of us growing up in the '80s, was the most terrifying of all the horror movie villains.  I should also note that I did, in fact, perform this with a friend for our elementary school talent show in fifth grade.  I was Freddy.  It was pretty awesome.

30.  "Dream Warriors" by Dokken

Speaking of Freddy, this was the title track to Nightmare on Elm Street 3:  Dream Warriors.

31.  "Season of the Witch" by Donovan

32-33.  "The End" and "People Are Strange" by The Doors

"The End" is one of the creepier Doors songs, which says a lot.

34.  "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran

35.  "Murder On the Dancefloor" by Sophie Ellis-Bextor

In case you're spiking your Milky Ways with molly.

36.  "Zombie Eaters" by Faith No More

37.  "Trick or Treat" by Fastway

'80s metal band Fastway played the soundtrack to the 1986 the metal-themed horror film Trick or Treat.  This is the title song.

38.  "Kiss Me Deadly" by Lita Ford

39.  "Close My Eyes Forever" by Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne

40.  "Evil and a Heathen" by Franz Ferdinand

41.  "Halloween Blues" by The Fratellis

42-49.  "Monstrance Clock," "Year Zero," "Stand by Him," "If You Have Ghosts," "Ghuleh/Zombie Queen," "Cirice," "Nocturnal Me," and "Rats" by Ghost

"Monstrance Clock" is about conceiving "Lucifer's son," and "Year Zero" is about Satan in general and has a nice gothic feel to it.  "Stand by Him" is about "the night of the witch," which is, in fact, tonight.  "If You Have Ghosts" is a Roky Erickson cover about having ghosts.  "Ghuleh/Zombie Queen" is about Ghuleh and a zombie queen.  "Cirice" is a sold song about souls merging.  "Nocturnal Me" is about you, assuming you're nocturnal.  "Rats" is off their new album, and it's mostly about rats.  To be honest, I would suggest just including all songs from Ghost's four albums and two EPs -- Opus Eponymous, Infestissumam, If You Have Ghost, Meloria, Popestar, and Prequelle -- especially if you're looking for trick-or-treating background music.  They are demonic in a polite Swedish way.

50.  "Friend of the Devil" by Grateful Dead

51.  "Maneater" by Hall & Oates

52.  "Hallow's Eve" by Hallows Eve

53-54.  "Halloween" and "Mr. Torture" by Helloween

German power metal band Helloween obviously has the right name for a Halloween mix, and their song "Halloween" is included for obvious reasons.  I also chose to go with "Mr. Torture" because I like the song.  So there.

55.  "Friendly Ghost" by Harlem

This one's a little more light-hearted, to offset the vast majority of this list.

56.  "I Put a Spell On You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins

I prefer the original to CCR's cover (which is still very good) because Hawkins adds a level of voodoo campiness that CCR just couldn't have matched.

57.  "Magic Man" by Heart

58.  "I Ain't Superstitious" by Howlin' Wolf

59.  "Devil Inside" by INXS

60-62.  "Killers," "Murders in the Rue Morgue," and "Number of the Beast" by Iron Maiden

It was tough figuring out just one Iron Maiden song to include, so I went with three.  The first two are from 1981's Killers album:  "Killers," which is essentially about someone being stalked and murdered, and "Murders in the Rue Morgue," which is not only my favorite Iron Maiden song, but is also based on short story by Edgar Allen Poe of the same name.  The third, "Number of the Beast," is a metal classic off of the 1982 album of the same name.  Because of this song, my children know that 666 is the number of the beast.

63.  "Thriller" by Michael Jackson

This is a no-brainer and should be played at every Halloween party for eternity.

64.  "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane

This is especially good if your partygoers are all on LSD.

65.  "Devil's Child" by Judas Priest

66.  "Hotter Than Hell" by KISS

67.  "Pretend We're Dead" by L7

68.  "Vampire" by Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears

69.  "Heeby-Jeebies" by Little Richard

70.  "Look at Your Game, Girl" by Charles Manson

Recorded when Manson was still trying to break into the LA music scene and before he started ordering his minions to murder movie stars and grocery store owners, this song comes across as an innocent folky acoustic song.  Then you realize it's sung by Charles Manson, and it becomes super creepy.

71.  "Evil Love" by Meat Puppets

72-73.  "Fade to Black" and "Creeping Death" by Metallica

74-77.  "Halloween," "Death Comes Ripping," "Mommy, Can I Go Out & Kill Tonight," and "Bloodfeast" by The Misfits

78.  "Shout at the Devil" by Mötley Crüe

79-80.  "Dead Men Tell No Tales" and "I'm Your Witch Doctor" by Motörhead

81.  "Frankenstein" by New York Dolls

82.  "Spiderwebs" by No Doubt

83.  "Running Scared" by Roy Orbison

84.  "O Fortuna" by Carl Orff

85-86.  "Bark at the Moon" and "Zombie Stomp" by Ozzy Osbourne

87.  "Dracula's Wedding" by Outkast

88.  "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker, Jr.

