arDATE = new Array( "May 2005" ) arARTIST = new Array( "Bark Psychosis", "Margo", "Slim", "Broadcast", "The Books", "Liaisons Dangereuses", "Malka Spigel", "Tim Hutton", "Marine Girls", "Mission of Burma", "Ulver", "ManMan", "Salsoul Orchestra with Loleatta Holloway", "The Cuff Links", "Bobby Woods", "John Dowie", "Dee Dee Sharp", "The Harptones", "avier Cugat", "Elsa Lanchester", "Bene Gesserit", "thefatrooster", "hungryhippo1970", "Zoviet France", "Hidious In Strength" ) arTRACK = new Array( "400 Winters", "Tiny Conspiracies", "Your Chair", "Man Is Not A Bird", "A True Story of a Story of True Love", "Etre Assis Au Danser", "I Just Want (Remix)", "Eugene (Vocal Mix)", "A Different Light", "Nu Disco", "In The Kingdom of the Blind The One-Eyed Are Kings", "I, Manface", "B-Side - Album Mix", "A-Side", "A-Side", "Side 3", "A-Side", "B-Side", "Jungle Drums", "Linda and her Londonderry Air", "White Men", "thefatrooster", "hungryhippo1970", "Nature But Not", "Inner Objects" ) arTITLE = new Array( "Codename: Dust Sucker", "Sings From The Woods", "Various Artists - em:t 2296", "Ha Ha Sound", "The Lemon of Pink", "Liaisons Dangereuses", "Hide", "Wisdom & Pain", "Lazy Ways & Beach Party", "Mission Of Burma", "Various Artists - The Lotus Eaters", "Man Man", "Runaway", "Guided Missiles", "(My Heart Went) BOING! BOING! BOING!", "Acne/Idiot/Hitler's Liver", "Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)", "That's The Way It Goes", "VIVE Cugat!", "Songs For A Smoke Filled Room", "Various Artists - Music From The Dead Zone One", "thefatrooster", "hungryhippo1970", "Just An Illusion", "Industrial Suffocation" ) arDESC = new Array( "Despite a relatively small recorded output and little media recognition, Bark Psychosis was one of the most innovative artists of their era. From rather uninspired origins as a teenaged Napalm Death cover band, the British group evolved by leaps and bounds, moving from moody, lush pop to ambient soundscapes to taut, atmospheric experimental music; their work was so revolutionary, and so impossible to define, that noted critic Simon Reynolds even found it necessary to invent a new sub-genre -- 'post-rock' -- simply to categorize their vision.

Bark Psychosis was founded in 1986 while its members were attending school in Snaresbrook, England; at the time of their formation, the average age of the group -- vocalist Graham Sutton, bassist John Ling, and drummer Mark Simnott -- was just 14-years-old. Drawing inspiration everywhere from Joy Division, Swans and Sonic Youth to Five Star and early Level 42, the quartet only began taking music seriously after Sutton and Ling's graduation, and soon started composing original material. Upon signing to the tiny Cheree label, they debuted in 1988 with a flexi-disc release titled 'Clawhammer.'

In 1989, Bark Psychosis resurfaced with their first proper single, 'All Different Things'; the gauzy 1990 follow-up, 'Nothing Feels,' was an early breakthrough, a haunting, sophisticated record backed with the equally stunning 'I Know.' Keyboardist Daniel Gish, a former member of Disco Inferno, joined the band that year. Issued the following year, the Manman EP continued their remarkable growth, reflecting Sutton's increasingly fascination with techno and the possibilties of synthesziers, programming and sampling while setting the stage for the 1992 landmark Scum, an ominous, 21-minute improvisational ambient masterpiece recorded live in a Stratford church.

At the peak of their powers, Bark Psychosis entered the studio in November 1992 to begin work on Hex, their long-awaited full-length debut. In sum, the LP took over a year to complete, forcing the group to the brink of emotional and financial collapse. Upon the record's completion, a tour was planned in support of the single 'A Street Scene,' but then Ling exited.

