TRANSLATE THIS PAGE into GERMAN | SPANISH | FRENCH | ITALIAN | PORTUGUESE
 HOME |  REGISTER | FORGOTTEN PASSWORD | SEARCH or BROWSE | RECOMMEND | EDIT | LINKS | MOST RECENT
musical taste home
search results
search results for “strange”
download an m3u playlist for all available clips for the search strange

List songs by Song title | Performer | Year

You searched for ‘strange’, which matched 116 songs.
click - person recommending, year, performer, songtitle - to see more recommendations.
"she's everywhere"  performed by strangelove
Recommended by kohl [profile]

slightly haunting, not just the intro but the lyrics as well. the singer's voice is just right for this track and the music is fitting.




(Want You) Back In My Life Again  performed by The Carpenters  1981
Recommended by scrubbles [profile]

One of the last Carpenters singles from their final studio album. I find this sweet 'n perky song strangely compelling, since it shows Richard and Karen Carpenter awkwardly trying to adjust their wholesome image to an early '80s synth pop template. Karen's voice is so processed and overdubbed that she blends in seamlessly with the synth-heavy backup -- still, the effect isn't cheezy but full and lucious. Knowing that Karen was slowly dying during this time makes this tune odder still.

from Made In America, available on CD (A&M)


...The Collapse of Detective Dullight  performed by Of Montreal  2001
Recommended by two-headed boy [profile]

'The Events Leading up to the Collapse of Detective Dullight' is not a song but a narrative story, and it’s funny as hell. The off-kilter character voices of the already brilliant stream-of-consciousness plot are cartoonish enough for their own Saturday morning series. When the detectives start their investigation nothing makes sense. There’s Jell-O, serenading butterflies, file cabinets, murder, catacombs, and all the seasonings for a hilarious dream. I am usually brought to tears when Detective Slots reads from his revered exercise in free verse titled ‘The Cause of Gauze’. I will supply you with a sample:
"Oh, the cause of gauze. The Manuels have fondled many memories from my lap though each memory has its own lap and swimmers swim laps. Even swimmers have laps however and while in that condition many require a delicate gauze."
If you hear this without purchasing the actual album, 'Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimisical Verse,' then you are being cheated. The dreams of this band are as colorful as the illustrations they provide us in their album sleeves. The 'Where's Waldo' pictorial representations enrich the listening experience by engaging us in a journey deep into the frying-pan brains of these madmen. In fact, this is a perfect introduction into a very strange world of psychedelicado. Think the Beach Boy's 'Smile.' The reaction of my friends after hearing this have been harmoniously the same, 'they have to be on drugs.' The truth is Of Montreal are not on drugs, they are drugs.

from Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse (Kindercore KC064)


A Fairy Tale of New York (live version)  performed by Christy Moore  199?
Recommended by mattypenny [profile]

Thought I might see if I can type in some Christmas favorites...

This is the Pogues song, sung by Christy Moore, the great Irish balladeer, folk singer and all round good bloke.

There's a studio version on his 'Smoke and Strong Whiskey LP'. The LPs great, but the version of 'A Fairy Tale' is not half as good as the live version from (I think) Live at the Point.

Christy's shows at the time were just him and an acoustic guitar. It was still a cracking show. He's now accompanied by another acoustic guitar (hey - lets rock!! :) ).

Anyhow he seems to get a big sound out of just guitar and voice.

Coming to the point...

This version is just Christy and his guitar. It preceded by a long story about how he 'stumbled into a fairy ring and bejasus I couldnt get out'. He's eventually helped out by a stranger who takes him by the hand and takes him to a pub. They sing each other songs and tell each poems. Then the stranger starts to sing 'It was Christmas Eve, babe...' .... and you know the rest. It finshes with Christy kissing the stanger on the lips and declaring Shane MacGowan 'I love you baby too'

Other Christmas songs:
Cajun Christmas
Il est Ne le Devine Enfant - Siouxsie and the Banshees
All I really want for Christmas - Ini Kamoze (maybe?)
Christmas Lullaby - Shane MacGowan
White Christmas - The Drifters

from Live at the Point


Afro - Harping  performed by Dorothy Ashby  196?
Recommended by Arthur [profile]

Cool in the Xxtreme !
Sixties dance jazz funk instumental from harpist Dorothy. Complete with organs, flutes and bongos it is driving classy joyful music .

The album also contains the awesome "Action Line " which is weirdly atmospheric and deeply strange

from Afro - Harping ( CADET LPS809)


Agitated  performed by Die Electric Eels  1974
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

One of the greatest rock songs ever recorded. Loud, distorted, strangely tuneful and tuneless at the same time. An exhilerating rush of pure energy without being remotely fast.


The superior single version also has the mighty Nick Knox on drums. And I don't think is on the cd. But it is on the LP.

from Its a 7 inch single (Rough Trade)
available on CD - The eyeball of hell (scat)


Andy's Chest  performed by the Velvet Underground  1969
Recommended by tinks [profile]

Great song with really strange lyrics on par with Love's "The Red Telephone": "Her belly button was her mouth/and she tasted what she'd speak/but the funny thing is what happened to her nose/it grew until it reached all of her toes/now when people say her feet smell they mean her nose." Another version was recorded by Lou Reed on his "Transformer" LP a few years later.

from VU, available on CD (Verve)



Anyway  performed by Barbara Lewis  1969
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Barbara Lewis was famous earlier in the sixties for 'Hello Stranger.' This is simple, soulful pop music with a very cool production: crisp drums and nicely orchestrated woodwind on top of rhythmic guitars. Somehow the charm of the recording overrides any feeling that the chord sequence is slightly obvious. Barbara's voice is beautiful here: emotional, yet understated. A small female choir comes in to accompany her at various points. The song is remarkably tight and catchy, with a prominent bass part driving it on. The producer at Stax for this record was Ollie McLaughlin, and I'm now looking out for more stuff that he worked on.

from Many Grooves of Barbara Lewis, available on CD (Stax)




  Arthur: Ollie McLaughlin was a prolific producer. Look out for 45's on the Carla and Karen labels. They where both his labels
Areas  performed by New Musik  1981
Recommended by Mike [profile]

A song about personal body space. I know that this doesn't exactly sound electrifying, but the song itself does. In fact the whole album this is from is filled with fantastic lyrically unorthodox songs, most of which are extremely good.

During this very skilfully constructed song, we hear some of the most lyrical, expressive sounds ever to be played on synths. We hear that slightly strange vocal performance style that makes a virtue out of sounding uncool - but it's always very musical.

Tony Mansfield is an absolute musical genius and innovator. After the three new Musik albums, he went on to produce A-ha's first album and a few records for other artists, but never seems to have had the recognition Trevor Horn recieved. I wonder what he's doing now...

from Anywhere, available on CD


As tears go by  performed by Nancy Sinatra  1966
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This song is an interesting case study into the question of 'why do I like this version of the song more than any other'. I have a half-baked theory that for me, I mostly just like the first version of any great song I hear, regardless of whether or not it is the original or 'best' version. But this track is so different to the Rolling Stones's version that I think it would probably divide people pretty clearly. Produced by Lee Hazlewood/Billy Strange, 'as tears go by' is here recast as a crisp pop bossa nova. They even change the chords slightly (adding a new chord as she sings 'by'). To me, this makes the song vastly superior to the original (or any other I've heard). But I'm not sure anyone has ever agreed with me yet on that one...

from Boots, available on CD (Reprise)




  tinks: i had to go back and listen to this album after you mentioned it...and it is an incredible version, i really love that soft bossa sound that it's got going on. the rest of the lp is great, too!
  FlyingDutchman1971: i was lucky enough to find a vg++ copy of this LP at Goodwill several years back and this is definitely the best track on the album!! A great interpretation of the song!!
  n-jeff: I love this version, theres a cello or something under the introduction that adds a lovely melancholy feel. Quite a sophisticated sounding track. well removed from the bludgeoning innuendo I associate (and love) with Nancy and Lee. I had one of the few run-ins over musical policy with my old promoter over this track, he thought it far too downbeat.
  RCA76: I love this version of this song, infact I didn't know for a long time that this is a Rolling Stone's tune, but again because it's a version that is so original it really is incredible. Quite popular in Latin America (not so much w/ the Stone's version).
Bitter-Sweet  performed by Roxy Music  1974
Recommended by delicado [profile]

For someone like me, the strangest thing about getting really into Roxy Music is the overt rockiness of a lot of their material. Even on this track, which is one more of their slower, more mournful numbers, there are a lot of very heavy rocky moments. They work pretty well though, and I'm certainly not complaining.

The atmospheric opening is breathtaking, and Bryan Ferry's vocal as he sings 'I've opened up my heart' is incredibly beautiful. The words and music seem to meld together in a very pretty way, but then before long the track mutates into a stomping, carnival like passage that clearly influenced Nick Cave to a considerable extent. Throughout the song there's this interchange between delicate, melodic verses and the rowdy, discordant section. Like another favorite Roxy track, 'Just like you', this song finishes with a clever chord change.

I'm sure many people would find 'Bitter-Sweet' much too dramatic and serious - perhaps some days I would too - but it does have an incredible elegance and style that makes me keep on listening.

from Country Life, available on CD



Bossa Nova Bessie  performed by Frank DeVol and the MGM Studio Orchestra  1966
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This sounds like it should be a generic bossa nova cash-in film song, but instead, it's strangely haunting and gripping to my ears. While it's a sweetly orchestrated piece (a bossa nova guitar and beat, a flute melody, and a Stan Getz-esque tenor sax, backed by a subdued orchestra) I feel as if there's something menacing just beneath the surface. However, it's so subtle, this could be in my head. It's taken from the 'The Glass Bottom Boat'; maybe I have to see the movie and decide.


available on CD - Bachelor In Paradise - Cocktail Classics from MGM Films (EMI)



Bossa Rock Blues #1  performed by Manfredo Fest  1972
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Really suprised to see this one in a thrift store recently. I was taken back by the bad cover photo of some blue cheese in tin foil with saltines and a bottle of wine.(?) Anyway, the music is fantastic, much in the vein of Jobim's CTI work from the same period. This piece grooves almost more in a Deodato way, with a nice funky nocturnal jazz bite. Nice to see the gap close on the years between his Bossa Rio stint and the records he did for Discovery.

Strangely enough it was recorded in Minneapolis MN while he was living there. On the RCA subsidary Daybreak.

from After Hours (Daybreak DR 2012)


Captain of Your Ship  performed by Reparata & the Delrons  1968
Recommended by tinks [profile]

Mind-blowing late-60s girl-group sound with very odd lyrics...words really can't describe it. Suffice to say, it's a strange song. This group started out as a very typical girl group of the early 60s mold, but kept plugging away long after those groups had gone out of style. This cut from '68 is very psych-y and "groovy", as was the fashion at the time. They eventually transformed into Barry Manilow's backup singers, but please don't hold that against them.

from Best From Bell (Bell UK BLLP-111)
available on CD - Magical Musical History Tour (Mo-Banana)




  jeanette: I agree - absolutely fantastic. Even its use in the Muller yoghurt commercial couldn't harm its basic genius. The fact that it's sampled by Betty Boo in Doin' The Do is another plus point!
  shakeahand: I first heard this song on the Muller ad! - which led me to hunt out the original. Great pop!
Comfort of Strangers  performed by Skin  2000
Recommended by Groucho_75 [profile]

Off the brillaint soundtrack for 'Timecode' by Mike Figgis and Anthony Marinelli, not sure who actually wrote this song but the whole album is really good. The film's pretty good as well. Skin has a great voice and this is a really moody, atmospheric song that makes me feel both warm and lonely at the same time. The Main Title track is great as well.

from Timecode Soundtrack



Danger! She’s a Stranger  performed by The Five Stairsteps  1967
Recommended by delicado [profile]

I fell in love with this song this evening. At this point it's hard to find many words to describe it; I'm just dazzled by how wonderful it is. It's a mournful and spooky-sounding soul song, opening with some percussion, and then some harmonized background vocals, drums, brass and piano. I guess the kicker for me are the shimmering strings in the arrangement, which come in with the main vocal. The vocals are fraught with emotion, and there is a very interesting use of vocal sounds as the song fades out.

Being a Five Stairsteps novice, I'd like to know if they recorded many other tracks like this. I gather that the record was produced by Curtis Mayfield, but I've never heard anything by him with quite such a delectable arrangement. Any advice would be appreciated!


available on CD - The First Family of Soul (Buddah)




  Arthur: The Five Stairsteps have a history going back to the mid sixties -they recorded for Curtis Mayfields 'Windy C' label and later for George Harrison's 'Dark Horse' label Group main man Kenni Burke is still active in the music business, having co penned the much copied and sampled "Rising To The Top" and has recently (last year) visited the UK where he performed a number of PA's and recorded at least one song. I have to confess I never heard "Danger! She's a Stranger" but will make it my mission to do so!
  tinks: oh my god, this is one of my all-time favorite songs! i can't believe i never thought to put it up. i love the backing vocals..."danger! stranger!"
  delicado: You have excellent taste! For the record, I was able to find one other Five Stairsteps track that has a similar moody feel to it. It's called 'Something's Missing', and is almost like a prototype version of 'Danger...'
  bobbyspacetroup: Sampled by Outkast incidentally (check out "Two Dope Boyz In A Cadillac").
  delicado: Yeah, I read about this and checked out the Outkast song. I have to say I wasn't that impressed. I think maybe the big beat over the piano and gentle shimmering strings killed it for me a bit!
  artlongjr: Fascinating to read the comments here...I didn't know Outkast had sampled this. I remember first hearing this song when I got their first album way back in 1981, and it is my favorite tune on there. It's a classic of Chicago soul. The strings, horns and Clarence Burke Jr.'s lead vocals and the group harmonies add up to a delightfully foreboding, almost sinister mood on this number. This came out in 1966, I also have "Something's Missing", which came out on Buddah in 1967. I keep telling everybody I know that the Stairsteps are easily the equals of the Jackson Five! They also did a terrific funk-psychedelic number in 1969 on Curtom called "Madame Mary"...I can't figure out the lyrics but it may be about marijuana!
  karen: If you like "Danger She's a Stranger", you will love "You've Waited Too Long". I remember the Five Stairsteps, and they were a lot more talented than the Jackson Five (and better looking). But unfortunately they were not on a major label like Motown, but they got a lot of respect and admiration in the Black community and plenty of airplay in DC, NY, Philly, etc. "Oooh Child" was a major hit...I wonder what they are doing now and how they look.
Dansero  performed by Richard Hayman  1969
Recommended by delicado [profile]

The album that this track is taken from was one of those strange albums that acquired mythical status in my mind. Based on a mixture of rumor and personal imagination (I could never actually find a copy), I convinced myself that this must be the coolest album ever made, a perfect fusion of moog, latin and mod sounds. A few years later I picked up the album very cheaply on ebay. Beautiful and interesting as it is, many of the tracks go slightly over the line for me.