89.  "Satan's Bed" by Pearl Jam

90.  "Sign of the Wolf (Pentagram)" by Pentagram

Doom metal pioneers Pentagram have a good number of hard-rocking creepy songs, but this one is probably the most relevant to Halloween.

91.  "Zombie Zoo" by Tom Petty

92.  "The Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt Kickers

This is a classic Halloween song that should be played at least once at every Halloween party.

93-94.  "Fallen Angel" and "Flesh and Blood (Sacrifice)" by Poison

95.  "Halloween" by Matt Pond PA

96.  "(You're The) Devil in Disguise" by Elvis Presley

97.  "Going to Hell" by The Pretty Reckless

98.  "Gates of Babylon" by Rainbow

The song is about sleeping with the devil.  And then paying for sleeping with the devil.  Probably because the devil gave you the clap.

99.  "The Time Warp" by The Rocky Horror Picture Show cast

100.  "Diablo Rojo" by Rodrigo y Gabriela

101-103.  "Sympathy for the Devil," "Dead Flowers," and "Paint It, Black" by The Rolling Stones

104-106.  "Soul Sacrifice," "Black Magic Woman" and "Evil Ways" by Santana

107.  "Li'l Red Riding Hood" by Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs

108.  "Witchcraft" by Frank Sinatra

109.  "Angel of Death" by Slayer

While I would generally recommend steering clear of Slayer at parties, there is no more appropriate time to let it loose than Halloween.  And you can always use it as a way to clear people out.

110.  "Bullet With Butterfly Wing" by Smashing Pumpkins

It just wouldn't seem right to have a Halloween playlist without a Smashing Pumpkins song on it.  I went with this one, not only because it starts by exclaiming -– wrongly, mind you -– that "the world is a vampire," but also because it's an awesome song.

111.  "Serial Killa" by Snoop Doggy Dogg

112-113.  "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" and "The Witch" by The Sonics
Halloween has room for garage rock, too.

114.  "Fell On Black Days" by Soundgarden

115.  "Wicked Garden" by Stone Temple Pilots

116.  "To Hell With the Devil" by Stryper

In case you are concerned that your playlist might be a little too devil-heavy, you can balance it out with this '80s Christian hair band classic.

117.  "Santeria" by Sublime

118.  "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads

"You're crazy!"  

"That's what they said about Son of Sam."

119.  "Devil's Daughter" by Tax the Heat

120.  "Here Comes the Night" by Them

121.  "Killer On the Loose" by Thin Lizzy

122-123.  "Demon On Demand" and "Sinister Minister" by Township

124-125.  "Running With the Devil" and "D.O.A." by Van Halen

126.  "The Black Angel's Death Song" by The Velvet Underground

I have never done acid, but I assume this song is what a bad acid trip would have sounded like in Victorian England.

127.  "Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)" by W.A.S.P.

128.  "Burning the Witches" by Warlock

129.  "Got My Mojo Working" by Muddy Waters

130.  "If My Mind is Evil" by White Lion

131-134.  "Death Letter," "Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground," "Little Ghost," and "Walking With a Ghost" by The White Stripes

135.  "Boris The Spider" by The Who

136.  "Frankenstein" by The Edgar Winter Group

137.  "Friends of Hell" by Witchfinder General

138.  "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder

139.  "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon

"I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic's / And his hair was perfect."  Great line.

140-141.  "Dragula" and "Living Dead Girl" by Rob Zombie

Rocktober '60s Song #19: "Boris The Spider" by The Who (1966)

As we trek closer towards Halloween, we continue our Rocktober celebration of the '60s and, now, spooky songs.  You may or may not have noticed that I haven't featured a song by The Who yet.  This was intentional, as I was saving The Who for Halloween week, and specifically their song "Boris The Spider."

Included on the group's 1966 album A Quick One, "Boris The Spider" was written and sung by bassist John Entwistle.  The story behind the song is that he and Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman were hanging out and drinking one night -- presumably at some meeting of mod bassists -- and they were coming up with funny names for animals.  Boris is a funny name for a spider, certainly outside of Russia, so Entwistle wrote the song in six minutes, or approximately three and a half minutes longer than the song itself.

In addition to being a fun and campy horror song, the chorus is considered one of the first instances of the so-called "death growl" in popular music.  That vocal technique would, of course, gain wider use in death metal and several related genres, like deathcore and grindcore.  The bassline in the song is also very metal-esque.