Even as Hex appeared to massive critical acclaim -- Reynolds' review of the album marked the first mention of the post-rock label, a tag later attached to similarly uncategorizable bands like Tortoise -- Bark Psychosis was essentially dissolved, although one final single, the techno-inspired 'Blue,' was issued by the end of 1994. The group officially disbanded in 1997; two posthumous retrospectives, 1994's Independency and 1997's Game Over, summed up their EPs and singles. In the wake of Bark Psychosis' demise, Sutton and Gish plunged fully into the realm of drum'n'bass, recording under the name Boymerang. By the time Regal issued 1997's Balance of the Force, Boymerang was a solo outlet for Sutton. In 1999, Sutton began working on another Bark Psychosis album, with extensive help from former Talk Talk drummer and Boymerang contributor Lee Harris. That album, entitled Codename: Dustsucker, was set for release through Fire in March of 2004.", "Margo is (was?) a mysterious band from the DC area. This double CD release is from the 1997-1998 timeframe. I found it at the Printed Matter bookshop in NYC, where I have found some amazing recordings, and I've seen it nowhere else. When I heard it, I went back and bought every copy the store had to give as gifts to friends and to provide an on-air copy for the radio station where I worked at the time. Gorgeous, but I know nothing abou them. If you know the band, please click the comments link below and leave the info there! Thanks!", "em:t is one of the most desirable labels around, consistenly putting out wonderful ambient and downtemp music. Artists such as Miasma, Gas, Coco Steele and Lovebomb, Russell Mills and Carl Stone, among others, all have releases on this fabulous imprint. You're listening to one of my favorite tracks on the label, by Slim.", "Space-age pop collagists Broadcast formed in Birmingham, England in 1995; comprised of vocalist Trish Keenan, guitarist Tim Felton, bassist James Cargill, keyboardist Roj Stevens and drummer Steve Perkins, the quintet came together out of a shared affection for the psychedelic cult band theUnited States of America, a primary influence on their subsequent work as a group. Debuting in 1996 with the 'Wurlitzer Jukebox' label single 'Accidentals,' Broadcast immediately won favorable comparisons to Stereolab for their sample-heavy, analog, synth-driven sound; the comparisons continued when they signed to Stereolab's Duophonic Super 45s imprint for their next effort, 'Living Room.' After the icily atmospheric Book Lovers EP, the group moved to Warp Records to release 1997's Work and Non-Work, a compilation of their existing singles tracks. The much-anticipated full-length The Noise Made By People finally appeared in early 2000 and the Extended Play Two EP was issued that fall. Ever the studio perfectionists, fans had to wait until 2003 to hear any new material from the band, when the Pendulum EP arrived that spring and Haha Sound appeared that summer.", "The Books' story began in 2000, when Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong met through a friend in New York City. Sharing similar interests but different backgrounds in acoustic music and found sound, Zammuto and de Jong experimented and plunked away with sound. Eventually, with some urging by Tom Steinle of Tomlab Records, they created what would become their debut record, Thought for Food, in 2002. Within a year, the Books relocated to Hot Springs, NC, and recorded and released The Lemon of Pink. With a lot of favorable word of mouth and critical buzz from the first two records, the Books relocated again in winter of 2004 and recorded in an old Victorian home in North Adams, MA. With the release of Lost and Safe in April of 2005, the Books prepared to tour with their unique blend of samples and acoustic music. All three Books albums were released on Tomlab Records.", "Germany's Liaisons Dangereuses was a short-lived group that pioneered industrial dance music, despite the fact that their lone album, a self-titled 1981 release mixed at Conny Plank's studio, could just as easily be categorized as post-punk or even no wave. Beate Bartel (DAF) and Chris Haas (Mania D.) formed the group in 1981 with vocalist Krishna Goineau; the group recorded a series of four ten-minute cassettes and then formed their only album from them. The group made several live appearances throughout the remainder of 1981 and 1982 and were occasionally joined by Anita Lane (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds) and Hideto Sasaki. Liaisons Dangereuses was originally issued by Teldec Import Services and was picked up by a couple other labels shortly thereafter. Once copies of a 1985 reissue on Roadrunner dried up, the album became an extremely sought-after collector's item, thanks in no small part to the number of prominent DJs -- primarily from Chicago's house and Detroit's techno scenes -- who frequently spun the album's 'Los Niños del Parque.' Hit Thing reissued the album on CD again in early 2003.", "Malka Spigel was a founding member and bassist of the Israeli new wave/art-pop group Minimal Compact. It's difficult to trace her career since Minimal Compact without reference to spouse Colin Newman, as the releases on the couple's Swim label credited to Spigel, Newman, and aliases such as Immersion, Intens, Earth, Oscillating, and Oracle, have all been collaborative projects. These variously named collaborations attest to a considerable versatility as the pair has worked comfortably in a range of styles, from near-beatless abstraction to dance-friendly grooves and lush, intelligent pop.

