Harmony in My Head

Broadcast Notes  12-27-04

Well treasured listeners, my fellow sonic pioneers, it’s time to say farewell to Indie 103.1 and this great Monday night ritual. I can’t say it was anything less than a blast and an honor. Thank you for your great and enthusiastic letters. So many of them expressing happiness at being turned onto music they had not heard before and are now fans of.
I am on the road here and there in January and part of February and will be in and out of town a lot next year as usual and I don’t think I can really do the show justice when I am bouncing all over the globe as I do. I have some pretty insane destinations planned for next year and they will hopefully make for some good writing and travel in months to come.
The folks at Indie gave me all the leach I wanted and were nothing less than totally cool with me and I appreciate it. I have always wanted to do that, hang out on a station and play cool music on a regular basis. I could see how it could be your life. It certainly was mine for twenty-some Monday nights.
I must say, I am already missing it but the road beckons. Thanks for listening, writing in, being open-minded and checking out some music that you might not run into on radio these days all that often. Mission accomplished. Henry

Trouble Funk – Let’s Get Small: Another great 12” from the legendary DC Go-Go band. This is taken from the Droppin’ Bombs 2CD set.

Nik Turner – Thoth: Off the Sphinx CD on Cleopatra. Original Hawkwind member, Turner still tours and makes records. This is my favorite track on this record. I only have two Turner CDs, he’s got a lot out. This track has Helios Creed plays guitar on this track. I haven’t seen that guy for years. You should check that guy out!

http://www.helios-creed.com/

Rob Tyner – Renegade: From the Blood Brothers album. As you know Tyner was the singer of the MC5. I have only seen this record once, I don’t know if it’s still in print. It’s great to hear his voice, what power. He passed away in 1991, I remember that. What a drag. Here’s some info: http://www.furious.com/perfect/MC5/robtyner4.html

Thin Lizzy – We Will Be Strong: From the Chinatown album. You don’t hear songs from this record getting much play, sometimes you hear the title track but for me, this is the best track on the album although the whole record rocks and you really should give Thin Lizzy a chance if you have not already. Check Jailbreak to start and then check out Fighting, Black Rose and Bad Reputation. It’s all good but those are especially rippin’. It’s sad to listen to the records for me sometimes because of how Phil went out.

Blast Off Country Style – Social Firefly: From the C’mon and Blast Off album on the great Teenbeat label. I don’t know much about this band, I just got some of their records because they were on Teenbeat. Pretty cool songs. Here’s some info: http://www.teenbeatrecords.com/artists/bocs.htm

Lightnin Hopkins – Baby!: This is from the Prison Blues CD. I have this song on LP but I have 31 Lightnin’ LPs and don’t know where to look to find more info on who’s singing with him. I think it’s his pal Long Gone. I am not sure but this is a great track.

The Harptones – You Know You’re Doing Me Wrong: From a doo-wop comp. CD called Old Town Doo Wop Vol. 3 on Ace. I got it at the Piccadilly Tower Records in London. About nine singles into their career this was the b-side of Life is But a Dream. http://home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/harptones.html

The Fall – Dr. Buck’s Letter: From the Unutterable album. I play this album all the time. This will be the third track we’ve played as we’ve made our haj to the music Mecca. The Fall website says the 6CD Peel box will be out in March. Can’t wait.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe – This Train: This is from a gray label release called Live in Paris. It’s on the Magnetic label. If any of you buy jazz bootleg CDs, you might remember seeing al of great stuff on Magnetic. Cab Calloway, Coltrane, Dolphy, Don Cherry, Miles, Mingus, etc. I don’t know if the label is around anymore, I got this record many years ago. Anyway, that’s Sister Rosetta playing guitar on the track. A white SG!

The Chuck Dukowski Sextet – My War: Chuck sent me this some days ago. Sounded really cool so I sent it to SJB X and he made whatever is the right file so we can play it on the show. I think the sax really makes it go and Chuck’s wife rips the vocal. Never before on radio!