"Boris The Spider" is a song that should be included in any Halloween party mix, in my opinion.  My kids like this song enough that, when we had a huge spider who had made a web on our front porch a few weeks ago, they named it Boris.

Rocktober '60s Song #18: "The Witch" by The Sonics (1964)

It's one week until All Hallows Eve, which means its that time in Rocktober where we focus on songs that have dark, scary, or macabre themes.  Kicking it off this year will be "The Witch" by The Sonics.  If you haven't heard of The Sonics, that's a shame.  One of the first rock bands to come out of the Pacific Northwest (Tacoma, to be exact), they were one of the preeminent garage rock bands of the '60s, and they influenced countless rocker since then, especially in the punk, garage, and grunge genres.  They were basically the first punk band.

Lead singer Gerry Roslie's howling vocals and the band's quick tempos and aggressive playing gave the group a sound that was unusual for the time.  "The Witch" was the band's first single, released in November 1964, and it became the biggest-selling local single in Pacific Northwest history.  Their first two albums -- 1965's Here are the Sonics and 1966's Boom -- are considered classics in the garage rock genre.  Unfortunately, in the late '60s, the band's label folded, the group disbanded.  They (kind of) reformed in 1980 to record another album, which was just updated versions of the band's previous songs, and then in 2015, they put out a new album called This Is The Sonics, which I have and recommend.

Anyway, "The Witch" is an iconic garage rock/proto-punk tune, possibly about a witch.  Enjoy.

Tuesday Top Ten: '60s Psychedelic Album Covers

Thanks to the emergence of the counterculture, grass, lysergic acide diethylamide, pop art, and groovy music, psychedelia was in full effect by the mid '60s.  The result was not only some fantastic music, but also some very cool album covers featuring all the colors of the rainbow, swirls, twirls, and straight-up weird imagery.  

Here are what I consider the ten coolest psychedelic album covers from the '60s, in alphabetical order by artist, with a bonus of my favorite song off of each album (some of which I've already posted about, so just deal with it):

1.  The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators by The 13th Floor Elevators (1966)

Favorite song:  "You're Gonna Miss Me"


2.  Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967)

Favorite song:  "A Day in the Life"


3.  Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band (1968)

Favorite song:  "She's Too Much For My Mirror"


4.  Disraeli Gears by Cream (1967)

Favorite song:  "SWLABR"


5.  Aoxomoxoa by The Grateful Dead (1968)

Favorite song:  "St. Stephen"


6.  Axis: Bold As Love by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)

Favorite song:  "One Rainy Wish"


7.  Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) by The Kinks (1969)

Favorite song:  "Victoria"


8.  Forever Changes by Love (1967)

Favorite song:  "Alone Again Or"


9.  The Piper at the Gates of Dawn by Pink Floyd (1967)

Favorite song:  "See Emily Play"


10.  Odessey and Oracle by The Zombies (1968)

Favorite song:  "Time of the Season"

Rocktober '60s Song #17: "Take It As It Comes" by The Doors (1967)

The Doors are arguably the greatest American rock band of all-time.  They brought a dark, mystical, and introspective side to rock and roll that hadn't really been explored before they arrived.  Jim Morrison makes a good case for being the first true rock star, as we now think of rock stars -- a larger-than-life genius, tormented by drugs and booze, who would do outlandish things on and off the stage.  And he could sing like a mad man.  The other guys in the band weren't too shabby either.  Ray Manzarak on the keyboards brought a Chicago blues-loving background, while drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robbie Krieger both had varied musical influences.  Together, the four of them weren't afraid to experiment and push musical boundaries.

Choosing a Doors song for Rocktober was difficult.  They released six albums between 1967 and Morrison's ascension to the 27 Club in 1971, and then a couple more without Morrison after that.  Four albums were released in the '60s, so that at least cuts down the pool a little for me.  The problem is that I could pick just about any song off of their debut album, most of the songs off of Strange Days or Waiting for the Sun, and, well, maybe a handful of songs off of Soft Parade.

Since their self-title debut album is the first Doors album I ever owned and has remained my favorite Doors album to this day, I'll go with something off of that.  While the big hits -- "Light My Fire" and "Break On Through (To The Other Side)" -- are great songs, it's the other songs on the album that do it for me.  I've already featured "Soul Kitchen" in a Rocktober past, so that's out.  And even though we are nearly the start of Halloween week (look for spooky tunes starting tomorrow!), I won't torment you with the dark, nearly 12-minute, Oedipal drama, "The End."  No need to take you to places you don't need to go on a Tuesday afternoon.