With original Minimal Compact bandmates Berry Sakharof and Samy Birnbach, Spigel left Tel Aviv in 1981 for Amsterdam and then Brussels, seeking an environment more receptive to the group's sound. Having signed with the Belgian label Crammed, Minimal Compact soon established itself as one of mainland Europe's most influential art-rock acts of the '80s. In 1986, Colin Newman of Wire produced Minimal Compact's Raging Souls and, subsequently, Spigel contributed to Newman's albums Commercial Suicide (1986) and It Seems (1988). Spigel married Newman, and after the demise of Minimal Compact, the couple relocated to London in the early '90s. There, amid the burgeoning culture of electronica, they set up their genre-mixing label Swim.

Rosh Ballata (1993), Spigel's debut under her own name, was Swim's first release. In the hybridizing spirit of the label, this primarily Hebrew-language album blended Spigel's haunting vocals and a world music sensibility with contemporary dance-floor grooves. The following year saw the appearance of Tree (under the moniker Oracle), the fruit of a proto-trip-hop project Spigel had begun in 1989 with Newman and Samy Birnbach.

During the mid-'90s, in addition to devoting her efforts to the running of the Swim label, Spigel embarked on an exploration of more minimal electronica with Newman. For this project they dubbed themselves Immersion, releasing Oscillating (1994). As well as assuming the names Earth and Oscillating to remix tracks from Tree, the couple also contributed to an album of Immersion remixes, Full Immersion (1995), under the aliases Immersion and Intens. In fall 1996, again as Immersion, the pair designed a sound installation for the Event Horizon show at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin.

Following a mini-album under her own name (1997's Hide) and work on Newman's Bastard (1997), Spigel's long-awaited second full-length 'solo' effort My Pet Fish appeared in 1998. The same year saw Spigel's return to live work. Although she had played a promotional concert for Rosh Ballata and had performed with Newman at the 1995 Phonotaktik festival in Vienna, she had not toured since the late '80s. Spigel played a string of dates with Newman in 1998 and 1999 (with the latter dates as Swim). Low Impact, a more abstract, ambient Immersion album, was also released in 1999 and Spigel and Newman performed again as Immersion in 2000. These live shows saw a growing emphasis on the multimedia dimension of the couple's work, increasingly incorporating Spigel's photographic images. ", "Another record that seemed to condense out of the vapor, Tim Hutton has a very mellow and folksy sound. It is not standard folk by any means though as he has incorporated contrasting moods and clashing sounds. There are also abrasive beats and the album is full of mournful melodies that fit the music well. The track 'Eugene', inspired by the jazz player Eugene McDaniels is an outstanding track.", "Before Tracey Thorn established herself with Everything but the Girl, she produced mellow, spare indie pop with the all-female act the Marine Girls. Inspired by the Raincoats and the Young Marble Giants, Thorn formed the Marine Girls with her schoolmate Gina and Jane Fox in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, in 1980. At first, Thorn played guitar with Gina on vocals and Fox on bass. Since they knew no drummers, the group decided to focus on a minimalist approach to music. After Gina kept missing rehearsals, she was replaced by Jane Fox's younger sister, Alice Fox, on vocals; Thorn would eventually sing as well. The trio recorded a tape called A Day by the Sea and sold it to their acquaintances. The Marine Girls eventually released two albums in the U.K., 1982's Beach Party and 1983's Lazy Ways. Lazy Ways was produced by one of the band's influences, Stuart Moxham of the Young Marble Giants. While attending Hull University, Thorn began writing songs for herself; she was only able to gig with the Marine Girls during holidays. The Marine Girls broke up after Thorn and Alice Fox had an argument following a concert in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1983. Thorn then recorded her solo album A Distant Shore before joining Ben Watt in Everything but the Girl. In 1997, Cherry Red Records combined both of the Marine Girls' albums onto one CD; spinART reissued the albums in the US four years later.", "Of all the punk-inspired bands that came out of Boston in the early '80s, none were better than Mission of Burma. Arty without being too pretentious, capable of writing gripping songs and playing with ferocious intensity, guitarist Roger Miller, bassist Clint Conley, drummer Peter Prescott, and tapehead Martin Swope galvanized the city's alternative rock scene, and despite a too-short existence, set a standard for excellence that has rarely been equalled -- a standard the band upheld when they unexpectedly reunited in 2002.