'Dansero' is the only track on the LP that captures the blend that I was looking for. It's nice and short at under 3 minutes, and features a delightfully kooky introduction that sounds like the Jean-Jacques Perrey moog flourishes that the group Stereolab sampled on their 'Transient Random Noise Bursts...' album. The drums and moog then join up for a nice pop instrumental, catchy and bouncy. Different moog effects are piled on, but always quite effectively, making this one of the most enduringly successful moog-pop tracks in my collection.

from Genuine Electric Latin Love Machine (Command)



December Will Be Magic Again  performed by Kate Bush
Recommended by umbrellasfollowrain [profile]

This is a strange song and it hits me in a strange place. The melody is very pretty, yet complex and unexpected and there are odd washes of moog at times. It's a Christmas song and has a Christmas feeling but not the familiar fireside one. Instead it's the cold alien blank expanse of snow and that pulse of stars. Kate Bush is a genius at creating this precise, complicated emotional terrain. Also, being a genius requires you to risk making a fool of yourself and Kate Bush certainly isn't afraid to do that. She's like that eccentric high school drama teacher I never had. In this song she turns herself into the snow that falls over the white city. "Jumpin' down with my paraCHUTE! Oh see how I fall."





  jeanette: I always think that this kind of christmas song just isn't done enough. It is a great song anyway, but what makes it even better is that it has this unusual view of the festive season - that it's not just about being jolly / feeling downbeat / singing about how "so much has happened in a year" etc etc. Kate Bush of course is mistress of the offbeat lyric and it's nice that she found a way to marry it to a christmas tune.
Devil, Devil, Go Away  performed by Little Marcy  1973
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Ever felt there was a hole in your life that only a religious ventriloquist's dummy could fill? Then look no further. One of pop's bona-fide eccentrics, Marcy Tigner, voices Little Marcy in a thoroughly winsome way. The song, nay the whole album, encourages all young children to renounce the devil. However, if the devil were to see the scarily-bad drawing of Little Marcy on the cover, he would correctly deduce that no child is likely to listen to the ravings of a freaky end-of-the-pier doll voiced by an even stranger adult woman.

"Marcy wants you all to know how happy she is singing songs about Jesus" relate the sleevenotes. And, gee Marcy, we sure are glad to hear them!

Please don't think I recommended this song simply to mock it. I genuinely think it's a priceless piece of recorded gold and am more than pleased this site, and the world, is big enough to accommodate special talents like that of Marcy Tigner.

Out of Waco, Texas.

from Happy Am I (Word K-721)




  olli: aah, little marcy. i find her oddly touching. i adore the effect where the guitar seems to be meowing on "i love little pussy", it makes the song even more appealing than the questionable lyrics. "guitar festival of gospel songs" by little marcy's guitarist, bob summers is the current downloadable album over at basichip.com right now, by the way. snatch it while you can!
Didn’t Know The Time  performed by The Staccatos  1968
Recommended by john_l [profile]

From Ottawa, the Staccatos were Canada's best pop band of the 1960s and, with the possible exception of Strange Advance, still their best ever. This song is a bit of a clone of their biggest hit, 1967's "Half Past Midnight", right down to the lyrical preoccupation with time, but it's still worth a listen if you like that late-'60s "summer pop" sound, because its production is pretty tight and it has several neat little tricks like the best pop songs do. The flip side is called "We Go Together Well" and it's pretty good too, with its fuzzy guitars (or is it the bass?) ...

All of these tracks mentioned here were found on a 1969 LP called "Five Man Electrical Band", which is what the Staccatos had changed their name to. The LP contains both sides of the "It Never Rains On Maple Lane" / "Private Train" release which was the first under that name, but subsequent material followed a musical change of direction to what I would call "swamp rock" after that ghastly "Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night (ugh!), although "Signs" and "I'm A Stranger Here" at least had some lyrical smarts ... a CD of this stuff has been released but unfortunately the Staccatos material has not, apart from "Half Past Midnight" which showed up on a best-of-Canadian compilation.

from Five Man Electrical Band (Capitol)


Difficult Listening  performed by Bertrand Burgalat  1997
Recommended by bobbyspacetroup [profile]

A short and sweet orchestral piece featuring harpsichord and some sort of mallet instrument (is that just a vibraphone???). It has sort of a subdued Burt Bacharach sound especially in the harpsichord. I'm noticing that many of my recommendations feature harpsichord... Strange.


available on CD - Quadrille OST (Tricatel)



Diga Diga Doo  performed by Martin Denny  1960
Recommended by Solo [profile]

Featuring a strange assortment of melodic percussion instruments, brass and punctuated with animal calls which are only equaled by those of Roger Waters on Pink Floyd's Umma Gumma, this is BY FAR the strangest (and coolest) version of this song ever recorded. The Residents must have developed their whole series of Mark of the Mole albums after hearing this recording. "Diga Diga Doo" was originally a show tune for a Broadway review called The Blackbirds of 1928.

from Exotic Sounds Visit Broadway (Liberty Records LST-7163)
available on CD - The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny (Capitol (Ultra Lounge imprint))


English Sunset  performed by The Moody Blues  1999
Recommended by elfslut [profile]

The opening track to 1999's Strange Times CD. Justin Hayward lyrically explores what it means to be British.

from Strange Times


Eque  performed by Duke Ellington  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Taken from his exquisite Latin American Suite, this is an unusual sounding track to me. Mid-tempo, with an unrelenting bossa nova style beat, the action is shared between the piano and various horns and saxophones. I guess it's the strange discordant tones that take this track higher for me. They remind me of some chords I've heard in the more adventurous Brazilian pop music of the late 1960s - basically taking what is fundamentally a sweet sounding, warm chord, and overlaying notes that provide a darker, more forboding feel.

Adding to this, the punctuating horns and reeds give the whole thing a gently groovy feel that's reminiscent of quirky 60s soundtrack music. Really cool stuff, and I recommend the whole album.

from Latin American Suite, available on CD


Exchanging Glances  performed by Unknown
Recommended by bobbyspacetroup [profile]

A strange instrumental which borrows the melody from the first line or two of "Strangers In The Night" and repeats it obsessively without really getting past the "wond'ring in the night" part. The intense, driving arrangement along with the incomplete melody give this track a creepy, tragic feeling which I find really enthralling.


This is from an odd bootleg-ish compilation with no real track information given. The first volume of this series was okay but sounded like it was mastered directly from the audio track of old adult films. The sound quality and selection on this volume is much better. My best guess is that these are sound library recordings that may or may not have actually appeared in adult films. Anyone know the real artist or source of this track?

from Inside Deep Note: Music of 1970s Adult Cinema, available on CD



Fault Lines  performed by Radiogram  2000
Recommended by mitchiavelli [profile]

'Fault Lines' is a beautiful, slow melodic number from Radiogram's debut album 'Unbetween'.

After listening to 'Fault Lines' and 'Unbetween' it came as no great surprise to discover that this band has enjoyed great success in roots music circles in Canada and the UK.

Strangely, the 'ethereal' sound achieved by the producer [Chon] reminds me of Jane Siberry's 'When I Was a Boy'.

from Unbetween, available on CD


final solution  performed by pere ubu  1976
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

This early single starts off in quite an unpromising way, the sound is quite dry and sparse. Bass and drums, David Thomas muttering teen angst semi audibly in a style that hadn't quite developed into the strange sing song delivery that became his trademark.

"The girls won't touch me cos I got a ". What was that, what?

As it progresses the volume picks up until the final chorus where Thomas is screaming and the guitars start thrashing, then it finishes on a guitar solo that I swear J. Mascis based his entire career on, wah wah squealing on the edge of feedback, while the rest of the band just seem to be lifted into a noisy stratosphere.

I heard for the first time in 10 years last week, and it was breathtaking.

from the single final solution (Rough Trade)


flickorna i sm�land  performed by delta rythm boys  195?
Recommended by olli [profile]

apparently the delta rythm boys were quite big in sweden in the late fifties, something wich eventually led to them recording this quirky little song. it's a jazzy take on an old swedish folk song, including the swedish lyrics. however, the vocalists didn't speak the language at the time of the recording, so the result turned out to be remarkably strange. still, it�s a fantastic song, and even if you don't understand swedish (well, most people don't) i think you'll appreciate this. it's pretty tough to come by unless you happen live next to a swedish thrift store, but it�s well worth hunting down. i first heard it on the in-film soundtrack to the film "kitchen stories"(salmer fra kj�kkenet) by bent hamer.
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0323872/
i don�t think there's a soundtrack cd out, but the complete song plays during the end credits, and can easily be ripped. (the film is well worth seeing too, if you can stand subtitles, i recommend ordering it)






  bloozshooz: This tune was recorded Aug. 1, 1951, according to a Swedish discography found via Google
  bloozshooz: This tune was recorded Aug. 1, 1951, according to a Swedish discography found via Google
  mettemaj: CDon.com has a compilation of Swedish evergreens from concerts in folkparkerna (the public/folk parks) - and Delta Rythm Boys' Flickorna i Sm�land is on it alongside tunes sung by e.g. Lill-Babs, Siw Malmkvist and Cornelis Vreeswijk (Search for "Guldkorn Fr�n Folkparkerna 100 �r" at http://www.cdon.com/main.phtml?navroot=903&session=1).
  Timpsi: Delta Rythm Boys also had a CD in the Finnish "20 suosikkia" ('20 favourites') series, and "Flickorna i Sm�land" can be found on it too. Other interesting songs on the album are a couple of Finnish language songs, and rare English versions of Finnish classics, such as "Rosvo-Roope" ('Raunchy Ropey'), and "Isois�n olkihattu" ('Grandpa's Strawhat'). At the time of recording the CD, the Boys received some Finnish language schooling from a Harmony Sisters member. The CD is most definitely out of print already, but is available at several Finnish public libraries. Some more information at http://www.fono.fi/Dokumentti.aspx?kappale=flickorna+i+sm%c3%a5land&ID=21a6f890-e470-4992-a847-31a5d67ae46d
Fly High  performed by Cotton Casino  2004
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

A solo single from a member of Japanese space rock collective Acid Mothers Temple. For them she plays Synthesiser (a nice old Roland) Cigarettes and Beer. On this she also sings.
Its a strange sounding thing, theres no bass or even much lower mid range. Echo'd synthesiser, a very old sounding drum box, and vocals all occupying the same accoustic space to very psychedelic effect. But yet, very poppy, the vocals stay with you for ages.
Lovely stuff.

from its a single
available on CD - we love cotton (silly boy)


Foolin' Around  performed by Chris Montez  1967
Recommended by Swinging London [profile]

'We won't do anything that shouldn't be done, only the groovy things like having fun'...& there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, in my book.

This is the title track to Chris Montez's third album with A&M, produced by Herb Alpert & it's very, very sweet, but, for some reason not sickly so. That's the magic of mid-'sixties Chris Montez.

This song was almost a hit in Britain. It was released just as the pirate radio stations were about to be banned. It was 'Record Of The Week' on Radio London the week it was shut down and sadly never grabbed it's deserved foothold after that.

A lot of people are taken aback by how high Chris's voice was when he sang, but once you get over that, his music from the A&M era (1966-8) is strangely addictive. Very warm and melodic.

He did mostly cover songs, mostly 'hits of the day', but also generous helpings of classics from the 1940's & '50's. Always giving them a brand new very mid-'sixties treatment.

from Foolin' Around (A & M)



for whom the bell tolls  performed by fad gadget  1982
Recommended by san serac [profile]

My god I like me some Fad Gadget. This song is claustrophobic, frightening, medieval, electronic and strangely exciting all at once.

from Under The Flag (Mute)


Forgetting You  performed by James Carr  1966
Recommended by tinks [profile]

The epitome of deep Memphis soul. The hurt evident in Carr's voice is absolutely unimaginable. Carr's story is a strange one. He is best known for recording the original version of the Penn-Moman composition "At the Dark End of the Street", a song which comes as close as possible to being considered a soul "standard", and of course, his version is the one by which all others are measured. His vocal range and intensity is comparable only to Otis Redding and Percy Sledge, and in my opinion, completely surpasses both of them. He suffered from a mental illness that on one hand allowed him to channel pain like few others have ever been able to. On the other, it led to serious instability and crippling stage fright which buried his career before it ever really started. He was also functionally illiterate, but you'd never know it based on the raw emotion he put forth in his recordings. On this song, he pleads with a lover to stay with him so that he won't have to try and forget her. Absolutely heartwrenching stuff. "I've done you wrong/now you are gone/but what can I do?/Don't make me live/the rest of my life/forgetting you."

from You Got My Mind Messed Up (Vivid Sound)
available on CD - The Essential James Carr (Razor & Tie)



frozen warnings  performed by Nico  1971
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

At first appearance, its not the most appealing of combinations, that deep flat voice accompanied by the unforgiving Harmonium alone. And it is quite stark, but at the same time strangely warm and hypnotic.
The song itself has a strong chorus and there are well played hooks. Slow, dark, magnificent. And it strangely is a pop song where the rest of the EP isn't.

from Peel Sessions (Strange Fruit SFPS064)


Get Ya Brain On  performed by Strange People
Recommended by Strange People [profile]

No Religion




Girlfriend  performed by Eric�s Trip  1994
Recommended by sardonicsmile [profile]

rick white is a prolific songwriter, whether with eric's trip, or his more recent project elevator. 'girlfriend' in particular characterises the sound with acoustic guitar up front, fuzz guitar in the background and floating away vocal. eric's trip came out of the so-called halifax pop explosion of the early 90s, and their name comes from the sonic youth song. but their sound is a lot more lo-fi and home recorded, guitars and sounds popping out of strange places in the mix.

from Forever Again (Sub Pop)


Golden Lights  performed by Twinkle  1965
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This is a simple but rather bitter pop song, although on the surface it sounds quite sweet. If I recall correctly, it was written about the singer that Twinkle was seeing at the time. The gentle arrangement features acoustic guitar and some brass. It's not hard to hear why Morrissey liked this song enough to cover it with The Smiths.

