Thursday, July 26, 2012

Ninety nine and a half won't do.....

Here's some teaser footage from the yet to be released film "By And By: New Orleans Gospel At The Crossroads".

I feel really bad about this, but I somehow missed the film's Kickstarter campaign this past spring. I can't imagine how that happened. I've been keeping an eye on this project for a couple of years now. Such a shame that they didn't make their goal. A double shame that I didn't promote it here....'cause I certainly would've/should've.

Anyway, it looks to be a great film. Hopefully it'll be finished soon.

James Williams Sr. [guitar, vocals] is the last original member of the Crownseekers, but that doesn't mean the present line up is somehow inferior, 'cause it ain't.

Probably just a stylistic thing, but I'm seriously wondering if Mr. Williams didn't play/sing on the record I posted yesterday? I found info online that says he auditioned for the Southern Bells in the early sixties, but not whether he was ever a member. This would have been before the formation of the Crownseekers in 1965.

If anyone has more info, please pass it on.

Hope ya'll enjoy. It's a killer clip.



Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Tell me, how does it feel?


I'm never so much at a loss as when I try to write about Gospel music. Not only am I admittedly ignorant on the subject, but info is very hard to find even on relatively well known groups.

What I do know for sure is that the Southern Bells have been around a very long time [like 50 years]. I myself have seen a couple of incarnations of the group, several times over. But when it comes to knowing who's actually singing on this particular record, or for that matter, when it was made....I'm clueless.

Sorry folks, one of my many failings is that I'd rather spend money on records than on books about the people who make them.

Hope ya'll enjoy..............


Thursday, July 19, 2012

Dance while you can....

I doubt you'll see this clip posted anywhere else, but I think Unc would approve.

Looking sharp, dancing with the ladies, drinking Miller High Life. Notice the watch worn on the hand, not the wrist. That's whatcha call style darlin'.

Folks have been celebrating Lionel Batiste Sr.'s life for more than a week now, including a second line parade last Saturday.

The procession is tomorrow. It will undoubtedly be huge.

[Update: unfortunately we had a lot of rain yesterday.......which always includes some flooding. The second line parade was re-scheduled for Monday]

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Put your arms around me, both day and night....


Derek See posted this 45 about six months ago and even though the record is apparently well known amongst the "northern soul" crowd, I'd never heard it before. Which isn't all that surprising.

Anyway, Derek's link is gone [in fact, the whole player is gone] and the tune is just too good to pass up. Basically, I started trying to find a copy from the moment I heard it.

And what a strange episode in record hunting that turned out to be. Ya see, it's not very often I go looking for a record which I know absolutely nothing about. Frankly, I can't ever remember being all that interested in any MGM release before. In short, I'm clueless.

So I hunt around and in the end I buy a copy which I'm pretty sure isn't a bootleg [there are a lot of them about], but on the other hand I don't really know what it is I have bought. I remember thinking that maybe it was a later 70s reissue because it was so very cheap [originals can be quite expensive].

Anyway, I get the 45 in the mail and it looks like it's NOS, even comes in a MGM sleeve....and I'm happy, never thinking twice about the purchase.

Months go by and the record sticks close to the turntable.

Then one day recently, I'm checking an online set sale when I spot a perfect twin of my 45, priced at 120 euros. What a shock. Ya see, I'd never seen a scan of a stock copy until then.....or so I thought.

Amazing. Seems I bought a beautiful original stock copy for $16 including postage....without knowing what I was doing. Even if the record more realistically sells for $80, it's still a very nice surprise.....and a tiny bit un-nerving. If there's such a thing as a Fairy Godmother of Vinyl Collectors, I think I may have one.

I'm hoping you followed the link to Derek's post, but in case you didn't I should point out that The Jewels are actually Lady Bo & The Family Jewels.

Here ya go, a record which virtually defines the term "stomper".

Hope ya'll enjoy..........

Monday, July 16, 2012

Nose full of white.....


Sorry to be away so long. Duty called.....as well as the need to get out of town for a few days.

I'm not a huge fan of instrumentals but this one kills me. I can play it over and over and over.

Anyway, it's awfully quiet in here. Time to get the party started.

Hope ya'll enjoy.........