Burma's music is vintage early-'80s post-punk: jittery rhythms, odd shifts in time, declamatory vocals; an aural assault similarly employed by bands such as the Gang of Four, Mekons, and Pere Ubu -- Burma's peers as well as their influences. Also, conspicuously present in the mix was the proto-punk of the Stooges and Velvet Underground (with just a dash of Led Zeppelin and Roxy Music), bands that inspired Burma's darker songwriting impulses and tendencies toward long-ish, repetitive jams capable of boring holes into your skull. What Burma added was a sonic texture through the use of extreme volume. Roger Miller's guitar enveloped the band in thick, distorted cascading chords, erupting into squealing solos and (intentional) squalls of feedback. With Prescott and Conley furiously bashing in support, the band's sound was extremely physical (ask anyone who saw them live) to the point of leaving the audience feeling slightly bruised, battered, but extremely happy.

After releasing an explosive single ('Academy Fight Song,' still one of punk rock's greatest songs) on Boston's then-hippest indie label, Ace of Hearts, Burma released two excellent records in just over a year: the Signals, Calls and Marches EP and their only full-length studio album, Vs. The former was poppier, but in a breathtakingly intense way; the latter dark and ominous, lacking in riff-heavy punch, but still delivering a wicked blast of aural chaos. Unbeknownst to fans, this was the beginning of the end. The massive volume, a key element in Burma's sound, had taken its toll on the bandmembers, especially Miller, who developed a severe case of tinnitus that hastened the band's demise. (Always the trooper, Miller played the band's final tour wearing a protective headset used on shooting ranges to prevent his ears from absorbing more punishment.) After a bittersweet farewell tour in 1983, the shows were released as a live LP entitled The Horrible Truth About Burma, an occasionally thrilling example of their considerable stage prowess.

Miller since went on to a career as a solo artist and with his non-touring band Birdsongs of the Mesozoic. Prescott formed the wonderful Volcano Suns, who released a half-dozen records all worth checking out, before starting Kustomized with ex-Bullet Lavolta singer Yukki Gipe. Clint Conley produced the first Yo La Tengo record and then left the music business. He went on to work as a producer at Boston television station WCVB.

In 2001, Peter Prescott's short-lived band The Peer Group played a show opening for reunited British art-punks Wire, and Roger Miller and Clint Conley tagged along to play an encore with Prescott, marking the first time the three had appeared on stage together since 1983. Later that year, Mission of Burma were featured prominently in Michael Azerrad's book on the indie-rock scene of the 1980's, Our Band Could Be Your Life, and Conley began writing and performing music again with the band Consonant. After The Peer Group folded, the three performing members of Mission Of Burma decided to stage a pair of reunion shows in early 2002. (Martin Swope opted not to participate; live sound and tape loops were instead handled by Bob Weston of the group Shellac). One concert in New York became two sold-out nights at the Irving Plaza, and a single night in Boston became four shows at three venues (including an 'open rehearsal' under the name Myanmar); the group also joined the lineup for the 2002 All Tomorrow's Parties festival in England, followed by short tours of the West Coast and Midwest. Along with playing a handful of live dates in 2003 (including the American edition of All Tomorrow's Parties), Mission of Burma returned to the studio for their first recording project since Vs., and Onoffon was released by Matador Records in the spring of 2004, who in a press release said of the album 'this isn't just a hot new release, it's a goddamn cultural event.' ", "Taking their name from the Norewgian word for wolf, Ulver is a black metal band employing both noisy death-metal blasting and more relaxed, morose acoustic instrumentation, depending on the concept of their work. Led by vocalist Garm, Ulver recorded two concept albums beginning in 1995; Bergtatt detailed a Norse legend in which maidens are abducted by denizens of the underworld to live in their mountain halls, and the following year's Kveldssanger ('Twilight Songs') was an all-acoustic collection of melancholy dirges. Ulver made their international debut in 1997 with Nattens Madrigal (Madrigal of the Night), a concept album about wolves performed in the traditional Norwegian black metal style; it was recorded for Century Black with a lineup of Garm, lead/acoustic guitarist Haavard, rhythm guitarist Aismal, bassist Skoll, and drummer AiwarikiaR.