Twinkle has a lovely clear voice, and much as I respect Moz, this version towers above the one done by The Smiths, which suffers from a strange mix of production styles. That said, I have a strange mix of emotions on hearing the song, since I heard the Smiths version at 14, but only got into this one in the last few years.

from the single Golden Lights
available on CD - Twinkle (RPM)



Heroes Symphony  performed by David Bowie, Philip Glass, Aphex Twin
Recommended by marisofparis [profile]

With the exception of the silly dropping "daaaaaayyy" at the very end of this track, it's probably my favorite reworking of a Bowie song. The epic, quickly fading strings and strange raising/falling echoing voices pushing thru Bowie's unchanged vocals, wonderful. The strings add more power to Bowies lyrics.

from 26 Mixes For Cash


Hope  performed by R.E.M.  1998
Recommended by dyfl [profile]

One of the stranger tracks on R.E.M.'s strangest album -- it borrows the melody from Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" and sets it in a slowly building landscape of buzzing guitars and electronic beeps (it's a lot prettier than it sounds, believe me). "You want to go out Friday and you want to go forever" -- does he mean go out for a good time, or go out permanently? Stipe ain't saying...


available on CD - Up (Warner Brothers)



Horse Pills  performed by the Dandy Warhols  2000
Recommended by tinks [profile]

Y'know...I really like the latest Dandy Warhols album, in spite of myself. I've never been able to stand them, as they are as about as close a thing to actual rock stars as we have here in Portland. As a result, there's just an awful lot of bitterness in the air. I think that I finally came to the realization that their particular brand of coke-sniffing antics are precisely what I want out of a rock & roll group. I want there to be rock stars on the grand 70s scale again. Somebody has got to inherit Mick Jagger's rightful place as the man to be. I'm not saying that Courtney Taylor should be that man, but at least he's on the right track. This song in particular...as strange as it sounds...it reminds me of the Offspring, but in a good way. And that's the way with a lot of this album. There are songs here that remind me a lot of Beck, ones that remind me a lot of Frank Black and of course the obvious Stones pastiches. In short, there's nothing earth-shatteringly original...but hasn't rock & roll always been about copying what's come before and trying to make it your own? I mean, where would the Beatles have been without Chuck Berry?

from Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia, available on CD




  doublebarrelledsou: um... "reminds me of the offspring, but in a good way" i bet you've been losing sleep on someone finding that comment for months, your day of reckoning has arrived master tinks! i had no idea you were harbouring love for the dw. guess what's on ym desk right now. a numark tt-100 baby!
Houses On The Hill  performed by Whiskeytown  1997
Recommended by LawrenceM [profile]

I don't know what it is about this song. "Strangers Almanac" is a brilliant - probably my all time favourite 'alt.country' record - but this song transcends even that superlative, to be one of my favourite songs of all time. It has mved me to tears twice now, and no doubt will again. Ryan Adam's bruise of a voice, the beautiful lyrics, the sad subject matter. Just perfect.

from Strangers Almanac, available on CD



I Walk on Guilded Splinters  performed by Dr. John  1968
Recommended by plasticsun [profile]

The other night I could not listen to this song - it scared the hell out of me. Maybe it was the wine. Still, it is a very strange song.

from Gris Gris



  n-jeff: A well scary song, I have seen a funk version (it must have made the UK charts it was on an early 70's top of the pops) that is fantastic, plus Chers slowed down version almost a rock monster with horns instead of metal guitars. And a great 80's synthesizer version by the Flowerport Men, with Doctor John on Hoodoo growl. Every one of them a great way to give tripping hippies the frights.
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea  performed by Neutral Milk Hotel  1997
Recommended by two-headed boy [profile]

I didn't know it then, but when I purchased the album 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea' my world changed. When I put the album into my CD player, I did it with a naivete of someone who thought they'd 'heard it all.' I did it clumsily, with haste, handled like a Beatles or Beach Boys album, the way I had done for years. When I listened to the album I did it with reckless abandon while driving 38 miles per hour on my lunch break, and later in the drive-through at McDonald�s. These mistakes were inherited, and I refuse blame. They were passed through the genetic make-up of our peers and born out of the music we've been given; I didn't expect this! Well, our music has changed, and it did so without our knowing and our approval. This album proved and disproved an entire treatise of critical analysis on a generation of music that I thought I had known, and it did so with a fucking velvet sledgehammer.

The lyrics: "And one day we will die and our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea, but for now we are young let us lay in the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see." More lyrics: "What a beautiful face I have found in this place that is circling all around the sun, what a beautiful dream that would flash in the screen in a blink of an eye and be gone from me." The melody: A timeless, haunting thing that was metaphysically resurrected from a wiser place. The voice: Wrenched out of the jaws of a holocaust from 50 years ago, we hear a possessed Jeff Mangum invest his soul. The sound: An apocalypse that can reinvent the turntable by it�s simplistic form; with a saw, guitar, drum, bass, horns, and lord knows what else all handled with deceptive elegance of a garage mechanic constructing a supermodel. And, lastly, the spirit: A tragedy and rape of virginity known only to the persecuted and executed; the ghost of Anne Frank materializes long enough to show us her world, and in her hands we are strangely at peace.

This song is a gift very few will experience. It is endless in its reach and should be accepted like a sibling into your collection. It will one day prove itself beyond category, but for now it is a masterful novel from the hands of a mysterious songwriter who should know how sincerely I cherish his songs.

from In the Aeroplane Over the Sea



  karlmort: this album is going to make a huge impact on you if you dare to listen.
  evolutum: All I have to say is that I agree with the above. My wife and I had this song played at our wedding reception. With tears in our eyes we danced. I would like to have it played at my funeral.
  umbrellasfollowrain: Whenever I hear that someone loves this album as much as I do this strange things happens where I want to draw you all into a bearhug where we cry our fears away all through the long night.
  el.oh man.: this song can make you feel so many emotions at once. it truly is a wrok of art. there is almost no way that you wouldnt like it. everytime i hear it, i fall in love with the amazing writing talents of these guys.
  pullmyhair: This is one of my most life-changing albums. It does something to me, almost spiritually. If people have an open mind, they need to hear this.
In The Year 2525  performed by Visage  1978
Recommended by geezer [profile]

This songs flower power origins always seemed at odds with its retro future predictions for mankind,so when it was re recorded amidst the static buzz of late seventies synths it suddenly made more sense ,a mildly treated vocal from Steve Strange still retains the melody but the backing track transports its sentiments to a more appropriate time line a gives a great song a bigger and better home .

from best of
available on CD - best of /Singles


I�ve Novacane Been In Love  performed by Beck vs. Doris Day  2004
Recommended by tapler [profile]

One of the more unusual mashups you'll hear. Combines the music of "Novacane" by Beck with Doris Day's vocals from the song "I've Never Been In Love Before," which is from Guys and Dolls. Pretty groovy. It works!





jesus christ superstar  performed by johnny keating  196?
Recommended by shaka_klaus [profile]

never liked musicals, especially not the ones done by andrew lloyd webber. this one though is a whole different story! strange moog sounds mixed with big band jazz.


available on CD - the sound gallery vol 1 (scamp)



  n-jeff: It actually sounds better on the Sound Gallery Comp than the original Studio 2 LP (if you play the vinyls back to back), The other track lifted from this LP for the Sound Gallery I Feel the Earth Move, is the other stand out track. Along with the beefy Moog Bassline I love the harmonica on JCS, and used to double this up with Grooving with Mr Bloe.
King Heroin  performed by James Brown  1972
Recommended by mr_klenster [profile]

This song is stone-cold, ultra-serious, odd, and mesmerizing. It's James Brown recounting a strange, anecdotal poem about a dream, in which he experiences the personification of heroin delivering a sermon. He rhymes accompanied by a subdued and melancholy backing band, playing lingering horn drags, and slow, lazy bass and drums. This is not your typical James Brown material, but it has an powerfully surreal and painful effect.

from There It Is


Kolumbo  performed by Dick Hyman  1969
Recommended by bobbyspacetroup [profile]

Is it just me or are the original compositions on Command LPs almost always the best and most adventurous? Here is one my all-time favorite Command recordings. A far-out, moogy masterpiece by Hyman. It's about 8 minutes long, not nearly as pop as the rest of the record, and totally brilliant. According to the liner notes, Kolumbo was improvised on the Moog and the Maestro Rhythmaster, "a mechanical drum device," fed through a Echoplex-tape reverberation unit. Improvised Moog? Is that possible? This is very strange stuff. From the liner notes: "[...] there is an effect of a battery of African drummers following an improvised soloist. The listener can provide his own scenario of what seems to be a musical battle, as a second soloist abruptly materializes, challenging the first man. At the end, the original soloist states a brief epilogue, packs up his horn, and splits."

from The Age Of Electronicus (Command RS 946 SD)



L’Eau A La Bouche  performed by Serge Gainsbourg  1960
Recommended by BlueEyedYe-Ye [profile]

A brilliant little track, often overlooked in the great man's catalogue. Starts off oddly like the James Bond theme (for the time and location!) but gradually changes into a strange chanson-meets-Latin kind of thing... great song though, from a film of the same name. Has anyone here ever seen it?

from Bande Originale Du Film "L'Eau A La Bouche" (French Philips 432.492 BE)
available on CD - Couleur Cafe (Mercury)



  phil: I agree - this is one of my fave Serge songs. Haven't seen the film though.
L.O.V.E (Websters definition)  performed by Bob Dorough  1970
Recommended by mattias [profile]

A great, very represantive Easy Listening/Bossa Nova song. The lyrics is acctually Websters dictionary's description of love. I know this song has been recorded on some other Dorough album but this is the definitive version. It has a great female choire and a nice bossa groove. Really a must! The record containes a bunch of other grat songs like I'm hip, The stranger and oblai de oblai da.

from To communicate, available on CD


Lanterns  performed by KILLING JOKE  1996
Recommended by beautifulmutant [profile]

The Joke have not released anything not worth owning (minus the strange "Outside The Gate") but this song in particular grabbed me when I first heard it and did not let go. It put into words scenarios I have long envisioned. Why more people do not support and name-check this band, I do not know
"And if it all fell through tomorrow
Put a pack on my back,
and it's home where the lunatics roam...
Faith, faithj moved the mountain...
Where the rivers are so clean
and the conciousness is so green
and the luminous folk shine like
lanterns of hope... all shine on..."

from Democracy (Zoo)



  kohl: indeed, they're fantastic.
Les Fleur  performed by 4 Hero  2001
Recommended by macka [profile]

I got this CD from a mate a while back and I didn't take the time to sit down and listen to it until about a week ago, that was a mistake! This is a great tune with quite haunting vocals, which remind me of Scarborough fair in a strange way, uplifting chorus mixed with great double base sound.


available on CD - Creating Patterns




  konsu: Wow! This came up at random and I was suprised to see no mention of Minnie Riperton at all ! This is a remix of an amazing tune by Charles Stepney that he wrote for Minnie's "Come to my Garden" LP. It seems no one has heard this incredible record! Please, please buy it! It just became available on CD again in the USA and it's about time! I love 4 hero's take on it, they show the utmost respect to their influences just as any good sample artists should. Check out their D&B albums under the monikers "Jacobs Optical Stairway" & "Tek9" as well! Kudos!!
  hewtwit: Most music lovers in the UK know the original tune from Giles Peterson's amazing INCredible double mix cd. Anyone who's not heard this classic should get it right now - excellent tunes. Years later when 4 hero came out with this remix we were all pretty disgusted. they added nothing interesting! It's just a longer version of the original! For a great 4 hero remix - check out black hole of the sun on the same mix cd mentioned above!
Light My Fire  performed by Shirley Bassey  1970
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

Prior to hearing her "Something" LP, I always referred to Dame Shirley as "The Godzilla of Song". By this I meant I always felt she treated a tune the way Rodan treated Tokyo, like something to be smashed underfoot. While I lived/died by her Bond themes, and such like, I never thought she was capable of nuance, restraint, and/or sexiness. Then I heard this god-like album, brilliantly produced and arranged by Johnny Harris. This cover of The Doors' song perfectly sums up the record's strengths. It's jazzy, sexy, incredibly funky, yet still totally Dame Shirley in all her over-the-top-glory. Probably the best Doors cover ever (though Nico's toxic reading of "The End", and Siouxsie and The Banshees' strangely Motown-esque version of "You're Lost Little Girl" come awfully close.)

from Something, available on CD


Love To Drink  performed by Slim Moon  1997
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Good spoken word just DOES it for me.

This song explains why Slim loves to drink. "I love the great ascension of an evening spent drinking. Every other drug you go up and down like an arc, but with booze you just get drunker and drunker..." When people say he's a drunk, he says "why should I worry about something that makes me feel better?", which is one of the most touching lines I've ever heard.