Squatweiler – Hiromi: From the New Motherstamper album. We did a lot of shows with Squat. A great great band. I think we played Squatweiler on the first show so this is a good way to come all the way around. This record is fairly easy to find, it’s the first one, Full Bladder that you don’t see around too often. A great North Carolina band. http://members.aol.com/t16to16/squat.html

Half Japanese – Monkey Hand: From 1997’s Bone Head album on Alternative Tentacles. Jad Fair has been around for at least one hundred years. I don’t have all the stuff by Half Japanese or all that solo stuff that Jad does but all the Half Jap records I have are great. I saw them open for the Dead Kennedy’s in DC about 24 years ago. Getting olllllld. http://www.angelfire.com/wv/musiceyeball/halfjapanese.html

Miriam Makeba – Maria Fulo: Didn’t we play Pata Pata from the Pata Pata album the first show? I think so. Here’s another cut off this fine fine album. I’ve been listening to this once since I was about 6. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00007BH7J/002-9845748-1731266?v=glance

Gladys Knight – Neither One of Us: I grew up with her voice. I once did some studio work with her godson and I asked if he ever hangs out with her and he said all the time and it killed me! How cool would it be to have Gladys Knight be your god mom?! It’s not like my pal was lacking for cool parental guidance, his mother is Dionne Warwick. I lucked out and got to meet her and that was cool. I still haven’t caught up to Ms. Knight but you never know. I have always wanted to be a Pip. If she would have me, I would be there in a heartbeat. Henry Rollins: speaker, author, radio host, Pip. I could definitely handle that.

Ramones – Life is a Gas: From the Adios Amigos album, the last studio album for the Ramones. This and Born to Die in Berlin are my two favorite tracks on this. The Tom Waits cover of I Don’t Want to Grow Up is great as well.

Bush Tetras – Too Many Creeps: This was a great single that got a lot of college radio play back in the day. I put out a CD of rare and unreleased Tetras stuff years ago and became friends with the band and ended up producing an EP for them. The wonderful Pat Place who graced James White’s records plays a mean guitar. http://www.tangents.co.uk/tangents/archive/popular/tetras.html

The Ink Spots – Your Feet’s Too Big: I Don’t know anything about the Ink Spots. A girl turned me onto them years ago so I found some comp. CDs of the band and checked them out. Pretty cool. http://www.theinkspots.com/history.htm

Slayer – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida: Slayer doing Iron Butterfly?! Why not? This is from one of the greatest soundtracks ever, Less than Zero. Great movie, great soundtrack. I think Rick Rubin produced it all or most or executive produced it or something but it’s got some great stuff on it and if Rick’s name is on it, you know it’s going to sound great. I have heard that Slayer is going into the studio with Rick, can’t wait!

Lou Reed – Satellite of Love: From the Transformer album. Satellite Radio will perhaps allow the freedom that was always out of reach with under the watchful eyes of the FCC.

John Coltrane – Chim Chim Cheree: This is from the Quartet Plays. I listen to this record a lot. There’s beautiful versions of Nature Boy and Brazilia on this record as well. Recommended. http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/product.aspx?ob=prd&src=list&pid=9508

Wesley Willis – Saddam Hussein: From the Darren Hacker CD released in 1995. Wesley was on Saddam’s case when Bush was still ruining Texas. Wesley was so cool. A lot of my Wesley CDs are signed, I would buy them from him when he came to my shows in Chicago and he would sign them up. One night after one of my talking shows in Chicago, he came up to me and said, “Henry Rollins, I like to hear you preach the gospel!” Did you ever hear his interview on Stern? Classic. http://www.monzy.org/wesley/

Roky Erickson – The Interpreter: From the Reverend of Karmic Youth CD. I looked all over and can’t find this one for sale anywhere. I have had this one for a long time. Roky’s doing great these days thanks to his great brother Sumner and all the concerned people on the Roky Trust Board.

Nick Cave – The Carnival is Over: From Kicking against the Pricks. This is the first CD I ever bought. October 31st 1986. I didn’t even have a CD player at the time. I just knew I needed this and I had the money because I was working sound for Rat Sound that night. Guns and Roses opening for the Peppers. Interesting night to say the least.

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING,

YOU HAVE BEEN GREAT.
---HENRY

 

contact: henry@harmonyinmyhead.com