I could throw a dart to choose from the remaining songs, but I don't have a dart (thanks, Obama), so I'll just choose "Take It As It Comes," the tenth track off the album and an underrated gem.  It's also a nice anthem for people who need to chill the fuck out.

Rocktober '60s Song #16: "Shake" (live) by Otis Redding (1967)

You may or may not know this about me, but behind hair band music, my favorite genre of music is '60s Memphis soul.  Among the many tragic losses of musicians in the '60s or early '70s, one you don't hear about perhaps as much as you should is Otis Redding.  Maybe it was because he died in a plane crash, and not because of drugs or booze (like Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Brian Jones), or maybe it was because he was only 26 when he died, so he didn't make it into the infamous 27 Club (like the other four I just mentioned).  Whatever the reason, Otis Redding should be celebrated more.

One of the best soul singers there ever was (in my opinion, anyway), Redding had made a name for himself in the early to mid '60s, recording on the legendary Stax record label in Memphis.  He was extremely popular with African-Americans, but it took him a while to cross over to mainstream popularity.  By the time he had his first Top 40 song on the Billboard Hot 100 ("I've Been Loving You Too Long" in 1965), he already had 8 Top 40 songs on the Billboard R&B charts, including two Top 10s.

As his mainstream success grew, he became one of the first non-rock artists to play the Whisky A Go Go in L.A. and then toured Europe in 1966.  Of course, Redding's most famous and most popular song (not including Aretha Franklin's cover of Redding's "Respect") was "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," which was released after his death and became the first ever posthumous #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.  It wasn't even finished -- the now-iconic whistling was meant to be a place filler for some lyrics.

But this is Rocktober, so a different song seems appropriate.  Less than six months before he died, he headlined Saturday night at the Monterey Pop Festival -- now recognized as one of the greatest music festivals of all-time.  It was a coming out party for acts like The Who, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin -- and Redding, who played to a mass audience (largely white) for the first time.  He didn't squander the opportunity.  

Backed by Booker T. & The MGs and the Mar-Keys, he came out strong, covering Sam Cooke's "Shake," just blowing the doors off the place -- if there had been doors.  I'm including both an audio-only version of the song, as well as video (which starts after the song starts, or else I would have just included the video -- and you get a bonus of his performance of "I've Been Loving You Too Long").  Redding's set was both blistering and soulful, grabbing the audience and whipping them into a frenzy.  He was an amazing performer, and sadly, he didn't get to enjoy the fruits of his crossover success.  But at least we can enjoy performances like this.

Rocktober '60s Song #15: "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley (1969)

Unfortunately, I'm short on time today, so I don't have much time to write a detailed Rocktober post.  So, I'm going to give you The King's last #1 hit and a karaoke staple, "Suspicious Minds."  After his '68 Comeback Special, "Suspicious Minds" helped revitalize Elvis's career into the early '70s, before he died in August 1977 and was reincarnated about two and a half months later into the person whose prose you are reading right now.  Prove that I'm wrong.

Hair Band Friday - 10/19/18

1.  "Thunderbird" by Quiet Riot


2.  "Best Of Both Worlds" by Van Halen


3.  "Bad To Be Good" by Poison


4.  "Ride Cowboy Ride" by Bon Jovi


5.  "Wasted Time" by Skid Row


6.  "Horny S.O.B." by Danger Danger


7.  "My Michelle" (1986 Sound City Session) by Guns N' Roses


8.  "So Many Tears" by Dokken


9.  "Bottom Line" by Ratt


10.  "Play Rough" by Trixter

Rocktober '60s Song #14: "One Rainy Wish" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)

As you know, Tuesday was the 50th anniversary of the release of The Jimi Hendrix Experience's third and final studio album, Electric Ladyland.  Today, I bought tickets to see Experience Hendrix next March at the Chicago Theatre.  (If you enjoy Hendrix's music and want to hear it be played by some of the world's best guitarists, backed by other amazing musicians, I highly recommend you check it out if the tour is coming to a city near you.)

The cosmos seems to be suggesting that perhaps it's time for a Hendrix tune in this Rocktober tribute to '60s rock.  Amazingly, since I started doing my daily month-long celebration of music during October (way back in 2009), I have never featured a Jimi Hendrix song, album, or live performance.  This was almost as horrifying a discovery as when I found out Joe West was umping the Astros/Red Sox series -- and yes, you better believe I'm bitter about that should-have-been-a-home-run-but-was-called-an-out moment in last night's game.  Fuck Joe West.

But anyway, while I could spend a month (or several) posting daily instances in which Joe West made horrible calls, it's Rocktober, and not AugWest or SeptJoeWestemeber.  