The instrumental behind him is "People Are Strange". I'd like to think Slim picked it because it was in The Lost Boys.

from Won't You Dance With This Man?, available on CD



Ma Jeunesse Fout le Camp  performed by Francoise Hardy
Recommended by ladonnaoscurata [profile]

I adore Francoise Hardy. Her music may be a bit too sweet for some, but this song is a favourite of mine. It's nostalgic and melancholy, and strangely comforting. My French isn't perfect, but I believe the song is about the loss of innocence and youth.

from 36 Grandes Succes


Meaning of Love  performed by Karin Krog  1974
Recommended by mr_klenster [profile]

What a strange and beautiful song! Cool-toned organ melodies played against a thick, warm, bass vein running through the entire song, complex drum backing, and the oddly distant, yet personally reflective lyrics of Karin Krog, combine to create a dream-like sound.






  Pal: Excellent song! Written by Steve Kuhn an american jazz musician/composer/arranger who I think lived in scandinavia in the late sixties. Besides Karin Krogh he has also worked with Monica Zetterlund. The best version of this song he has recorded himself though. Featuring Gary Mcfarland, Airto, Ron Carter & Billy Cobham!!
Moving  performed by Supergrass  1999
Recommended by geezer [profile]

An acoustic verse,which in any lesser band would have been a great chorus bleeds in to a glammed up sneering chorus,this process is repeated for the rest of the track ,rendering this epic song strangely upbeat/downbeat with no clear winner

from Supergrass, available on CD


Mrs. Bluebird  performed by Eternity’s Children  1967
Recommended by tempted [profile]

A fabulous acid-pop masterpiece featuring one of the most intriguing intros in pop history. Everything I love about psychedelic pop made in the US in the late 6t's comes together in Mrs. Bluebird: the softly mythical, escapist feeling that the harmony and orchestration bring into this music. I frequently use it as a getaway. I think indulging in this music is not sad but it shows you've got the means to make you happy. This song is a Curt Boettcher (The Millennium, Sagittarius) production that cannot have been made while under the influence of drugs!!