As for this album? Well, the problem I have with tribute albums is that the bands often try to exactly mimic whomever they are covering. this is a recipe for failure, and this album is full of that. Ulver, however, takes this song and makes it their own while still preserving the original character of the song. this ability sets them apart from almost everyone else here. While the tracks are all very well produced and assembled, the break absolutely no ground. Not on this tribute, but an artist who once covered 'How Fortunate the Man With None' is John Martyn, who gave a jazz/blues rendition of that, which was completely surprising and gorgeous. That's what a tribute should be...", "Man Man, from Philadelphia, took a little time to grow on me, but the raw sound that immediately calls to mind a toxic fog mixture of Tom Waits, Missing Foundation, the Residents and Marlene Dietrich are really great fun. I hear they are amazing live, as well. ", "It may surprise some that perennial dance diva Loleatta Holloway's highest charting solo record was a soulful ballad, 'Cry to Me.' Still, Holloway is best known for dancefloor workouts like 'Love Sensation,' 'Hit and Run,' and 'Run Away.' Born in Chicago in 1946, Holloway developed her throaty, full-bodied vocal style and dramatic presentation while singing with her mother in the gospel group, the Holloway Community Singers. She later began taking acting classes. As a teenager, she joined classic gospel group the Caravans led by Albertina Walker who recorded for Savoy Records. In the early '70s, she joined the Chicago cast of the musical Don't Bother Me I Can't Cope. Around this time, she met her future producer, manager, and husband Floyd Smith. Smith produced a cover of Gene Chandler's 1963/1965 hit 'Rainbow '71' for his Apache label. Atlanta businessman Michael Thevis, who had just started GRC (General Recording Corporation), signed Holloway to his Aware label. The small double-sided hit 'Our Love' (number 43 R&B)/'Mother of Shame' (number 63 R&B) charted during the summer of 1973. The tunes were included on her debut album, Loleatta (1973). 'Cry to Me,' the title track of her second album, gave Holloway her highest charting solo single on the R&B and pop charts; written by master songwriter Sam Dees, it hit number ten R&B in early 1975.

While with GRC, Holloway met promotion director Gus Redmond whom she would later work with at Salsoul Records. In 1976, GRC went out of business and Holloway signed with Norman Harris' Salsoul-distributed label, Gold Mind Records. Guitarist/arranger/songwriter/producer Harris was a veteran of the Philly soul scene, having been a member of MFSB, the studio band for Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records. He'd joined with fellow MFSB vets bassist Ron Baker and drummer Earl Young to form Baker-Harris-Young Productions (the Trammps, First Choice, Double Exposure, Love Committee, Eddie Holman). Oddly enough (possibly the label was hedging their bets), dance-oriented Gold Mind's first release on Holloway was the Dees ballad 'Worn Out Broken Heart.' The catchy Harris-produced up-tempo flip side 'Dreamin'' reached number 72 pop and was popular in discos. Her first Gold Mind LP Loleatta (released March 1977) was both produced in Chicago by Floyd Smith and in Philadelphia by Baker-Harris-Young. In addition to 'Worn Out Broken Heart,' the album included 'Hit and Run,' which peaked at number 56 R&B. The two elongated alternate jam session takes of 'Hit and Run' are disco classics. 'Run Away,' co-written by Vincent Montana Jr., was released as the Salsoul Orchestra featuring Loleatta Holloway and was Holloway's next chart single (number 89 R&B in late 1977). After Gold Mind folded, all of their acts were transferred to Salsoul. Her first Salsoul LP, Queen of the Night (September 1978), yielded the disco hits 'Catch Me on the Rebound,' 'Mama Don't, Papa Won't,' and 'I May Not Be There When You Want Me.' The LP also spawned her second highest charting single on the R&B charts, the duet ballad 'Only You' by Loleatta Holloway and Bunny Sigler, which hit number 11 R&B in late summer 1978. Her next album, Loleatta Holloway (September 1979), included the disco hits 'All About the Papers,' 'That's What You Said' (another Holloway/Sigler duet), 'The Greatest Performance of My Life,' and the deep-soul ballad 'There Must Be a Reason.' Around 1979, Holloway contributed vocals to 'Relight My Fire,' a massive disco hit for Dan Hartman ('Instant Replay,' 'I Can Dream About You'). Hartman produced what became the singer's signature tune, 'Love Sensation,' which caused quite a sensation on the disco charts. The song was also the title of Holloway's 1980 LP that spawned the disco hits 'Dance What Cha Wanna' and 'Short End of the Stick.' Holloway was reunited with the Salsoul Orchestra on a track written and produced by Patrick Adams (Inner Life, Phreek), 'Seconds.' Though she never had a pop hit in the U.S., Holloway had a huge following in Europe and Japan. In the mid-'80s, Salsoul ceased operations and Holloway was without a recording contract. Shortly after producing a cover of Rufus & Chaka Khan's 'Sweet Thing' for Holloway, Floyd Smith died in 1984. That same year, the singer signed with Streetwise Records, a label owned by producer Arthur Baker (Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force). The single 'Crash Goes Love' b/w 'Sweet Thing' peaked at number 86 R&B in late summer 1984. Throughout the '80s and '90s, Holloway recorded for a succession of labels: DJ International, Saturday, Warlock, and Select, among others. During the '90s, audio sampling became in vogue and snippets of Holloway's vocals can been heard on numerous dance records from around the world. This practice has led to some litigation (Blackbox's 'Ride on Time'). Holloway's fortunes took a turn for the better when Mark Wahlberg, younger brother of New Kids on the Block's Donnie Wahlberg, sampled 'Love Sensation' for his million-selling 1991 hit. 'Good Vibrations' by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch featuring Loleatta Holloway hit number one pop during the fall of that year. The disco diva was in more demand than ever, riding the momentum of a number one pop hit. Holloway occasionally tours and resides in Chicago.", "I was talking with a friend this week, who mentioned this song and referred to it as the first doo wop love song of the Cold War. It's certainly a classic.