The Jimi Hendrix catalog is a bountiful one that seems to get bigger by the year, as more and more unreleased tracks and sessions are unearthed and placed on media capable of consumer consumption.  That said, choosing a song for this wasn't too difficult because I'm just going to go with my favorite song, off of my favorite Jimi Hendrix Experience album, the band's 1967 sophomore effort, Axis: Bold As Love.

Recorded on my negative tenth birthday (which I just found out this morning), "One Rainy Wish" features my favorite Hendrix moment, which occurs at the end of the first verse, when the guitar kind of hangs on to a note and that then the chorus starts. I get chills every time I hear it and often when I'm just thinking about it. Seriously.  I like that moment and this song so much that I railroaded my now-wife into including the chorus lyrics on our wedding program ("I have never laid eyes on you / Not like before this timeless day / But you walked in and once smiled my name / And you stole my heart away").

Rocktober '60s Song #13: "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James & The Shondells (1968)

In the mid to late '60s, Tommy James & The Shondells put together a pretty impressive string of hits that have now become oldies station staples -- "Hanky Panky," "I Think We're Alone Now," "Crimson and Clover," "Mony Mony," and "Crystal Blue Persuasion," to name a few.  Between 1966 and 1969, the band had 14 Top 40 hits in the U.S., including 7 Top 10s and two Number Ones ("Hanky Panky" in 1966 and "Crimson and Clover" in early 1969).  

After not wanting to be pegged as a "bubblegum" artists, James decided to take the band in a new direction in 1968, writing "Crimson and Clover" -- a decidedly psychedelic and heavier song than the band's previous work. A rough mix of the song was played on WLS radio here in Chicago, which recorded the song and then kept on playing it, much to the Chagrin of James and the record label.  However, it was so well received that the rough mix ended up being made into the official single, and the rest is history.  It went on to sell over 5 million copies and hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and #1 in several other countries and Top 5 in several more).

It's my favorite song by the band, and I have always particularly enjoyed the trippy, tremoloed vocals that start about a minute before the song ends.  This is one of several Tommy James & The Shondells songs that was later covered with great success.  Joan Jett & The Blackhearts covered the song in 1982 and got up to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their version.

One of my favorite rock and roll trivia nuggets is this:  I believe that Tommy James & The Shondells is the only rock and roll act who had cover versions of their songs go #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 back-to-back.  In November 1987, Tiffany's cover of "I Think We're Alone Now" held the top spot on the charts for two weeks before it was taken over by Billy Idol's cover of "Mony Mony."  Feel free to use that tidbit at your next cocktail party.

Tuesday Top Ten: Things You Didn't Know About Electric Ladyland

Fifty years ago today, the Jimi Hendrix Experience released its third and final studio album, Electric Ladyland.  Other than Are You Experienced? and Axis: Bold As Love, it's my favorite album by the band.  It's a happy coincidence that the 50th anniversary of the album falls during a Rocktober in which I am celebrating the '60s.  It's another happy coincidence that it's a Tuesday, I hadn't written a Tuesday Top Ten, and I came across a Rolling Stone article entitled "Jimi Hendrix's 'Electric Ladyland': 10 Things You Didn't Know."  While I generally find article titles like that to be offensive -- I mean, what the fuck do you know about what I know about Electric Ladyland? -- it's an interesting article, especially for any Hendrix fans.  

Side note:  I named our half bath on our first floor Electric Ladyland.  That way, whenever someone new to the house says he or she has to take a shit or a piss or something, I sing, in an underwhelming falsetto, "Have you ever been? (Have you ever been) / To Electric Ladyland?" as I hold my hand up, palm open, gesturing in the direction of the bathroom, all the while staring them in the eyes suggestively.  Most people are squares, so they don't get it, to which I respond, in falsetto, "I wanna show you," and then I just walk them to Electric Ladyland.  "Plunger's on the left, air freshener's on the right," I say.  As they close the door -- and they always close the door -- I sing "Make love make love make love make love."  Everyone should have a positive bathroom experience.  Get it, "experience"?

Rocktober '60s Song #12: "Boss With the Hot Sauce" by Davis & Jones and The Fenders (1964)

Today is Boss's Day -- which is maybe the most ridiculous of all the Hallmark holidays.  As one of my co-workers recounted, when we were discussing this, she noted that when the Black Women's Expo started back in the early '90s, a white co-worker of her asked, "When is the white women's expo?"  She replied, "Every expo is the white women's expo."  That's how I feel about Boss's Day.  Every day is Boss's Day.  There is absolutely no need to have a Boss's Day.  Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not going to enjoy the Boss's Day potluck lunch my company puts on every year.

