August 14, 2008 Earworm

Two years of this and only one Smiths song? How is that possible?

Okay, I'll pull "Shoplifters Of The World Unite" from the top of the deck since it popped into my head this morning. Besides, why not belatedly celebrate Scotland's repeal of Section 28 eight years and eight weeks ago, un-corking a trickle of common sense that spread, albeit slowly, through out the UK.

The title, supposedly modeled on Communist slogan "Workers of the world, unite!" is allegedly a more commercially acceptable way of uniting the shirtlifters of the world. Of course none of this has been confirmed - or has it - because it's Morrissey and we all know how elusive he can be. But, since the release of the single perfectly coincided with the controversy of the United Kingdom's attempt to legislate local morality by making it illegal to intentionally promote homosexuality - homosexuality just happened to have a new album coming out at the time, as I recall - and since Morrissey is such a smart-ass, I'm pretty sure the sun was shining out of his behind as his little joke crept up the UK charts.

"Shoplifters Of The World Unite" was yet another perfect Smiths twelve inch, coupled as it was with the whip crack of "London" and the hysterical and lovely "Half A Person"; a threesome that seems a perfectly reasonable explanation for the urge I still have to have hug the Presley as Floyd The Barber-clad sleeve to my chest whenever I hear any of them. That the A-side continued in the band's T Rex-mania - this time "Children Of The Revolution" which, in itself, confirms that the joke is absolutely funny still - that started with "Panic" and that it sounded nothing like "Ask" only added to it's already incalculable value.

August 13, 2008 Earworm

Carl Wilson's "I love you" at the end of "Please Let Me Wonder" traveled 25 years into the future - and possibly to infinity and beyond - to open "Please Don't Go" by KC & The Sunshine Band, providing nifty bookends to a relationship. As the intonation is nearly identical, I doubt that it's a coincidence.

If the Beach Boys personified fun in the sun in the sixties, KC and The Sunshine Band were the after the sun went down equivalent for the seventies. "Get Down Tonight" began their chart run with a number one hit extolling the getting down done once the boogie shoes were kicked off and, in a perfect way, "Please Don't Go" ended their chart run with a number one hit begging the shoes not to start walking. It has often been thought of as the last number one single of the seventies but, alas, that would have been just a bit too neat of an ending. That honor, not lacking it's own neatness, goes to "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" which "Please Don't Go" did unseat for one week, becoming the first number one of the eighties for one week before that blasted "Escape..." rose up again.

As for the song... well, it certainly has weaknesses but the sum of its parts overcomes KC's wobbly vocal and its weirdness makes it far more interesting than... say, "Escape...", and I'm pretty sure those Heaven 17 boys were impressed. The funky bassline sounds like the only organic thing in a mix full of odd noises, the synthetic strings are gorgeous, and whatever that phasing thing is at the end always makes me think of metallic lovebirds that morph into flying hearts that promptly break in two and float off into space which makes me as weird as this record. Regardless, it's a nice trick to offer up a futuristic vision while begging someone no to give up their past.

August 12, 2008 Earworm

We all know that The Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" was inspired by The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" and in turn, "Pet Sounds" inspired the envelope pushing of "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" yet I can't help but wonder if side two of "Today!" - as well as the finer points of "Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)" didn't give the fab four a little incentive as well. And with all the praise deservedly heaped upon '66's "Pet Sounds", it's easy to overlook the fact that Brian had begun lining that gilded cage back in '64 with the shockingly honest "Don't Worry Baby".

"Today!" consisted of three previously released singles, an embryonic "Help Me, Ronda", and two new tunes packed into side one for an old-fashioned Beach Boys romp in the sun but, as fun as that may be, it's side two where things get interesting, kicking off with the gorgeous tremble of "Please Let Me Wonder". It aches with anticipation, aided by a guitar riff that tips it's hat to The Crystals' "And Then He Kissed Me". The bass line throbs with expectation and Brian Wilson sings as tenderly as one can without resorting to whispers, asking so many questions without once using the appropriate punctuation. It's 'will you go with me' sans the 'yes' or 'no' boxes, 'will you marry me' before buying the ring, and 'will you sleep with me' minus the awkward condom wrapper. If you haven't succumbed at this point, Carl's 'I love you' should seal the deal nicely even if you are actually looking over his shoulder at Dennis.

August 11, 2008 Earworm

Other than the fact that he helped build the house of Stax by writing and producing most of the songs that shaped that label's legend, created the look of the gold draped gangster while most of its progeny were still in diapers playing with their Fischer-Price "My First Concealed Weapon", gave voice to the only adult in South Park who had as much common sense as the children and still found time to offer up his Chocolate Salty Balls freely, and that he not only re-wrote the rules of pop music - and Bacharach-David's "Walk On By" - to fit his vision of soul, what else can be said about Isaac Hayes?

Oh, he was a Scientologist. Let's all hope that that turned out as he hoped.

Isaac Hayes
August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008

another reason to love Anderson Cooper

August 08, 2008 Earworm

Stephen Bray and Madonna where cranking out so many tunes in the mid-eighties that they had to start throwing them at other people. One lucky recipient was the UK face of 1985, Nick Kamen. Thanks to a sexy Levi's 501 ad where he stripped down to his boxers and socks, the cover boy of The Face achieved a lascivious level of infamy and someone had the bright idea of a career in pop music. Possessing just the sort of look that left Madonna weak in the knees, she and Bray offered up "Each Time You Break My Heart", a song that sounds like an out-take from "True Blue". To ensure a smooth transition to the charts, Madonna co-produced and left her backing vocals entact. Triangulating six degrees, her co-star from the "Open Your Heart" video, little Felix Howard - another face from The Face, in a small supporting "huh?" role for the video that seems to take place in a gay bar in Boy's Town just before opening time where a captive audience is forced to admire Nick's total embodiment of what was once called the Buffalo look. And yes, there are plenty of stances...

"Each Time You Break My Heart" hit the UK top ten but couldn't move its way beyond the US Dance chart but did find a welcoming home here in earworm central where memories of Kenny singing "Today I Met The Boy I'm Gonna Marry" every time he saw Nick's face keep it in periodic rotation.

If you ever wondered what happened to that little boy from Madonna's video, check fine print of your Kylie Minogue and Amy Winehouse discs. Sadly, that's one pretty face that didn't age well. Last news of Nick was that he's traveling in India, suggesting that a sheep farm may not have happened.


Nick Kamen's biggest hit:


Nick Kamen's other hit:

August 07, 2008 Earworm

One day I'm doing laundry while listening to a Bert Berns collection and then another day I'm reading an email about P.F. Sloan and one thing leads to another and the two experiences meet up on Challenge single 59275. It's there that Yvonne Carroll followed up her P.F. Sloan/Steve Barri composed "Please Don't Go" with a cover of "A Little Bit of Soap", the Jarmels' hit composed by Bert Berns.

Having known that Jarmels single for nearly as long as I've been alive, I'm surprised to find that Yvonne's version has become my favorite over the past few years. There's a lot of pride in her delivery and the band's majesty is crowned with the horn flourishes.

Props must be given to Bert Berns for a composition that can handle such disparate arrangements that includes a Nigel Olsen cover and, of course, for gracefully making room for all five syllables of the word "e-ven-tu-al-ly".

I don't know much about Yvonne Carroll and haven't been able to locate a photograph of her but it's been said that she never made a bad record and, from the few that I've heard, I tend to agree.