And the imprint is certainly familiar to collectors. The Dootone label was begun by Walter 'Dootsie' Williams formerly with MGM Records and his own company Blue Records. He was a one time musician as leader of the Harlem Dukes during the 1930s, and an accomplished song writer with tunes such as 'Rocky Mountain Blues' recorded by Count Basie, and Amos Milburn's 'Real Pretty Mama' to his credit. The label began with violinist Johnny Creach who would find fame with another generation twenty years later as part of the Hot Tuna / Jefferson Starship combine. The greatest success for the label came with the odd combination of risque 'party' records by Redd Foxx and the Fremont High based vocal groups The Penguins, Medallions, Calvanes, and Dootones.", "As is often the case with these one-off weirdo songs, there's just a dearth of inforamtion about it. I do know he cut a few sides for Sun Records though. ", "This quintessential Factory release featured Joy Division, Cabaret Voltaire, The Durutti Column and John Dowie. Three hilarious punky tracks melded into one. It must have been a great show. This record kicked off the whole Factory thing that turned everyone around forever...", "Dee Dee Sharp hit the biggest with her first record for the Cameo/Parkway label, a blessing that pigeonholed the Philly songstress as a teenybopper forever to be identified with her number one smash from 1962, 'Mashed Potatoes Time.' Living in Philadelphia, the home of Dick Clark's American Bandstand helped her career; she appeared on the syndicated teen dance show many times from 1962 to 1981. The first black female teen idol, Sharp also became a fixture on Clark's Caravan of Stars tours, and a familiar face in the popular 16 Magazine.

Born Dione LaRue on September 9, 1945, she played piano from an early age, and directed choirs at her grandfather's and other churches in Philadelphia. After her mother suffered debilitating injuries from a car accident when LaRue was only 13, she gained a job as a background singer and developed the skills to work on sessions by Lloyd Price, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Rydell, Jackie Wilson, and Chubby Checker.

Lady luck helped when her vocals were added to Chubby Checker's 'Slow Twistin'' (1962) making it a duet. Her first solo session was scheduled the next day -- the 'Mashed Potatoes Time' session -- and at 17, Dione LaRue was became an overnight sensation. Producers Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe didn't like LaRue's name so they created Dee Dee Sharp, since everyone called her D and she sang in D sharp.

Smaller hits followed: 'Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes),' 'Ride,' 'Do the Bird,' 'Wild,' 'Willyam, Willyam,' 'Never Pick a Pretty Boy,' and 'I Really Love You' in 1965 -- Sharp's first R&B record. None sold like her first, but the young singer did all right. She appeared on American Bandstand to promote every release; Cameo promoted her as pop so she didn't see much of the chitlin' circuit; the label also sent her to modeling and charm school.

Sharp and Checker hooked up and recorded an album together entitled Down to Earth, one of nine LPs that Cameo issued on Sharp (all with blinding colorful colors). Languishing record sales prompted her exit from Cameo to Atco/Atlantic Records. The Atco deal materialized partly because the label was trying to snag her soon-to-be husband Kenny Gamble to produce records, and used Sharp as bait. Three singles appeared (from 1966-1968) including a duet with Ben E. King ('Whatcha Gonna Do About It'). The tracks, done mostly in Memphis, were harder than the Cameo sides, but the promotion wasn't there. Displeased at Atco's efforts, Sharp, Gamble, and Leon Huff started Gamble Records in 1967, which issued three Dee Dee Sharp singles. Two more appeared on Gamble & Huff's TSOP label, including the LP Happy 'Bout the Whole Thing. She then signed with Philadelphia International (PIR) -- as Dee Dee Sharp-Gamble -- for five singles and 'Conquer the World Together,' a duet with Bunny Sigler (as David Siqler).