But anywho, in honor of this bullshit "holiday," today's song is a hidden gem called "Boss With the Hot Sauce" by Davis & Jones and The Fenders.  My only familiarity with the song is a result of hearing The Detroit Cobras' gender-reworked cover, "Boss Lady," off of their 2001 sophomore album, Life, Love, and Leaving.  The band plays mostly covers of obscure songs from the '50s and '60s, and "Boss With the Hot Sauce" is one of them.

All I know about the original is who sang it and that it was released in 1964.  It's a soulful song, in the vein of The Contours' "Do You Love Me," with wailing vocals and a tempo that makes you want to shake your hips.  I can neither confirm nor deny that it is about Walter S. McIlhenny, who served as president of the McIlhenny Company -- makers of Tabasco Sauce -- from 1949 to 1985.  Even if it's not, it probably should be.  I also need to start referring to myself as "the lamp-lighter to the promised land" more often than I already do.

Rocktober '60s Song #11: "It's My Life" by The Animals (1965)

Like many of the British Invasion bands, The Animals owed much of their influence to American blues, soul, and R&B.  Working class blokes (yeah, I just used "blokes") from Newcastle Upon Tyne, The Animals were fronted by Eric Burdon -- who later described himself in song as an "overfed long-haired leaping gnome" -- whose bluesy and gritty voice set the tone for much of the band's work.  Their cover of folk song "House of the Rising Sun" in 1964 propelled them to fame, both in England and the U.S. (the song reached #1 in both countries), and a string of hits in the following years cemented their legacy.  

Overall, they had 16 Top 40 hits on the UK pop charts, including 8 Top 10s.  In the U.S., they had 14 songs reach the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, three of which went Top 10.  While "House of the Rising Sun" is fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoy most of their other big hits, like "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" (which ended up unintentionally being an anthem for U.S. troops during the Vietnam War), as well as their blues and R&B covers ("Boom Boom," "Story of Bo Diddley," "Bring It On Home to Me," etc.), I wanted to go with a lesser-known original song.

"It's My Life" was a hit (#7 in the UK and #23 on the Billboard Hot 100), but I don't know that I've ever heard it on oldies or classic rock radio.  It was written by Brill Building songwriters Roger Atkins and Carl D'Errico specifically for the band.  The bass line of Chas Chandler (who would later discover Jimi Hendrix and propel him to fame) starts the song out, followed by a 12-string electric guitar that sounds very Byrds-esque, which I supposed could describe just about any 12-string electric guitar.  From there, Burdon broods to a bird (that's what the English called women back then) about how he's downtrodden now, but he'll one day bust out of his slump, without or without you, girl.  And he's gonna do it his way. Enjoy the song, and don't forget about The Animals. 

Rocktober '60s Song #10: "Do You Love Me" by The Contours (1962)

Before Motown was Motown -- with the Supremes, Temptations, Four Tops, Miracles, and the like ruling the airwaves and crossing over in the mid to late '60s -- it was still a pretty damn good record label that produced some rock and R&B classics in the first couple years of the decade, including Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)," The Miracles' "Shop Around," and The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman.  

Another one of those early Motown hits came via The Contours.  In 1962, they scored a hit with the now-classic "Do You Love Me," penned by Berry Gordy himself.  "Do You Love Me" is a mix of rock, R&B, soul, and pop, with Billy Gordon's throat-scratching plea to his ex-girlfriend, who apparently broke up with him because he couldn't dance.  Hold on a minute, toots, because now he can do the Mashed Potato and the Twist, so do you love him now?  The answer should be "Yes!  Yes!  A thousand times over, yes!"

The song hit #1 on the Billboard R&B charts, as well as #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the single sold over a million copies.  Of course, many Gen X females discovered or rediscovered the song because it was featured in Dirty Dancing, and then on the More Dirty Dancing soundtrack.  As a result, it actually recharted in 1988, reaching #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Not too shabby!

Anyway, enjoy this 2 minutes and 54 seconds of garage soul, and let it be a lesson:  chicks dig a guy who can dance.  Personally, I can dance, but I choose not to do so, for the same reason that TV stations would only broadcast Elvis from the waist up -- it's just too fucking sexy. 

Hair Band Friday - 10/12/18

1.  "Kid Ego" by Extreme


2.  "Shake Me" by Cinderella


3.  "Red, White & Blue" by Judas Priest


4.  "Animal" by Def Leppard


5.  "Little Dolls" by Ozzy Osbourne


6.  "For a Million Years" by Lynch Mob


7.  "Bones In the Gutter" by Dangerous Toys


8.  "Hellion" (live) by W.A.S.P.


