30 October 2015, No. 137, Shirley and Co., ‘Shame, Shame, Shame’

Shirley and Co. come in at No. 137 with “Shame, Shame, Shame.” I need to go dancing. Maybe tomorrow night at the rock show there’ll be a chance. One monkey don’t stop no show, so shame on me, if I can’t dance too.

28 October 2015

Here's a good record from my childhood. Filed a different Ella Jenkins record today and thought of this title.

Ella Jenkins, "This-a-Way, That-a-Way"

21 October 2015, No. 136, One Way, ‘Cutie Pie’

This is a favorite of mine. I think Ken Raw introduced me to One Way’s “Cutie Pie” when I lived in Philadelphia. I like it so much that I put the instrumental on the list too. That’s a little faster, so it comes in at No. 151. Today’s tune is No. 136 on the list, and it’s all about that synth bass, and that flexatone, yo.

15 October 2015, No. 135, Leprechaun, ‘Party Freaks’

Melvin Wells is the only member of Leprechaun who seems to have recorded much outside the group, having done a few turns in Cameo. Leprechaun’s “Party Freaks” at No. 135 has a hot bassline, and I like the diddly little sax and flute line that follows every iteration of the hook. I miss my own band of party freaks; it’s going to be time to get another gig soon. I just wish there was a better venue in DeKalb for what I want to do. Ah well. Get down with Leprechaun for now. The tune in staging is even better.

12 October 2015, No. 134, Le Pamplemousse, ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’

I’m not sure how many records I picked up from Le Pamplemousse before I learned that the name means grapefruit in French. It makes sense. Their album art features grapefruits (and butts and boobs), but it seemed like too long and mousse-y a word to be the big citrus.

I didn’t know what the word meant, but I always wondered if the group was French. It turns out it was one of the main studio projects of Los Angeles producers Rinder and Lewis (who were also behind St. Tropez, but that group doesn’t come up later on this list; the cut I have under that name, “One More Minute,” is a little too stringy). Le Pamplemousse comes back later, but “Monkey See, Monkey Do” is their first entry here at No. 134.

9 October 2015, No. 133, Fred and the New J.B.’s, ‘(It’s Not the Express) It’s the J.B.’s Monaurail (Tim Zawada Edit)’

I’ve seen the title of this song expanded, truncated, and spelled in a variety of ways. But on the 1975 People Records seven inch we see “(It’s Not the Express) It’s the J.B.’s Monaurail,” so the pun is intended, and it’s not a monorail. Settled. Tim Zawada won’t settle, though, and his edit puts a nice little quantized intro on this funky, funky joint from Fred (Wesley) and the New JBs. This one’s No. 133.

7 October 2015, No. 132, Imagination, ‘Just an Illusion (Lindstrom vs. Todd Terje Dub)’

On the list at No. 132 is a synthesizer-laden piece of boogie editing that waits too long to heat up. I could use some more substantial changes before the second minute, but then I suppose I could also make my own edit. Or maybe that’s “Just an Illusion (Lindstrom vs. Todd Terje Dub)” from Imagination.

2 October 2015

Off list again, which'll probably happen more often now that I'm ripping records again. My dad introduced me to The Shirts, so I'm sort of loath to get rid of their "Inner Sleeve" LP, but it's not as good as "Street Light Shine" (the one my dad has), and on the sale pile it goes. If I dig up the other one, I'll keep it for sure. The standout track from "Street Light Shine" is one of those depressing/uplifting numbers, depending where you're at in life. I really like fiction, so either way it's a win for me.

The Shirts, "Love Is a Fiction"

1 October 2015, No. 131, Funk, Inc., ‘Kool Is Back’

I need to steal some of these little guitar and hi-hats bits from this song, make it a little more disco. Synthesizers instead of organ riffs. But it’s pretty good as it is, too; good enough to make this list, anyway, at No. 131. Funk, Inc. jazzes it up in “Kool Is Back.”