from Eternity's Children (Tower)
available on CD - Best of Eternity's Children




  493440: I appreciate the nice comments about "Mrs Bluebird." My name is Bruce Blackman and I wrote Mrs Bluebird. I was the founder of Eternity's Children in 1966. We did not survive because of incredibly bad management. Our two managers had the middle names of "Karl" and "Marion." After I left the group, they tried to cheat me (unsuccessfuly) out of any credit. A few years after Eternity's Children I formed my group Starbuck and we scored a top 3 with my song "Moonlight Feels Right." Three of the members of Eternity's Children were with me in Starbuck.
  john_l: I agree, this is a wonderful song! The organ keeps the beat (after the dreamy intro), the harmonies are great and there's that heavy psychedelic guitar solo in the bridge, although I believe that was edited out of a 45 or radio edit version.
  royjudywhi: In response to Bruce Blackman's comments under response 493440, he is absolutely correct about his penning of Mrs Bluebird. It was a great song off a great album. He is a talented songwriter but a lousey historian. The group was formed by Roy Whittaker when he was at Delta State College in Cleveland Mississippi. Bruce was an important part of the group but failed to survive the rigors of bad management. Bruce and Johnny Walker were the only members of Starbuck who were part of the original Eternity's Children group.
  tbrown: I too am a long time Eternity's Children fan. Grew up in Biloxi, played in a local band in high school. Used to go hear the Children at the Biloxi Hotel and at the Vapors in about 1967. Along with Little David and the Giants, they were the hottest groups around at the time....great memories. I see messages here by Bruce, and it looks like Roy maybe, and also saw one from Charlie Ross. Would love to hear from any of you guys just to find out what you are all up to these days.
  jwalker: Thought you Eternity's Children fans might like an update on another member. Johnny Walker played lead guitar and I believe was the lead vocalist on "Mrs Bluebird". He was also a member of Starbuck with Bruce Blackman later. Johnny's my brother and anybody that wants to contact him may do so through me. He lives 2 miles from here and has no internet access but I'm sure he'd like to hear from anybody out there that remembers Eternity's Children so please feel free to post and date your messages and we'll see that he gets them. Oh, by the way, Charlie Ross, another original member of the Children, is and has been for many years a founding member and the bass player/lead vocalist for the Krackerjacks, a kick-ass band in Greenville, Mississippi, the hometown of Johnny, Charlie and Bruce Blackman. My husband was also their keyboard player for several years.
  luna: For jwalker: Where in the world are you two these days? How's Johnny doin? I'm the other k-board player. Tell Johnny DDD said hello, also hello to your husband.
  trucol: For jwalker: Thanks for the compliment about the KrackerJacks. I have been the drummer since about 1983. Tell Johnny that T.C. said hello. He's one of most incredible guitar players I have ever heard. I first met him in P'cola. He was with another kick-ass band, Lazy Day.
  tempted: Hey guys, have you realized that there's a new 'Children "Lost Sessions" record out on Gear Fab Recs. Congrats!
  tempted: To John_I: the guitar solo remains there on the single version, too. It still gives me shivers.
  musicmars: Hey Bruce, it's an honor to post on a board that you read. I've loved Starbuck since I was 12 or 13. Moonlight Feels Right really is one of the best pop songs of the 70's. All three albums were great. I still have to find the Korona album. Anyway, Mrs. Bluebird, what a song. One of the best pop songs of the 60's. I first heard the remake a few years back from the UK? studio band Sunshine Day. It was a great remake but then my psychedelic record collecting led me to Eternity's Children and their version is even better. I only recently realized that it is the same Bruce Blackman that was in both bands. I'd love to hear some new music from you Bruce.
  luna: For tbrown: I don't you, but I was in Substantial Evidence in the late 60's on the coast.Do you know where Mark Simon,Pat Gill,Ray Zoler,Ted Tearse,Artie Desporte or any of these guys may be? Any info appreciated.
  jscarbo4: Does anybody have pictures of the entire Eternity's Children group? It was always irritating that only four of them were used on the album cover. I'd also like some update info on Roy Whitaker if anyone knows..........Also, does anyone know if Bruce Blackman ever recorded "For Crying Out Loud"? I heard him do it live at Dock-of-the-Bay, and was knocked out by it. Would love to have the recording if it's available.
  jscarbo4: Hey Luna, I wasn't aware of a 6th member of Substantial Evidence...tell me more so that I can add to my site: http://www.artist-murals.com/images/Pictures/Joel_Scarborough/Ray_zoller.htm
  tbrown: to Luna: Drop me an email at [email protected] and I will tell you who I am. WE probably know each other if you were with Substantial Evidence.
  ThomasInPlano: To Charlie Ross: During late '66 and '67 sessions at The Vapors me and some of my Biloxi USAF buddies used to chat with you between sessions talking music and it's direction. I was from Houston so we talked a lot about the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. At the time I didn't know much about acid so we talked like it was a pretty cool thing. I hope that didn't create any problems for you. I later got a tape of one of your reel-to-reel amateur recordings made at The Vapors. Later I was sent to Las Vegas ('67)and then Vietnam('68) so I lost track of how you guys were doing until I came back and was stationed north of Memphis. In '69 Eternity's Children did a TV performance in Memphis and I went to catch that performance on Saturday, only to find that it was taped earlier. I so much wanted to re-establish contact with you and catch up on what had been happening to you while I was away. Well, that was all for not but I hope maybe this will tell you how much your music that we knew back in late '66 and early '67 as Eternity's Children meant to us. Not everyone makes it to the very top, but it doesn't mean that they didn't have a wonderful effect on peoples memories. Your wonderful covers of so many types of music and your great originals will always remain in many peoples hearts. Someday I hope to get to chat with you by phone or email as we did at The Vapors Lounge. Mostly I remember you and Johnny Walker (who was such an inspiration on guitar) and Roy Whittaker. I hope that all of you are doing well as we have all had so many years go by and time starts to take it's toll on the body. Best regards, Thomas
  JKing2: I too am a big fan. I followed the band from Biloxi to Baton Rouge. Why no mention of Linda Lawley? Does anyone know what happened to her and/or her career?
  Roy5: I'm glad so many people remember Mrs Bluebird. I haven't even heard the song since 1968, when it charted, but I haven't forgotten it. I remember staying up one night waiting for our local station to play it. Finally it did--I think about 2:00 in the morning. But it was worth the wait. And I saw them perform on It's Happening, the summer replacement rock show from '68 hosted by Mark Lindsay and Paul Revere. Everything about the song is top of the line. Especially the organ, guitar and the vocal harmonies.
  JohnB: I've been a fan of Eternity's Children since the late 60's when they played the Vapors. Still have an original LP of theirs. God where have the years gone- that was music, and why they didn't go right to the top, well somebody made a big mistake not publicizing them properly. And where is Linda Lawley? Beautiful voice and a beautiful girl.
  dpinsd: In the summer of '68 I had just graduated and was leaving the country during the Vietnam War. I remember Mrs Bluebird by Eternities Children as being the last song I heard in San Diego before I left for New England then on to Portugal. I remember hearing this great song when I was in Rhode Island. I never forgot it. Apparently it is no longer available. I checked on Napster and it is not there either. I really want this song in my music library. It was good to read other comments from others that were also touched by this song that unfortunately did not go high on the charts. Dan in San Diego
  txsdrmr: To all, I grew up in greenville, MS in the 60's and went to Greenville High School with Charlie Ross, Bruce Blackmon and Johnny Walker. Before they hit the big time in the late 60's and 70's they were in some very tight group groups and played gigs in the MS delta almost every weekend. Charlie's original group was the Phantoms while Johnny and Bruce were in the Lancers. Another Greenville native to make the big time was James "Bud" Cockrell, founder of the San Francisco group, Pablo Cruise. If you count Joe Frank Carolla of Hamilton, Joe Fank & Reynolds who was from Leland, MS just 7 miles away, the Delta produced some really great talent. Those of us lucky enough to be there enjoyed some fine music. I've been fans of all these guys ever since and have collected all their 12" vinyls I could find. I'm in Houston, Texas now but still listen to Eternity's Chidren, Starbudk and H,JF, & R to take me back to those great days. -pope-
  raymar: My friends and I used to see Eternity's Children at a club called Jamie's in New Orleans every Wednesday night in 1967-68. We idolized this band and, of course, we were in love with Linda Lawley. It's so great to see that others remeber this group as weel.
  mac: My name is Mike McClain and I played organ with Eternity's Children right after Bruce Blackman left the group. We recorded lots of good music but never really got the push from Tower Records that we needed. I was thrilled when all our stuff that was in the can was released in that album from Europe. It was fun to hear all the old songs again. Wish I knew how to get in touch with Linda. Anyone know?Hey Charlie, Johnny,and Roy,as well as Bo Wagner the great vibe/marimba man that also played on Moonlight Feels Right...(he could also tap dance like crazy..no kidding)What fun those days were..
  luna: I was in substantial evidence briefly in the summer of 1969, after Ted T. quit and went with Flower Power(think that was the name of the group).I sang lead, before the hurricane destroyed everything.Wonderful summer. I now play and sing in the Krackerjacks.
  luna: A few more facts: I've been in touch with Ray Zoller, he's in Colorado. Also, Charlie Ross is our bassist in the KJ's. There was aband in '68' at the Fiesta, called The Omen; the group consisted of;Bruce Blackman on keyboards,Bud Cockrell on bass, Roy Whitaker on drums, Bo Wagner on vibes and percussion,a guy named(believe it or not)David Jones sang lead(should of been me Bruce dammit!),and I think Julie Landry may have been the female vocalist.Lots of known people in lots of groups in those days!I was also in the Lancers' latter days(middle 60's)Ray Z. is doin well.Anyway, just some tid-bits.
  cks6: Does anyone know where I can buy a copy of the Krackerjack's album entilted "Rockin' in the Delta"? Please contact me at [email protected] if you have any information. Thanks!!
  coochiekisser: The band was great. Sista Linda Lawleys rendetion of Hush may be one of the best versions since Billy Joe Royal
  h2obug: jwalker: Were you at anytime ever referred to a 'Fuzzy Walker'? or do you know who may have been? I have a Gibson Custom guitar with a name plate embossed "Fuzzy Walker". Trying to find out who actually owed this guitar before me. email me at [email protected]. Thanks P.S. I was a teenager when 'Moonlight Feels Right' hit the air. I seen the group in concert at Six Flags in St. Louis, MO and had photo's with the band members. I loved that song.
  Outlaw: Some Substantial Evidence info from the mouth of Artie Desporte... of the first (5) original band members, Ted Tearse was the first to leave the band. David Dodd took his place as the singer. David was discovered by Substantial Evidence while he was preforming at a club called the Fiesta. The band members approached David and offered him a spot in their band and he accepted. According to Artie, David was with the Band for about 5 or 6 months and for whatever reasons he left the band, and Ted Tearse rejoined. Substantial Evidence eventually added a 10 piece horn section and became known as Substantial Evidence Showband. They had quite a following but none as strange as 4 girls that called themselves " The Fearsome Foursome. " These girls kept journals on all the members of Substantial Evidence. Somehow they knew everywhere they went, what time they arrived and left. Anyway, about the time the Vietnam War broke out, the band members started to come and go. Eventually the band split up and everyone went their seperate ways. The City of Biloxi offered to pay all expenses to have the Band reunite and play at the Gulf Coast Coliseum for a charity event. The offer was extended by Gerald Blessey who also was our Mayor at the time and who played in a band called The Rocking (Rock'n?) Rebels. By this time everyone had their own lives, family and children. The reunion never took place.
  luna: For Outlaw: What's new putty kat? That's for Artie, if you're not him. The reason I used David as my first name was because they already had a guy named Doug! Great memories, great group!
  luna: Hey Artie; Do you remember when we took a train from Stamford Connecticut to Boston? We played in Rhode Island at a club called "The Edge".Anyway, I met a guy in the Army that heard us there.He lives in NJ.The reason I got out of SE was because my draft # was 3!!!(and big daddy Brad, aka Herchel, didn't like my rebellious ways)! The KJ's will be down that way probably this summer, and I'll give you a call.Did Pat and Carol get married??? She has a bunch of pictures I'd love to see.OutLaw, if you're not Artie, please pass this along to him. Thankx
  jumphigher: hi this is to luna pat gill from substatial evidence still lives on the coast and is not married to carol newman and he still owns a cigar shop in the mall.
  luna: for ck6;We did a double cd for our reunion last yr. and "Rockin In The Delta" was included on it along with some other songs from over the yrs. If you go to thekrackerjacks.com, you can contact us for info. Also our last cd "Timeless" is available.
  luna: For jumphigher: What is the name of your dad's store in the mall, and which mall is it in. I'll call him. Tell him I am David from '69. He'll know me. Thanks
  Outlaw1: Luna, Been a while since visiting this site. Forgot my PW and changed email Address. Had to change my username a bit. I am Artie's sista'-n- law. Now that he has a computer, I am sending him this site. Maybe he will stop by and you can talk over old times.
  luna: For Outlaw1: FINALLY, Im on the right trail to some S.E. players. Thank you for revealing yourself. If you see or know where Mark and Pat can be reached, please let me know. I've been in touch with Ray....Thankx--Luna(David)
  mike mcgann: Bruce...I played Mrs. Bluebird over and over at WLOX in Biloxi when I broke into radio in 1968. Saw the group at The Vapors one night that summer...Often wondered what happened to you, then Starbuck hit...I'm about to play 'Moonlight" on the air in a few minutes at WJAS (on 3-7PM) in Pittsburgh, PA. Thanks for the tunes and best of luck Mike
  Denny: Tower Records sure had an amazing roster in its six year existence and Eternity's Children was one of its hottest prospects! As I am writing this, I am listening to side 2 of the LP. "Mrs. Bluebird" has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid growing up in the 70's. With its unique mixture of mellow and upbeat, along with a stun gun guitar solo for the bridge, it should have gone much higher than its #69 peak on Billboard; at least it made the Top 40 on KQV Radio's survey from my hometown of Pittsburgh. I never heard it on radio itself, but if I ever get my own radio show, I guarantee that Eternity's Children will be among my playlist (none of that "same 50 oldies" stuff here). I'd sure love to see some of EC's televison appearances also, particularly "American Bandstand" and "Happening". Perhaps a DVD could be in the works in the future. And like many, I'd also like to know what has become of the lovely Linda Lawley.
  bwagner: bwagner: My name is Bo Wagner member of Eternity's Children and Starbuck. First of all I would love to thank all of our fans for all of their support and wonderful comments over the years. I know all of the band members appreciate it very much. I have been out of contact with everyone (all the band members for a long time)except for Bruce Blackman. We always seem to semi keep in touch. I send best wishes to all of the band members: Johnny, Linda, Charlie, Roy, Bud, Julie, Davie, and one that is never mentioned Bobby Dominquez (the best man at my wedding), all the other Starbuck members and especially Mike Kidd McClain. Mike I have been trying to find you for years. Would love to hear from you as well as all the other members if any of you would like to reconnect. I have read many versions over the years of who was in the band and how things happen and I feel there has been some mistakes. I would like to give my version. This will have to be lengthy, so please excuse the long story in advance. I don't know how else to do it.I was a LA studio musician and former drummer with the Fifth Dimension and currently a member of Lewis and Clark Expedetion with Michael Martin Murphy when I was hired to play drums, vibes, marimba and percussion for the 2nd Eternity's Children album "Timeless" who I was a big fan of. Having been with the Fifth Dimension I truly appreciated their fine vocals and great music. I played drums on every song on the "Timeless" album and added vibes and marimba on many of the songs. The instruments I played fit well with the Children's songs and I truly loved playing with them and we really took to each other.I had always wanted to feature vibes and marimba within a rock format and it worked well with the Children. Roy had left the band and the group asked me to join them. So I left Lewis and Clark and joined the Children. We added another Mississippi musician Bobby Dominquez to play drums so I could play vibes etc. Bruce and Johnny had left the band earlier and I sort of took the place of a guitar player since they had not replaced Johnny. (How can you ever replace Johnny Walker!!!)I sold everything (my car, home, everything ) and moved to Baton Rouge, LA and we all lived in one apartment. We constantly played gigs all over Louisana, Mississippi in every little town there was and I got very familar with the south very quickly and fell in love with the whole southern lifestlye and music scene. It has been written on sites like this over and over again and on our album, CD sleeves that I wasn't a member of the Children, only a studio player. I don't get that. I move to the south, lived with the band, practiced everyday and performed at every gig, tour, TV show as a full fledge member for quite awhile (almost a year), how can I not be considered a member. No I was not part of the original group but I certainly was a member from the beginning of the 2nd album. I was very happy playing with them and proud to be a member and would like to be considered one. I know if you ask Johnny, Bruce, Mike McClain, Bobby, Charlie or Linda they will tell you I was a full fledge member. I'm not sure who is writing the info on the group but my picture is on the front of the "Timeless" album. That should speak for itself. During this time I had met Bruce and Johnny and became good friends. Because of the bad management that had cause Bruce and Johnny to quit, Bobby Dominquez and I quit too. At first everyone was going to quit but back out and Johnny, Bruce and I decided to form our own version of the group and Roy rejoined us on drums at this time too. Bobby joined another group and worked across the street at the Vapors and we added Bud Cockrell and Julie and started working as the Omen at the Fiesta in Biloxi. We were a carbon copy of the original group. I brought in a friend of mine from LA who was a great Canadian singer, Davie Jones, and we had one hell of a good group. We worked very hard to develope new original songs and I feel we came up with really great material. We moved to Pensacola, FL to work with the producer Papa Don and one by one the other members left the original group and joined us. Finally everyone was there and we had double everything and was trying to work out who was going to do what. We were about to sign a new record deal and the bad managers showed up with fake contracts and prevented us from gettint a new deal and we had to dispand. So a year or less went by and Bud Cockrell called me and wanted to get back together and we did and tried to put a group together in Texas. We soon added Bruce to the group but it didn't quite work out so Bruce and I went back to Biloxi and reformed another group with Johnny Walker, Bob Gauthier and Tommy Allred. It lasted for awhile but again didn't gel for what we were really looking for. Again we separated and another year or so past and again Bruce, Johnny and I got back together (now in Atlanta, GA) and formed "Mississippi" and recorded an album in Nashville with Gary Paxton the producer of the Children's "Timeless" album. A great group but to many lead male vocalist. Couldn't really find our own sound. So Johnny went back to Florida and Bruce and I joined up with Elgin Wells,a guitar player and lead singer, a bass player and once again Bobby Dominquez on drums and the first "Starbuck" was formed. It never did click at all. So we broke up again and I went to Disneyworld. Couldn't handle that gig so came back to Atlanta which is where we had formed "Mississippi" and "Starbuck", and rejoined up with Elgin, keyboard player Sloan Hayes, drummer Brian and added bass player Jimmy Cobb. Very soon I was playing drums and we really wanted to do it right this time so I rented a farm and we all lived there and wrote and recorded songs in the daytime and played at clubs in the evening as "Extravaganza". We added David Snavley on drums and after a year added Bruce back to the band. Bruce had been writing songs all the time we were getting strong as a group and it was a good merger. So in a short time we became "Starbuck" once again. Elgin left and we hire Ron Norris for vocals and guitar and Tommy Strain as lead guitar. Finally we were back in the studio and recorded "Moonlight Feels Right" with Bruce as the lead singer. In all these years he had never sang, maybe a little backup. He sang on our demos and the recorded company like his voice and overnight he was our front man. We released "Moonlight Feels Right" and Bruce and I hit the road and went to radio station after radio station separately for a month. Moonlight got play but didn't take off. We broke up again I move back to CA. and the following spring I get a call from Bruce that "Moonlight" had taken off and we had a hit. So I quit the band I was in, in one second, drove straight thru to Atlanta and joined the rest of the guys who had gotten back toghter and we recorded our album straight thru. We were on a roll and didn't stop. "Moonlight" became a hugh hit with Bruce singing and I finally got to feature my marimba as a solo instrument (the reason I joined them in the first place years and years ago) and it worked. I must thank Roy Whittaker for helping to promote "Moonlight Feels Right". He was head of a major radio station in Florida and promoted and played the hell out our song. He helped us a lot. Thanks Roy. After our second album, Johnny Walker rejoined us and we were on tour all the time and lots of TV shows. We ran into Bud Cockrell all the time when he was with Pablo Cruise and did TV shows with him too. Small world. We started our third album and had a few differences and I left the group. They finished the album without me and the following year the group broke up completely. Bruce and I got back together in '84 and recorded two songs "Another Beat of My Heart" and "The Full Cleveland" just the two of us and released them and they were doing well but we decided not to continue. So that is my story. The whole story involves the same players over and over again so that is why I told all of it. I have never responded to one of these sites in all these years but felt compelled to do so now. So I made all of my comments at one time to get it over with. The real moral of this story is never give up. We were persistent and it finally payed off. Again I thank the fans for supporting us all these many years and it is really nice that people are still enjoying and buying our music even though a lot of it is badly mixed and under ground. Bruce and I talked last year and he said there was interest in "Starbuck" getting back together and doing "Where are they Now" or one of those TV shows. I would love to do it. So who knows, maybe we will do it one more time. I live in LA and am now a doctor and have a natural healthcare clinic and make nutritional products. I can be reached at [email protected]. Hey Johnny, Mike and any of you that would like to catch up let me hear from you. Thanks everyone for listening to me.
  luna: It is with a heavy heavy heart that I must inform all "The Children" fans that Johnny Walker and Linda Lawley,both, have passed away; both after long illness' that I can't elaborate on. I don't know the details,but I do know to all us who knew and loved them, it is shock and there will be 2 voids in my world.Johnny passed away in Florida a few months back, and Linda in CA.thanksgiving wk'end. Two great people and singers and players.GOD rest them, they will never be forgotten.
  Centerfield: The drummer for Eternity's Children used the name Frank Stevens when he was a DJ for us at WTIX New Orleans in the early 70's. I think his real first name was Roy. What was his last name? Thanks. Bob Walker
  funkypoormusician: Hi folks! My name is Ken Hilley and I am a former resident of the MS Gulf Coast. I ran across this site and this post just by chance while thinking about Juli Landry (the search lead me here). At any rate, I was enjoying the read and thinking of good old days until I read about Johnny Walker and Linda Lawley passing... Just couldn't believe it! What a loss of great talent! I remember Johnny playing that Gretsch guitar and making it sound so wonderful... that coupled with his powerful voice my, my, my! Linda of course was a beautiful lady with the look and the talent to impress anyone. I saw Linda once back in the early 70's at a club above the Fiesta in Biloxi one night. We sat and talked and partied (imagine that) for hours. As I remember we said goodbye early the next morning as the sun came up over the parking lot. I also saw Johnny about that time on several different occasions. He was living in Pensacola, FL and was playing music there. His wife Sue was a friend of mine. I introduced them many years back when Johnny and I lived in the Biloxi Hotel. Anybody remember that place? ha... Charlie Ross where are you! Anyway, those days were great cause there was so much great music, the times were a changing! Just in case you should read this I'd like to say hello to Bruce Blackman, Charlie Ross, Roy Whittaker (sister Sue too), Bo Wagner (wow what a dancer) and all the old friends from those times. A special prayer for Johnny and Linda and their loved ones! I now live in Nashville, TN and am still playing and writing music here. You can catch up with me on my website www.funkypoormusician.com and/or see my video's on youtube at www.youtube.com/funkypoormusician Peace
  lbwdog: Eric Watkins here: Great blog folks!! I see some old friends here. In 1969, I left the MS coast to join one of the last incarnations of "The Omen" with Johnny Walker in Pensacola. Bud Cockrell had left and Johnny came to Biloxi looking for a replacement. At that time, the band consisted of Johnny, Billy Haynes on Hammond, & Ralph Nolan on drums. Looking back, I relished the experience working with Johnny and learned a lot (as I was only 17/18 yrs. old). That band was almost a Procol Harum tribute band, as we did most of the first album, several selections from "Shine On Brightly", and some from "A Salty Dog". I'll never forget Walker singing these great compositions, especially "A Salty Dog", not to mention his great playing. This lasted about a year, and as young people will do, I decided to move on to something else. In late fall of 1970, I was called to join a band in Jackson, MS, which was comprised of Bo Wagner, Bruce Blackman, Tommy Aldridge (Later of Black Oak Arkansas, Ozzy Osborne, Whitesnake, etc.) Darell Gunter, Sara Fulcher, and Danny Lancaster who is the most soulful white singer I know (as well as my soul brother). The band was named Om Shanti (I think by Bo) and debuted at B.J.'s to a packed house. After a couple of months there were some musical differences and the band downsized to a four piece (Danny, Tommy, Darrell, and myself) called "Milk & Honey". We played around the south for about a year and went our own ways, some to reunite at times. Anyway, I recently heard of Johnny's passing and somewhere in the back of my mind, I always wished to do a real "Procol Harum" tribute with him. Well....some things are not to be. Let me leave you with a Johnny W. anecdote. I moved back to P'cola in '74 when he played with "Lazy Day". Went to visit at Johnny & Sue's apartment. If you knew Johnny, you'd know he hated cats!! I walk in to his house, and there are four or five Persians lounging around. I said "Walker, I thought you hated cats!" He says " I did, till I found out you could sell the damned things!!" RIP, J.W. and hi to Bo, Bruce, Ken Hilley, et al.....Many thanks E. W.
  lbwdog: Oh, BTW, to answer a four year old question...... [Quote]/03 Apr 04 �jscarbo4: ..........Also, does anyone know if Bruce Blackman ever recorded "For Crying Out Loud"? I heard him do it live at Dock-of-the-Bay, and was knocked out by it. Would love to have the recording if it's available.[quote] I was the bassist for Jerry Fisher & The Music Company at Dock of the Bay in Bay St Louis from '81-'98, Jerry was with B,S,&T in the mid seventies. We recorded an album called "In and Outa the Blues" in '92 and several tracks were written by Greg Barnhill who wrote "For Cryin' Out Loud", but don't know that B.B. performed it at The Dock of The Bay.....for the record....EW
  Telewacker: I met Johnny Walker in Atlanta in 1979. He joined a band I was leaving called Misty Morning. I played bass in the group, & the drummer, guitarist, & I left to form our own group with a keyboard player we knew. I will never forget the night he sat in,
  Telewacker: I was blown away! What a great guitarist! And that voice! OMG! I later rejoined Misty Morning, & had the pleasure of sharing many a stage with Johnny. Later, after leaving the group again & switching to guitar, I used a lot of what I heard Johnny do
  Telewacker: To form my style. I\'ll never be as good as he was, he was just a natural, but whenever someone compliments my playing, I tell them about this guy I knew named Johnny Walker & the inspiration he was to me. If they said they\'d never heard of him, I\'d
  Telewacker: think to myself, \"Your loss\". Before I go, I\'ll leave you with an example of his amazing voice. We got a request for \"Danny Boy\" at a club on St Patricks Day, & Johnny said he could sing it, so we said go for it. He did the tune solo, just his guitar
  Telewacker: and voice. From beginning to end, the joint was silent. No one made a sound, mesmerised by his performance. At the end, applause erupted for what sermed like forever.
  Telewacker: I was actually moved to tears, only time that has ever happened to me on stage. If I live to be 100, I doubt I\'ll ever hear anything like it again. I was heart broken by his passing. R.I.P. Johnny.
my white bicycle  performed by tomorrow  1968
Recommended by shaka_klaus [profile]

it's strange how people change. this group was led by steve howe, yes, the man from yes (a horrible group!). the song 'my white bicycle' �s a cover version. psychedelic trip!