9.  "Alone Again" by Dokken


10. "Send Me An Angel" by Scorpions

Rocktober '60s Song #9: "SWLABR" by Cream (1967)

The first power trio and supergroup is probably the best in either category.  Eric Clapton.  Ginger Baker.  Jack Bruce.  Together, they are the Cream.  

Formed in 1966, they chose their band name because that's what they were:  the cream of the crop.  Clapton was the best guitarist in the world that anyone knew about (Hendrix wouldn't appear for another year).  Ginger Baker was the best drummer in the world, and it wasn't close.  (By the way, if you get the chance, check out the documentary Beware of Mr. Baker.  It's amazing.  The guy is nuts.)  Bruce was a great bassist who could sing and write, and he and Baker had been the rhythm section in the Graham Bond Organisation.  On a completely unrelated note, while typing the last sentence, I realized the perfect name for a transgender female named Graham whose kids have kids:  Grahama.

A little more than two years after they formed, they had broken up, but in that span, they recorded four albums, all of which were classics and loaded with a blistering combination of blues, psychedelic rock, proto-metal, and hard rock.  So many great songs.  "White Room" is a classic rock radio stalwart.  "Sunshine of Your Love" is one of the first songs I learned how to play on the bass.  "Crossroads" introduced a generation (and the generation after them) to Robert Johnson, even if Cream's version sounded nothing like the original.  "I Feel Free" might be my favorite Cream song.  Their cover of Albet King's "Born Under a Bad Sign" was fantastic.  I could go on, but I won't, since I could say something nice about pretty much every Cream song, even "Pressed Rat and Warthog."

The song I'm going with is "SWLABR," off of the band's 1967 sophomore effort Disraeli Gears -- which has one of the best psychedelic album covers.  It was the B-side to "Sunshine of Your Love."  I think it's an underrated song, with nonsensical lyrics, but a great groove and, of course, great guitar work.  Apparently, it stands for "She Walks Like a Bearded Rainbow," which is why the final lyric make a little more sense.

Rocktober '60s Song #8: "Gimme Some Lovin'" by The Spencer Davis Group (1966)

British blues rockers The Spencer Davis Group formed in 1963 in Birmingham, England when guitarist Spencer Davis, brothers Steve (vocals and keys) and Muff Winwood (bass), and drummer Pete York got together and started playing some blues-based rock and roll.

Perhaps their most famous song -- in the States, anyway -- is 1966's "Gimme Some Lovin'."  It hit #2 in the UK and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100.  With its fuzzy organ, "hey" shouts, and upbeat tempo complemented by some cowbell, the song has become a classic.  Rolling Stone ranked it as the #247 song of all-time on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

Whenever I hear the song, I always find it amazing that Steve Winwood was barely 18 when the song was recorded.  He sounds like Jackie Wilson or Ray Charles.  Of course, in 1967, Steve Winwood would leave the band to form Traffic, before uniting with Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech for the sublime one-off band Blind Faith, and then eventually pursuing a decades-long successful solo career.

But here's a song from the group that started it all for him.

Tuesday Top Ten: Songs Sung By John Lennon on Each Beatles Studio Album

Today is October 9.  In addition to being a good friend's 40th birthday, another friend's 41st birthday, and Mike Singletary's 60th birthday, it would have been John Lennon's 78th birthday.  Thanks, guns!

I was listening to the Sirius XM Beatles channel on Sunday, as I had slept late enough that I missed XRT's weekly Breakfast With The Beatles, which I generally listen to on Sunday mornings.  Anywho, in honor of John's birthday, the Sirius XM Beatles channel expanded its weekly "8 Songs a Week" listener poll to a countdown of the top 16 Beatles songs sung by John, as voted on by listeners.  I only heard part of the list, but it was a good one.  Unfortunately, I can't find it anywhere online, so you'll have to take my word for it.

But that list got me thinking about this week's Tuesday Top Ten, given that it's not only Lennon's birthday, but also that we are in the midst of a '60s-themed Rocktober.  I am a huge Beatles fan, and my love extends to all of their musical periods.  So, I am going to give you my favorite John-sung song from each of the Beatles' thirteen studio albums.  And just so we're all clear, I am referring to the official UK album releases, not the US releases, which were different up until Revolver.  It's also tough because, on many songs, both John and Paul shared lead vocal duties.  I'm going to try my best to pick songs where John handled lead vocals.

1.  "Anna (Go With Him)" (Please Please Me, 1963)
The Please Please Me album was a great combination of R&B covers and Beatles originals.  While Lennon's original compositions hadn't yet matched those that were mainly written by Paul (in my opinion anyway), Lennon kills it on his covers:  "Anna (Go to Him)," "Baby It's You," and, of course, "Twist and Shout."  For me, it's a toss up between "Anna" and "Twist and Shout," but since I'm assuming you've all heard The Beatles' version of "Twist and Shout" many times, I'm going with "Anna," an Arthur Alexander cover.