Sharp also collaborated (uncredited) on many of the songs on Gamble Records, but by the time her second PIR album came out, she had begun divorce proceedings, finalized by 1980. A new earthier, sophisticated, foxy Sharp emerged after the Cameo recordings but nothing happened. While Checker made a career cutting dance hits and became an international superstar, Sharp's career lacked the horsepower, though she maintained good visibility via television, tours, concerts, and club dates that took her around the world. Besides her many television spots, she appeared in films including Desperately Seeking Susan, Don't Knock the Twist, Hairspray, Sister Act, and Troop Beverly Hills. A beauty, Sharp remarried (to Bill Witherspoon) and has been linked romantically with Gene Chandler, Muhammad Ali, and David Ruffin. Sharp enjoyed a fruitful career, despite minimal chart action after 1966. And except for some racial incidents in the South experienced by many African-American performers in the era, she emerged unscathed, un-addicted, and unscarred.", "Despite not landing on the R&B or pop charts during their entire careers, the Harptones were a superb doo wop ensemble. In fact, they are my personal favorite. Especially the years from 1955 through 57, during which this track and all of the tracks for the george Goldner labels (Rama and Gee) were recorded. This track also features Ruth Mc Fadden on accompanying vocal - which gives this particular song a unique feel. She appears on no other commercially released tracks.

The Harptones initially emerged from a 1953 union of members of the Harps and Skylarks. Willie Winfield and his brothers Jimmy and Clyde first teamed with Bill Galloway and Johnny Bronson as the Harps. When Galloway sought a pianist for the Harps, he found Raoul Cita in the Skylarks. Eventually a new group with Winfield and Galloway plus former Skylarks Cita, Curtis Cherebin, and Bill Dempsey became the new Harps. Unlike most doo wop and R&B units, the Harptones (who took that name in 1953 after Bruce Records executives Morty Craft and Monte Bruce informed them there was already a group on Savoy called Little David Baughn and the Harps) were more jazz-oriented in their harmonies and arrangements, thanks to Cita. But they weren't so sophisticated that they lacked earthiness or grit, thanks to Winfield. 'I Want a Sunday Kind of Love' featured Winfield's silky vocals and the group's magnificent harmonies. It was a big regional success, but never got national attention. That was the story for virtually every Harptones single. Though they were popular enough to be included in the historic 1955 Rock and Roll Ball at St. Nicholas Arena in New York alongside the Drifters, Clovers, Fats Domino, Moonglows, and Big Joe Turner, they never scored a national hit. They recorded for Essex, Old Town, Rama, Tip Top, Gee, Warwick, Coed, Cub, Comp, and Raven, among others, besides Bruce. The Harptones cut an LP, Love Needs the Harptones, for Ambient Sound in 1981. They continued playing clubs and oldies shows into the '90s.