from the single my white bicycle (parlophone)
available on CD - nuggets ii (rhino)




  stushea: Yeah, this is a great one. Not only is it trippy and funny, but very aggressive and intense in its own way.
Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth  performed by Sparks  1974
Recommended by geezer [profile]

A grandiose harpsichord entrance gives way to almost choirboy melody regerding our lack of concern over this planet of ours , add to this a vaudeville waltz time middle eight sung through a megaphone and we are firmly in the land of strange though not just for the sake of it . Weirdly wonderful and a Top 10 hit as well

from Propoganda, available on CD


Nobody Loves Us  performed by Morrissey  1995
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

This summer marks the 20th year of the release of 'Strangeways Here We Come' and the disintegration of the Smiths. *sigh* I was compelled to grab a stack of Morrissey CD singles as the soundtrack to my work day today and ended up playing this track several times over while stuck in the cube farm.

from Dagenham Dave - UK CD Single, available on CD


Oblighetto  performed by Brother Jack McDuff
Recommended by mr_klenster [profile]

No one's recommended this? This song is unreal in so many ways. First, it sounds like relaxing lounge jazz, then all of a sudden it changes into music for a Scooby-Doo episode, then the strange wailing comes in and you're floating through the deep void of space in an alternate reality without worrying about oxygen or the laws of physics. That is all within the first minute of the song. And then, and then, let's not forget the way the Brother kills on the organ, my friends. Then there's the sample appeal, most obviously this was slowed down for A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario", and recently reworked by Jay Dee, in that trademark handclap hitting, hypnotic head-nodding Dilla fashion.





On the Nature of Daylight  performed by Max Richter  2004
Recommended by space [profile]

An instrumental arrangement using only strings, this piece starts out slow and builds. Its overall tone is sweet and full of emotion. Very seldom does one encounter a song of pure aesthetic beauty, with no ulterior motives or elements, but this is one of those songs.

Max Richter has been influenced by minimalistic modern composers such as Philip Glass and Steve Reich, but his work has its own distinctive feel. This song, among others by Richter, was featured in the 2006 film Stranger Than Fiction.

from The Blue Notebooks


Piazza, New York Catcher  performed by Belle & Sebastian  2003
Recommended by executiveslacks [profile]

This is such a pretty song. With just an acoustic guitar and voice, it could've easily sounded like any other folk song, yet I find something incredibly endearing about it.
Lyrically, it's a love story interrupted with baseball imagery (very strange for a Scotsman to display an understanding of the sport).

from Dear Catastrophe Waitress, available on CD


Pinocchio  performed by Mary Roos  1977
Recommended by scrubbles [profile]

It's strange hearing a sweet, soothing kiddie tune sung in German, with all its hard syllables. "Pinocchio"'s sugary, synth-based production can best be described as "ABBA lite". Mary Roos is a singer I know little about, except she once entered the Eurovision song contest with "Arizona Man", an early Giorgio Moroder composition. She's so appealing here, though, that I would like to look into her other stuff.





Playground Love  performed by Air  2000
Recommended by delicado [profile]

To me, this one of the most perfect songs released in recent years. It's hard to pin down what makes this track so affecting - the instrumentation is mostly synth; there is also an understated, slightly Bowie-style vocal. Overall I think it is the music itself - the fragile chord sequence and instrumentation evoke a strange sense of lost summer memories.

from Virgin Suicides, available on CD




  secularus: This track is sublime. Atmosphere to the nth degree. Sophia Coppola is very lucky to have a gem like this as the pervasive track to her film, The Virgin Suicides. Mesmerizing.
  tinks: that ain't the only reason sofia coppola is very lucky, but that's another story. i agree, i love the entire score to the film.
Po’ Boy  performed by Bob Dylan  2001
Recommended by Gumbo [profile]

Just when I had almost lost all hope of ever hearing a new Dylan song which, as a combination of an engaging vocal performance and fascinating lyrics, just fill you with a strange sense of happiness - he comes up with this one. While not being like a typical Dylan classic, this one has a very, very warm feel to it + vocals which I thought he couldn't produce in 2001 anymore. After the rather cold and almost posturingly melancholy "Time Out of Mind" album, "Love & Theft" was pleasantly wise and human.

from Love & Theft, available on CD


Poor Wayfaring Stranger  performed by Dusty Springfield  1965
Recommended by Mister C [profile]

What can you say about this, it was recorded live and was originally recorded by Jo Stafford. This is just fabulous.




Prototype  performed by OutKast  2003
Recommended by Festy [profile]

I knew nothing about OutKast, and know little more now. What I do know is that this song was from a concept album in which both members of Outkast ("Andre 3000" and "Big Boi") produced a side each. Also from what I understand, this track may not be typical of their usual stuff. I also found out that this was played to death on the radio when it was released, so this may not be a new song to many. Not being a commercial radio listener, I missed it when it was released!

I'm not sure what attracted me to the song first off. Perhaps it was how sparse and basic it seems, perhaps the humour in it ("stank you smelly much" - real lyrics in this love song), or perhaps the "behind the scenes" audio, like Andre's dicussion with the engineer. Why would he leave that in, I wonder. Is it a theme that runs through his side of the album? Anyway, a soulful and beautiful, if not strange song which I heard on a compilaton called "Strange Soul" put out by Albion Records.

from Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (LaFace Records 82876 50133 2)
available on CD - Strange Soul (Albion Records)



Pyar Karne Wale  performed by Asha Bhosle  1980
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

A week ago I was in India, the holiday of a lifetime. As well as all the tourist stuff, like temples and museums, I always make sure that I get a slice of pop culture when I'm in a foreign country. So the night tended to conclude in the hotel with a bit of Indian TV.

Watched a fair bit of MTV India which, if anything, is even heavier on ads and blatent self-promotion that its British and American equivalents. I was cheered to see that most of the music they played was in Hindi and there was a limit on the American and European bands that got airplay (seemingly, strangely, limited to The Rasmus and Britney Spears).

But MTV is only watchable for a limited amount of time. Jet lag and excitement dictates that one spends more time awake than asleep and so I got to see a few late 70's Bollywood classics, among them 'Shaan' (translation: 'Pride'). This Asha Bhosle gem is from this movie. The film itself struk me as a fairly banal James Bond rip off although, not speaking Hindi, I grant that I'll have missed the more subtle aspects of plot construction.

This song stopped me in my tracks. I knew that Bollywood was an area that I enjoyed but was in a grand state of ignorance of, and I was looking forward to rectifying this. Pyar Karne Wale takes the prize for best Donna Summer rip off EVER. Stealing its barely-adjusted backing from 'I Feel Love', Bhosle wails and moans over the top, transforming Moroder's disco classic into something that simultanously establishes common ground between Indian and European disco while evoking its more subtle differences.

Myself and boyfriend came back with what seems like every Bollywood soundtrack produced between 1972 and 1980 including, of course, Shaan. I look forward to educating myself in this genre and finding more similar gems.

from Naseeb / Shaan, available on CD




  pleasepleaseme: Hi, I'm From N.Y.C. In the early 80's we had a show on cable, called "Cinema,Cinema, which showed numbers from the classic cinema. I lucked out on a few OST'S. Can highly recommend "Qurbani" & "Kasme Vaade" & "Sargam" & "Sawan Ko Aane Do" & "Loafer". Would love to know if you found any of those, or if you could recommend some of your finds.
  jeanette: Did indeed pick up Qurbani, which I have now listened to and would agree that its fab. That's the only one I have of those you mention. Got 30-odd CDs and most of them are double or triple headers, and I'm slowly ploughing my way through the pile. Favourite thus far is 'Zamaane Ko Dikhana Hai' which is another R.D. Burman stunner.
  olli: RD burman is, ahem, "da bomb". probably my favourite bollywood producer/composer. not that i'm an expert on indian 70's pop culture or anything.
Rainin thru my Sunshine  performed by The Real Thing  1978
Recommended by geezer [profile]

All the lavishness of Bil Withers "Lovely Day" but with the sentiments turned upside down,the sun is still there but clouded wiith tears .This beautiful soul/funk ballad is for some strange reason,almost unheard but rates along side their biggest hit "You to me Are Everything".This is what you find if you keep digging and delving.

from Best of
available on CD - Best of or Late Night Tales_jamiriquai


Revenge  performed by Mindless Self Indulgence  2008
Recommended by drumandspace [profile]

"Revenge" is a catchy, electro punk song on Mindless Self Indulgence's new CD "If." Besides Jimmy Urine's (the lead singer) hallmark falsetto reeling in the chorus, this song has a certain feel that takes me back to the days of "Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy." Listen to the bridge the second time around ( a little after the two minute marker) and you will notice the detail of some perfect timed techno. The tune behind "This...is...my...re..venge..." is just hypnotic and I wish I could just isolate that part into a song of its own. The introduction is a little annoying but with the help of the "seek" button I have perfected fast forwarding it to the actual song and enjoying two minutes of pure bliss any industrial, jungle, or techno fan will simularily enjoy.

from IF


Richard Nixon  performed by Rod & The MSR Singers  197?
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

One of the more famous song-poems, this is sung by the man with a thousand names, Rodd Keith. Being English, I had never really heard of the song-poem concept until an article in (I think) Cool & Strange Music magazine. Then this compilation CD came out and, wow, pinch my cheeks and call me a convert.



Anything that encourages the bizarre side of human nature gets my approval and song-poems certainly do that. Especially the right wing freaks, who seem to be over-represented in the genre. This is one of those very over-zealous numbers, stating (pre-Watergate) that Nixon is "a man of priceless worth".



What I love about Rodd Keith is that, no matter how banal or weird the lyrics kicked out by some Arkansas dweller are, he gives a sterling performance. This is no different. The spirit in which the song is written is strictly adhered to by Keith, adding of course to its overall charm.

from The American Song-Poem Anthology: Do You Know The Difference..., available on CD



Ring Worm  performed by Van Morrison  1968
Recommended by agnamaracs [profile]

Okay, I'm going to summarize the story as best as I can.

Van Morrison's first recording contract as a solo artist was with a small label called Bang, owned by a man named Bert Berns. Among Bang's hits were "I Want Candy" by the Strangeloves, "Hang On Sloopy" by the McCoys, "Cherry Cherry" by Neil Diamond, and of course "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison.

Bang released Morrison's first album, "Blowin' Your Mind," in 1967. The thing is, Morrison had nothing to do with it. He wanted out of his contract. Berns died in December of that year, but Bang (now run by Berns's wife Ilene) still wanted ten songs from Van. He gave 'em 31.

The Bang Contractuals, as these sessions have come to be known, can be split into three categories: throwaways ("Twist and Shake," "Stomp and Scream"), cynical commentary ("The Big Royalty Check," "Blow in Your Nose" [a play on "Blowin' Your Mind]), and the just plain bizarre.

"Ring Worm" is a member of the third group. First of all, Morrison doesn't sing the lyrics, he speaks them. Second, the lyrics are:

I can see by the look on your face... that you've got ring worm.
I'm very sorry, but... I have to tell you that... you've got... ring worm...
It's a very common disease...
Actually, you're very lucky to have... ring worm, because you may have... had something else.


Finally, after the lyrics comes the most bizarre "singing" I've ever heard. I can't even describe it. You'll have to hear it for yourself. I will say this: if you're familiar with Van's more commercial works, you will be dumbfounded.

Of course, we all know the rest of the story: later in 1968, Morrison signed to Warner Bros., recorded "Astral Weeks," and became a legend. I have friends, however, that believe the Bang Contractuals to be his best album.