2.  "All I've Got to Do" (With the Beatles, 1963)
With the Beatles was released the day President Kennedy was assassinated.  How's that for a monumental day in history and culture?  Another album with a mix of original compositions and covers, John's songwriting began to develop on With The Beatles.  Out of the songs sung and/or principally written by John on the album, I like "All I've Got to Do" the best.  He was trying to imitate Smokey Robinson, and I think he did an admirable job.  Like so many of Robinson's songs, there's a bit of desperation in Lennon's lyrics.


3.  "Any Time at All" (A Hard Day's Night, 1964)
The Beatles released their first movie in 1964, A Hard Day's Night, and what's a movie without a soundtrack?  They had begun conquering the world by this point.  This album was John-heavy, so it's tough to choose my favorite.  I'm going with "Any Time At All," with "If I Fell" coming in a close second.


4.  "I'm a Loser" (Beatles For Sale, 1964)
This was the last of the Beatles' "half cover" albums, as six of the thirteen songs on the album are covers.  The originals were a harbinger of things to come, as John and Paul's songwriting was improving and evolving at a rate unseen before or since.  "I'm a Loser" stands out to me as the most important pre-Help! John song.  It's another Smokey Robinson-esque lyrical nod, with an introspective John declaring himself a loser because he lost his girlfriend and he's not who he appears to be.


5.  "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" (Help!, 1965)
Another year, another movie for The Beatles.  It was the last of what I would deem the "innocent" Beatles albums, as shit began to get real after this.  John's contributions to Help! were great -- the title track, "You're Going to Lose That Girl," "Ticket to Ride," It's Only Love," and the song I'm choosing, "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away."  What a song.  It was a game changer, which, with the Beatles, is redundant.


6.  "In My Life" (Rubber Soul, 1965)
"In My Life" is potentially my second-favorite Beatles song.  It's happy and sad at the same time.  You can play it at a wedding or at a funeral, and it would be equally as poignant.


7.  "And Your Bird Can Sing" (Revolver, 1966)
Revolver was when George started to come into his own as a songwriter and grab some more of the album tracks, but John had some great contributions to Revolver as well.  While "She Said She Said" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" are fantastic, my favorite on this album is "And Your Bird Can Sing," a short and energetic song.  It's also my favorite song off of the Anthology series because John and Paul cannot get through the song without laughing hysterically, presumably as a result of copious amounts of grass.  That's what they called it back then.



8.  "A Day in the Life" (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)
While this was a song that combined both a John song and a Paul song, it's mostly John singing the verses, so I'm going with it.  "A Day in the Life" is a psychedelic masterpiece.


9.  "Strawberry Fields Forever" (Magical Mystery Tour, 1967)
Magical Mystery Tour is kind of a strange album that was meant to be a soundtrack, but kind of morphed into an album.  Anyway, I'm counting it, and I'm putting the classic "Strawberry Fields Forever" as my choice for this list, narrowly edging out "Baby You're a Rich Man."


10.  "Happiness is a Warm Gun" (The Beatles (aka, The White Album), 1968)
"Happiness is a Warm Gun" is my favorite Beatles song.  That's all I'm going to say about it.


11.  "Hey Bulldog" (Yellow Submarine, 1969)
Since the Yellow Submarine album is half Beatles songs and half orchestral songs from the movie, the choices are limited.  That said, "Hey Bulldog" is a great song.


12.  "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" (Abbey Road, 1969)
Everyone loves "Come Together," but I've never been a huge fan of the song.  It's not bad, but I just don't love it as much as I love other songs on Abbey Road.  "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is a dark, gritty, heavy song that ends the first side of Abbey Road, eventually ending abruptly as the tape cut off during an amalgam of whirring white noise and doom-metal-eqsue guitars and drums.


13.  "Dig A Pony" (Let It Be, 1970)
While Let It Be was released in 1970, it was recorded in 1969 and was actually recorded before the band recorded Abbey Road, so I can still say it was made in the '60s.  "I've Got a Feeling" is my favorite song on the album, but it's really more of a Paul song.  Of the purely John songs, it was a close race between "Across the Universe" and "Dig A Pony," but I went with the latter.


14.  "This Boy" (non-album single, 1963)
I would be remiss if I didn't include a non-album single on the list, so I'm going with "This Boy" because it's one of my favorite John-sung songs.  It was the B-side to "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in the UK, and it was included on the Meet the Beatles! album in the U.S.  An ode to doo wop and Motown, John's double-tracked voice is magnificent on this one.