The material shouldn't be too hard to find: since its first release (apparently, by a small Portuguese label in 1992), the Bang Contractuals have been released over and over, always as a two-disc set with the more "legitimate" Bang material ("Brown Eyed Girl," etc.) Look for titles such as "The Complete Bang Sessions," "Payin' Dues," and (ugh) "Brown Eyed Beginnings."

from The Lost Tapes (Movie Play Gold)
available on CD - ah, thousands of 'em (take yer pick)




  eftimihn: I already knew this weird story, but being a fan of Van for 15 years or so it wasn't until these 2 tracks (together with "You Say France And I Whistle") were featured on Otis Fodder's 365 Days Project that i eventually heard them. Hilarious stuff. It's pretty much a precedence that shows what happens when record companies force artists to be creative and deliver what they want...
River Deep Mountain High  performed by Celine Dion  1997
Recommended by ajhorse21 [profile]

Powerful vocals... the verses have a strange and different tune- they sound almost like Celine's making it up as she goes along, but in a good way. Even if this isn't her most heartfelt song, it is very good and fun to listen to.


available on CD - VH1 Divas Live



  delicado: Celine Dion recommendations are like buses - you wait 5 years and then two come along at once!
  n-jeff: You should listen to the Ike and Tina Turner version, produced by Mr Spector P himself.
Mighty doesn't do it justice: it sounds like it's sung from the top of a mountain with the forcefulness to carry it clean across the ocean.

  konsu: I'm a digger of Harry Nilsson's version myself... But I agree with n-jeff, the Ike & Tina version is definative. I haven't heard the Celine version, but I imagine it being housed-up... ick.
  n-jeff: Harry Nilsson, eh? Interesting choice of cover for him, being something of a non-bombast type. I'll have to find that. Thanks konsu!
  konsu: Well... I wouldn't call his version bombastic, but it picks up nicely on the energy of the original without leaving it in their court. It appears on his debut "Pandemonium Shadow Show".I would have to say his earlier work just contains more verve in general. I would also recommend his "A Little Schmilsson in the Night" LP to any Celine fan. His range as a vocalist cannot be underestimated.
Ruby Don�t Take Your Love to Town  performed by Kenny Rogers & The First Edition  1969
Recommended by nicegeoff [profile]

Kenny Rogers provides quite the haunting lead vocal on this track. The jaunty drums and choir vocals only enhance the creepiness.

from Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town



Running Away  performed by Strange Advance  1985
Recommended by Colinator [profile]

Wonderful lyrically, aswell as a very atmosphere-setting mood in the music.
Here are the lyrics:

Running Away

I've come from a more than human kind
Fugitive child of the human mind
I could run for a thousand miles
It would'nt keep me safe
I search for my soul, you destroy me with fear
Don't want to hurt you
Can we can we ever be together as one
Man what have you done

Chorus

Nowhere to go I've nowhere to stay
I'm running away
I'll hide in the world I can't leave a trace
I'm running away

Danger in every street and every town
A.I screens and hunters abound
I could deceive you live the lie
Plexi-birds and mongrel spies
I could hurt you in the night
Who can I turn to
You tampered with the scheme
And made 'The men who are not'
Man what have you wrought

from 2wo (Capitol)
available on CD - Over 60 Minutes With: Strange Advance


Sabia, Diga La  performed by Jaime & Nair  1974
Recommended by pleasepleaseme [profile]

Bizarre Cut. What's This "Country Funk"? Strange little record. Beautiful Production. Both have very nice voices. And love the 12 string Guitar. Flows Nicely.

from Jaime & Nair, available on CD


Skin Trade  performed by Duran Duran  1986
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

Beneath the avant-garde lyrics and futuristic synth textures, there was always a pulsing dance music quality that drove the classic Duran Duran sound. As they progressed into the late '80s, they allowed that dance element to move up front and dominate their style. A good example of this tactic is "Skin Trade," a hit whose silky and funky style led to it being mistaken for a Prince song. The lyrics have a surprisingly direct, soul-searching feel to them as they lay out scenarios of people shortchanging their dreams to make money. These moments are followed with the dramatic proclamation that makes up the chorus: "Will someone please explain/The reasons for this strange behavior?/In exploitation's name/We must be working for the skin trade." The music lends contrast to the angry tone of the lyrics by creating a sultry, mellow melody that juxtaposes verses with a soft, hypnotic ebb and flow with an ever-ascending chorus that revs up the song's inherent drama. Duran Duran's recording is fuelled by funky but gently layered guitar textures and subtle drum work that push its groove along, plus some atmospheric synth textures on the chorus. Interestingly, Simon LeBon uses his normal tenor voice for the choruses but sings much of the verses in a lush, soulful falsetto that led many pop fans to initially mistake "Skin Trade" for a Prince ballad. The result was a perfect blend of slow-dance textures and adult social critique. It didn't do as well as "Notorious," just barely making the Top 40 in the U.S., but it got plenty of radio airplay and is fondly remembered by the group's fans as one of Duran Duran's most mature achievements of the late '80s.
(AMG)

from Notorious, available on CD


smells like teen spirit  performed by pleasure beach  2001
Recommended by shaka_klaus [profile]

strange and kind of funky version of a song that was very popular when i was just a little boy. i don't know any other songs by the group. i heard it on a acid jazz label comp and i bought the single. i don't think i've ever listened to the a-side...


available on CD - hammond street (acid jazz)


Sophisticated Lady  performed by Robert Maxwell  1962
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This instrumental version of sophisticated lady is unlike any other I have ever heard. The harp is used alongside some strange instrumentation and recording techniques to create a unique other worldly sound. There is also a Richard Maxwell trademark - an incongruous, rasping 50s style sax solo in the middle. He was a pretty interesting guy, all in all; his Decca albums pretty much all seem to be interesting.

from Peg O My Heart (Decca DL74563)



Sore  performed by Buck 65  2003
Recommended by trivia [profile]

Although Buck's "ragged old man" routine can be charming, it usually comes off feeling more like a Tom Waits rip-off than a Tom Waits homage. "Sore" is my favorite track on "Talkin' Honky Blues" because it does away with the overly-cute oddball beat poetry that Buck often indugles in and offers a more sincere and unaffected portrayal of the wayfaring nomad / poor white trucker.

Buck's in a one horse town with a broken down pick-up, left to set up shop in a shoddy motel and reflect on his life. The lyrics are country gold all rapped up pretty: "I'm drawn to familiar environments and dangers / I look in my photo albums and all I see is strangers / What is my problem?"

I'm a sucker for good desolation-hop (unfortunately for me, there isn't much out there), and "Sore" fits the bill perfectly.

from Talkin' Honky Blues, available on CD



Stop Loving Me,Stop Loving You  performed by Marvin Gaye  1976
Recommended by geezer [profile]

An accusatory narrative on his marriage to Motown owner Berry Gordys daughter.Sweet but bitter not the same as bittersweet.Strangely compelling with no distinct melody ,bridge or chorus and the title only mentioned in the last few bars .However you feel after one listen an intimacy with the songs creator and this confessional opus .In places you can hear four or five Marvins pleading and apologising and blaming.I think in this instance it would appropriate to use the word genius .The moral being never marry the boss,s daughter.

from Here My Dear, available on CD


Strange and Beautiful (I’ll Put a Spell on You)  performed by Aqualung  2002
Recommended by fr0mthepast [profile]

Slow and haunting music, accompanied by lyrics that really hit the heart. I like it so much because of what I see when I hear it, I can just see the song in picture format in my head. That sort of thing doesn�t happen often. And who doesn�t connect to unrequited love?

from Aqualung



  Mike: Matt Hales is a very good artist indeed. I'm sure that he's British rather than American, though!
  thiagofreitas89: It's a great song, it gave me chills when I first heard it on The OC!
Strange Fruit  performed by Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra  1939
Recommended by tinks [profile]

"Strange fruit hanging/from the poplar tree"...one of the most haunting songs ever written. Holiday recorded this song about a lynching several times throughout her career, but this original version features a performance so intense that it is impossible to beat.


available on CD - 1939-40 (Classics)



  Swinging London: Nina Simone's version of this is also very beautiful.
  space: An extremely important and agonizingly beautiful song.
Strange Noices  performed by Anja Garbarek  1996
Recommended by Stian______ [profile]

Anja , the daughter of the highly respected Jan Garbarek ,one of the big jazz-dudes in Norway , Anja started to do music after she found that acting was too restricted. On this tune\album she uses her freedom to create dream-like atmospheres.

U can hear her that she is inspired by Laurie Anderson on this tune ,in the way she tells the story. Instrument-wise the tune is very multi-layered and intruiging. I highly recommend it if u like the music of for example Bj�rk,Kate Bush etc.

from Balloon Mood, available on CD



strange weather(live)  performed by tom waits  1988
Recommended by olli [profile]

originally written for marianne faithfull, but i prefer tom waits`s own rendition of this song.
a slow tango-esque piece with a sublime lounge band backing(if you can call a something featuring a banjo player a lounge band)and half-whispered, half sung vocals. i really appreciate the sound of the "big time"-album.
the backing music in the chorus of this song never fails to conjure up images of the tango band from "a nightmare before christmas" in my head, due to the similarity of the sound. did danny elfman fall in love with this song during the composition of the soundtrack, or does he and waits share a common, different source of inspiration? if so, i`d love to hear that song..

waits revisited the musical ideas of this song for "it`s over" (an outstanding song in it`s own right)from the "liberty heights" soundtrack, by the way. it`s always interesting to hear him experiment with and explore his own compositions, but then again i`m a sucker for variatons on musical themes..

from big time


Stranger Things Have Happened  performed by Foo Fighters
Recommended by nicolebaker [profile]




Strangers calling  performed by Aluminum Dream  1968
Recommended by Mirko [profile]

This is an astonishing song! The band from New Jersey was closely related to Timothy Leary's community for which they performed gigs, like on 4th of July 1967.This song wasn't even published, only one acetate is left of the recording session which was in Apostolic studios in N.Y in 1968. Billy Barth which was the member, recalls that this was the only song recoreded.There is an instrumental "Flesh Kingdom" which was issued by TV Toy Billy's brother's band.
The song has a marvelous organ introduction and it has love relation lyrics which fit very well to melody.Apparently this band did not have appropriate management because he deserved a much better fate.





  billybarth: hello to Merko I m the guy who wrote "Strangers Calling" I don't live in New Jersey any more, but in Bucharest, Romania. How did you get to hear the song? There are only two acetates, and Allan Landon, my partner in songwriting in our group Aluminum Dream, has one, and me the other. Is the song on the web, or what. If it is, great. I just want to know what's up. please contact me here: [email protected] your right about bad management....we never got a record deal, though we went on to do other things.. hear my newer stuff at soundclick.com searching Billy London UK.....latest song is "Porno Baby"
Sweet Talkin' Woman  performed by Electric Light Orchestra  1977
Recommended by scrubbles [profile]

Try to remove this from all the boring "classic rock" trappings its acquired over the years. Appreciate what a fascinatingly strange combination of overheated pop, symphonic grandeur, and rock-ish muscle this is. So 1977, yet so timeless. Thank you.

from Out of the Blue, available on CD



Take Me With You  performed by Lyn Christopher  1973
Recommended by mr_klenster [profile]

Sinister and spacy, slightly discordant, gospel-inflected soul groove, with a murderous, high-powered bassline. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss apparently sing background vocals on this artist self-titled album, and strangely enough it's their backing that makes this sound sort of reminiscent of a gospel session, but in space maybe. Begging lyrics and tripped out reverb enhance the strange, infectious hold of this song. This is a very heavy, mournful, and unique sound experience. Recommended.





Taken By A Stranger  performed by Lena Meyer-Landrut  2011
Recommended by ESC_Dream [profile]

German entry for Eurovision Song Contest 2011, 10th place

from Good News, available on CD


Tambo  performed by Gilberto Valdes  1940
Recommended by tapler [profile]

A peculiar recording from the early 40s in Cuba. This song sounds like a Carl Stalling, Raymond Scott, or Leroy Shield piece from a cartoon. Abrupt tempo changes, a cool bass clarinet. Unlike any other song I can think of, except "Sangre Africana" also by Valdes.


available on CD - Cuban Big Bands (Harlequin)



Te Quiero Tal C�mo Eres (Just The Way You Are)  performed by Jose Jose  1977
Recommended by RCA76 [profile]

This is an "excelente" version of Billy Joel's version of "Just The Way You Are". This album was recorded in 1977, beginning his era with BMG/ Ariola records. The executives, happy to have a performer like JOSE JOSE, provided him with the best musicians, numbers and producers of the time. Included in this album are 2 numbers by Mexico's greatest: Juan Gabriel ("Ya lo pasado, pasado" & "Ahora No !"). Among others credited are Napoleon ("Lo que no fue, no sera"), Adan Torres("Almohada"). Of the 10 numbers included, 7 were top ten hits in Mexico, Colombia and the U.S. Leaving disco to other performers that needed to launch their productions to the international market, Jose Jose's album is just pure old-fashioned latin love songs, songs still heared today.

from Lo Pasado, Pasado, available on CD


Tears  performed by Chameleons UK  1986
Recommended by justicebritches [profile]

The original track off of Strange Times is haunting with a kind of 16 Candles-esque jangle shoegaze chorus. It's beautiful and haunting in a way that will conjure the victories and pratfalls of long term relationship.

from Strange Times, available on CD


Ten Miles High  performed by David and the Giants   1968
Recommended by geezer [profile]

That rarest of anomalys, psychedelic Northern soul,a strange land where a late sixties slice of psyche pop can run amok with soul legends and funk obscurities in some dingy cellar club in the middle of Blackpool.Innocent and as catchy as hell ,some de riguer flanging and Who style backing vocals cannot deter this song from its righteous melodic path.

from single CAPITOL 1968
available on CD - Talcum Soul 2


The Awakening  performed by Pizzicato Five  1995
Recommended by Erik [profile]

Considering the number of songs P5 recorded, they have made very few ballads. It's a shame, because Maki's voice is so beautiful in slow, dramatic songs. 'The Awakening' is the first song on 'Romantique '96' (after a short opening-collage) and it still amazes me because it's such a strange way to start an album. I think it's the most beautiful melody Konishi has ever written.

from Romantique '96 (Triad Nippon Columbia COCA 12889)




  johannp: The song is on "great white wonder" as well, but sung by a male singer (Konishi or Takanami perhaps?). It's a beautiful song, though not a typical Pizzicato Five tune :)
The Damned Don't Cry  performed by Visage  1982
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

First of all I had to ask myself whether the real reason I really like this song is because the title is cribbed from a movie I love. (An ace bit of film noir from 1950, starring Joan Crawford, that I can't recommend strongly enough.) And yeah, it is rather "Fade to Grey"- Part II, (though I think the melody/mood/dynamics are stronger here.) And yeah, lyrically it�s all a bit John Foxx-light - images of European ennui and dissipation minus the inspiration. And yeah, I'm the first to admit Visage is to great post-punk-electro what Baccara is to prime 1970's disco, but I love "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" and I love "The Damned Don't Cry" - damn it!

from The Anvil
available on CD - The Damned Don't Cry


The Light of Day  performed by The Divine Comedy  2006
Recommended by Mike [profile]

In what is another of Neil Hannon's best songs, we hear his superb bittersweet lyrics emerging from an intricate and intermittently lush backing. As usual, the chords are not particularly complicated or unusual, but are extremely well-chosen.

Brilliant, in spite of the strange choice of sangria near the beginning, with its forced accent on the second syllable.

from Victory for the Comic Muse, available on CD


The Spook Walks  performed by Spooks  196?
Recommended by delicado [profile]

A murky and twangy instrumental, drenched with reverb and strange sound effects, courtesy of Joe Meek. Ridiculous, but superbly atmospheric.

from the single The Spook Walks
available on CD - Intergalactic Instro's - The Joe Meek Collection (Diamond)


The Way of the World  performed by Justin Hayward  1996
Recommended by elfslut [profile]

As a huge Moody Blues fan, I'm always excited to hear a new track by the frontman, Justin Hayward. This track from his 96 solo album is one worth listening to.

Somewhere between 91 and 96, Justin learned to handle his guitar like George Harrison. You'll notice this if you listen to the Moody Blues' 99 offering Strange Times, but that's not the point. On this particular song, you get the Harrison-like guitar-riff along with the haunting vocals that Hayward is famous for. Combined the two are a powerful mix. This song and all the others on the CD are worth taking a listen too.


available on CD - The View From the Hill


This is Hardcore  performed by Pulp  1998
Recommended by delicado [profile]

I was never a Pulp fan, and I'm still not exactly a huge one. I never quite got why songs like 'Do you remember the first time' and 'Common People' were so great. I don't mind those songs now, but they never hit me in the way that 'This is Hardcore' did.

It's hard to explain why the dramatic, slightly ridiculous tone of the song appeals to me so much. The song is built around a sample from 'Bolero on the moon rocks' by Peter Thomas, the German film composer, and I think it's used very well - the sample adds texture and atmosphere, but doesn't dictate the song. I enjoy the way things develop at a slow pace, with new musical sections still being introduced late in the song. I'm very fond of all of these, but the slow, dreamy section that comes in at around 4:15 is particularly appealing, with its lush and strangely 80s sounding backgrounds.

Utter, utter genius!

from This is Hardcore, available on CD



  scrubbles: Totally agree ... I remember that the video for this song was equally fantastic - a tribute to '50s technicolor melodramas, but with an added dose of sleaze.
  olli: dammit. just rediscovered this myself and was about to rcommend it. didn't appeal to me the first time around, but then again i probably have a slightly better/ more diverse taste in music now. besides, the years have been kind to it. you're spot on about the use of the peter thomas sample, i have to agree that it's pretty tastefully done.
  olli: if you can use the word "tasteful" about this song, that is:)
tiger  performed by brian auger & the trinity with julie driscoll  1967
Recommended by shaka_klaus [profile]

hammond groover number one, brian auger, teams up with julie driscoll for a song that doesn't sound like anything else. the choir by driscoll is quite strange and repititous (straight from the bengal???), vocals by auger just blows me away.

from the single tiger (columbia db 8163)
available on CD - the mod years 1965-1969 (disconforme)



Tiny Children  performed by The Teardrop Explodes  1981
Recommended by geezer [profile]

A lonely solo keyboard carries this strange beautiful slice of eighties psychedelia along,shades of Barratt and Robert Wyatt inform this oddly ,detached nursery rhyme vision of childhood with innocence pouring from every word

from Wilder, available on CD


Trzeba Wracać  performed by Novi Singers  1967
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Listening again to a compilation I made almost four years ago, I heard this magical track, which really had a big effect on me. It's probably not for everyone. Meandering and rather wistful, it's not at all funky like some of their later work, but I find it utterly compelling.

As you might have heard, Novi Singers were an incredibly talented quartet of vocal singers recording in Poland in the late 60s and 70s. They did several amazing records. This is taken from what I think was their first, Bossa Nova. But rather than renderings of songs like 'One note samba' and 'Desafinado', the album consists of a delightful and varied collection of originals in a related mood. The result is like bossa nova from a parallel, slightly more melancholic universe.

The accompaniment is a slow, gentle bossa played by a small jazz group, with some rich strings dropping in and out, and the vocals (all wordless/scat) take centre stage. The chord sequence is staggeringly beautiful, and at times the vocalists take slightly extravagant scat solos.

It sounds strange to say it, but this is really one of those tracks that seems to tell an enormous, emotional story, in spite of the fact that it doesn't contain one word! It would make a fantastic soundtrack to a silent movie.

from Bossa Nova (Polskie Nagrania)
available on CD - Bossa Nova/Torpedo (Polskie Nagrania)



  delicado: just to reiterate, this IS the best song ever!
Underwater Chase  performed by Al Caiola  1966
Recommended by delicado [profile]

I had forgotten quite how brilliant this track is until it strangely popped into my head yesterday. It was originally available on Al's superb 'Sounds for Spies and Private Eyes' album, as well as volume 2 of the 'Music to Read James Bond By' series on United Artists records. It's very obviously James Bond rip-off music, but it's so perfectly executed, with cool percussive brass and Al's reverb-laden guitar nicely complemented by a swinging organ, that you can't help but love it.

from Sounds for Spies and Private Eyes (United Artists UAS 6435)
available on CD - Ultra Lounge - Cocktail Capers (Capitol)



Up On The Hill  performed by Mark Burgess and the Sons of God  1994
Recommended by john_l [profile]

Ex-Chameleons leader Mark Burgess released this CD in '94, which was supposed to be demos, but his "demos" are superior to most acts' finished products. This particular song is very gloomy, in two parts, and the second half has ghostly backing vocals (very likely synthesized) which recall those in Terry Stafford's '64 hit "Suspicion". There is a cello snaking around throughout, not to mention a banjo (!), and the acoustic guitar backing sounds muted. The lyrics seem to be critical of religion ("Yes I'm a fool, A fool not a rat, I have no fear of the cat"), which makes it the kind of song one would wish to have played at one's funeral. Mark Burgess has more talent in his little finger than most phoney chart acts have in their entire persons!

And by the way, the Chameleons' "Strange Times" LP is awesome!


available on CD - Zima Junction (Pivot)


Vermelho  performed by Claudette Soares  1970
Recommended by gregcaz [profile]

Perky, pint-sized bossa chanteuse Claudette Soares scored big in the late 60s by following Wilson Simonal's stylistic lead into an irresistible mix of pop, samba, French ye-ye, boogaloo, soul and bossa. This is a perfect example of the strangely Isaac Hayes-influenced arrangements to be found on her 1969-70 "pop" LP trilogy, and another winner from the then-unstoppable Adolfo-Gaspar writing team.

from Claudette No. 3 (Philips)


Want a Danish  performed by Van Morrison  1968
Recommended by agnamaracs [profile]

Another song from the Bang Contractual Sessions (see my previous writeup for "Ring Worm"). In this one, Van actually has a conversation with himself:

"You want a danish?"
"No, I just ate. I've just aten."
"D'you want..."
"Like, I want some bread up front."
"Oh, bread up front? You want a sandwich?"


The remainder of the lyrics is basically the phrases "have a danish," "you want a sandwich? have a sandwich," and "have a seat" repeated ad nauseam. (The song is only a minute long.)

Along with introducing the word "aten" and the phrase "bread up front" into our lexicon, this might rank as Van Morrison's strangest recording... and given the rest of the Bang Contractuals, that's saying something. You've gotta love his delivery, though.

from The Lost Tapes (Movie Play Gold)
available on CD - a whole bunch (you'll find one eventually)




  sashwap: i maintain that he actually says "eaten" but with an irish accent.
Warm Up  performed by Henry Mancini  1973
Recommended by tinks [profile]

Strange, plodding piece for this film about the '72 Munich Olympics. Very odd tempo (7/4 time?) with a warm cornet right up front that interplays nicely with the organ.

from Visions of Eight (RCA Victor)



Watermelon Man  performed by Anita Harris  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Superlative version of this track with some wild percussion and brass. I assume this was on one of her LPs, but I have it on a strange 45 sampler of her and other artists called 'spinalong'. Utter winner - keeps changing key. Her voice is cool and characterful enough as it is, so the effect is pretty wild!





We Ate Each Other  performed by The Robot Ate Me  2002
Recommended by ispoketofoxes [profile]

San Diego's Ryland Bouchard could be one of the most gifted musical persons to have ever lived. Bouchard's creativity is astonishing. With only three albums, Bouchard (The Robot Ate Me) has created a universe that tells stories of various images.
His first release, They Ate Themselves, was released in 2002. It is a story strange sounds ranging from different musicians. Ranging from Radiohead to Neutral Milk Hotel and maybe even The Microphones. Among the 17 tracks there is great variety and creativity; this makes it hard for one to pick a favorite track. After owning the album for a while now I think I've come to a conclusion. Entitled "We Ate Eachother," this song displays peaceful picking while Bouchard sings quietly and very saddened. It describes the basic concept of the whole album. The lyrics are also both descriptive and secretive.

Anyone who likes Radiohead, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Microphones and anything on K Records, I strongly suggest listening to The Robot Ate Me.

from They Ate Themselves, available on CD


We might as well be strangers  performed by Keane  2004
Recommended by Mike [profile]

An absolute masterpiece whose deceptive simplicity always moves.

from Hopes and Fears, available on CD



  daniela_por: it's fantastic, just like the whole album. And the lyrics are wonderful
We Run  performed by Strange Advance  1985
Recommended by Colinator [profile]

I like this songs imagery and how it leaves so much unsaid, so the listener can relate it to themselves.
Apparently, the writer, (either Daryl Kromm or Drew Arnot, of Strange Advance) wrote this song from a dream he had. He described it as 'One of those wake up sweating dreams.'
The song is from their album 2wo, and is available on both 'Over 60 Minutes With Strange Advance' and 'Worlds Away and Back'.
However, niether of their first two albums, 'Worlds Away'(1982) and '2wo'(1985) are available on CD.

Song lyrics:

We Run

You're on your own and meet a friend
Who doesn't kill but wounds for life
The sun blinds you through the trees
While watching clues fall from the skies
And she smiles

Chorus

At the point of the knife
You never see anyone
How the strong will survive
At the end of their gun
We run...........

Frozen smiles for men returned
They never even left this place
She kissed me softly on the cheek
And a shadow cut across her face

Take heart the fountain of my life
Stone the victim to his knees
I've got scars for my mistakes
And now post atomic dreams
I dream...........

Chorus

At the point of the knife
You never see anyone
How the strong will survive
At the end of their gun
We run...........

I walked for miles and miles to the sea
we burned, the fire from the sun
I know you never tried to deceive
who can touch us when we run


available on CD - Over 60 Minutes With Strange Advance / Worlds Away and Back


When im With You  performed by Sparks  1980
Recommended by geezer [profile]

Like a song by Cole Porter infused with the Mael brothers warped Americana and sung over the backing track of Donna Summer,s "Hot Stuff",if that gives you any idea of what to expect then you wont be disappointed when you finally get to hear it .
So just to add to the most bizzare of musical ingredients there is a sci-fi/prog rock keyboard solo somewhere in the middle strange but-------------------------Great .

from Terminal Jive, available on CD


Worlds Away  performed by Strange Advance  1982
Recommended by john_l [profile]

Lush, languid progressive new wave with synthesizers, from Vancouver, that seemed to arrive out of the blue in '82. They have a number of other good songs, my personal favourites are "Just Like You" and "Alien Time".

from Worlds Away
available on CD - Worlds Away & Back (EMI)



  Colinator: You like 'Just Like You', and so do I, so here are the lyrics: Just Like You She closed her eyes and spoke to me Said 'If you could have seen the things that I have seen' I've walked the desert of lost souls Well the moon was late for me last night But the dawn and I are still alive She said 'Tell me things I want to hear Now you're safe and sound and the coast is clear' I saw her body move with her blue dress on While the sun cut through venetian blinds I was her last frontier when she said 'You're mine' Chorus We'll love until tomarrow Chained to your heart I'll follow And what you ask I'll do Today I'm just like you On razor edge you're falling You're new ice age is calling I know just what this means Today you're just like me I think I've gone too far this time And I feel that I should change my point of view Time fades like shadows in the sun While I stand outside in the pouring rain If I had the chance I'd do it all again PS-There are some beggining lyrics not shown that appear only in the remix version, available on the compilation 'Worlds Away and Back'.
Zazueira  performed by Elis Regina  1969
Recommended by delicado [profile]

An incredible, stomping brazilian pop number, taken from Elis Regina's legendary album 'Elis Regina in London', recorded in England in 1969. Here she takes on the Jorge Ben classic 'zazueira', a seductive, hip, upbeat stomper of a track which just makes you smile every time you hear it. Wonderful stuff.

from Elis Regina in London (Odeon)




  heinmukk: you're right. this one makes you smile. i knew this song before from the mtv unplugged album from jorge ben jor. but this old cut is much more nicer, because...hm, maybe because it's older. :)

   Try another search:

musical taste home

© zarmi 2000-2024
CONTACT | ABOUT