For another Harptones track in my archive, click here. ", "Remembered for his highly-commercial approach to pop music, Xavier Cugat (born: Francisco De Asis Javier Cugat Mingall De Cru Y Deulofeo) made an even greater mark as one of the pioneers of Latin-American dance music. During his eight decade long career, Cugat helped to popularize the tango, the cha-cha, the mambo and the rhumba. His hits included 'El Manicero' in the 1930s, 'Perfida' in 1940 and the original recording of 'Babalu' in 1944. Members of Cugat's band included Desi Arnaz, Miguelito Valdes, Tito Rodriguez, Luis Del Campo, Yma Sumac and his third (of four) wife, Abbe Lane. Cugat used the success of his musical career as a springboard for a movie career that included appearances in such films as Gay Madrid (1930), You Were Never Lovelier (1942), Bathing Beauty (1945), Weekend At The Waldorf (1945), Holiday In Mexico (1946), On An Island With You (1948), A Date With Judy (1948), Chicago Syndicate (1955) and Desire Diabolique (1959). A native of Genoa, Spain, Cugat emigrated with his family to Cuba in 1905. Trained as a classical violinist, he played with the Orchestra of the Teatro Nacional in Havana at the age of twelve. Emigrating to the United States, sometime between 1915 and 1918, he quickly found work accompanying an opera singer. At the height of the tango craze, in 1918, Cugat joined a popular dance band, The Gigolos. His involvement with the group, however, was brief. As the popularity of the tango faded, he took a job as a cartoonist for The Los Angeles Times. Cugat returned to music in 1920, forming his own group, The Latin American Band. Although they played regularly at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles and supplied the soundtracks for several musical shorts, the group had its greatest success after moving to New York and became the houseband for the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Despite being criticized for their middle-of-the-road approach, Cugat remained committed to his commercial-minded sound. He later explained, 'I would rather play 'Chiquita Banana' and have my swimming pool than play Bach and starve'. Cugat and his orchestra remained at the hotel for sixteen years. Beautiful women were consistently featured in Cugat's band. After helping Rita Hayworth to launch her career, he appeared in her film, You Were Never Lovelier. Cugat's recordings of the 1950s featured the singing of his third wife, Abbe Lane. In the mid-1960s, he featured his fourth wife, Charo, who he billed as a 'folksinger'. Upon his retirement in 1970, Cugat returned to Spain. He died in Barcelona on October 27, 1990. His band, which was led by Tito Puente following his retirement, continues to perform under the direction of dancer, musician and vocalist Ada Cavallo.", "She will forever be identified as the Bride of Frankenstein, despite the fact that this character's on-screen time in the film of the same name lasted only a bit longer than the average pop single. Elsa Lanchester was a versatile British character actress and performer who was often typecast as a wisecracking cockney dame gal in her early days. Although her long film career developed into parts with a softer edge, some offbeat comedy roles in combination with her husband, Charles Laughton, and the aforementioned monster spectacular, she eventually returned to the Cockney roots to create recordings anthologizing Bawdy Cockney Songs, and when that had proved to be a good idea, More Bawdy Cockney Songs. The risqué themes of these songs are best represented by the example song title 'Linda and Her Londonderry Air.'

She was born Elizabeth Sullivan and studied dance beginning at the age of 11 with the famous Isadora Duncan. She was forced to return home from Duncan's school of dance in Paris only a year later when war broke out and had to abandon her girlhood dream of performing classical dance. At age 12, she was sent to a Welsh boarding school to teach dance classes in trade for her education and food. At only 16 years old, she was one of the organizers of a London children's theater company and also taught there for several years. During this time, she belonged to a group called the Cave of Harmony Productions that performed one-act plays, as well as cabaret songs. During one of the group's performances in 1926 at the London Metropole, a member of the British Royal family walked out in disgust during Lanchester's rendition of the song 'Please Sell No More Drink to My Father.' Perhaps this should be taken as a good omen, since the song later became one of her trademark numbers. Her knack for acting led to a successful career on the English stage, and in 1927 she made her film debut in One of the Best. She met Laughton in 1933 while filming The Private Life of Henry VIII, in which she played Ann of Cleves. The couple eventually moved to Hollywood where their careers took off. Her film career lasted half a century, ending with her final film, Sophie, in 1980. Come to the Stable in 1949 was the first of her two Oscar nominations and she also appeared regularly on television. In addition to the film and television work, her Los Angeles years also included a great deal of stage performances. Beginning in the '30s, she became involved with that city's Turnabout Theatre on Olvera Street, a wonderfully creative enterprise spearheaded by the puppet troupe of writer and performer Forman Brown. She joined the troupe on a permanent basis and became one of the venue's most popular attractions, the audience seats filling with stars of the magnitude of Greta Garbo and Douglas Fairbanks. In this setting, she was involved in creating an evolving series of cabaret song presentations using material written by Brown, who scribbled out more than 50 songs written with her unique style in mind. These titles include 'Catalogue Woman,' 'It's Nice to See You're Back,' and 'When a Lady Has a Piazza.' Lanchester died of pneumonia.", "Bene Gesserit, Belgium's premiere fucked up band, appears here on the Dead Man's Curve compilation 'Music From The Dead Zone: Europe' From the website:

Description
a high,happy,perverse and cynical cry of joy

History
began in 1981,still active for specific projects

Group Members
BeNeDiCT G.(nadine bal) : voice,casio organ,text B.GHoLa (alain neffe) :synthesizer, S.10,(piano,orchestra,zither,bells,knives,tin cans)

Style
Nina Hagen meets Negativeland

Influences
everything we heard in our lives

Equipment / Software
old second-hand stuff ,recorded at home on a 8 track teac reel to reel.", "thefatrooster", "hungryhippo1970", "This new series of my juke pages focuses on artists for whom innovative presentation of their music is an integral part of their output. It's fitting to launch this category with Zoviet France. All of their albums in the early years of their output were hand assembled in gorgeous packages and they became the gold standard for art packages within this genre. this release, as shown in the image, was packaged in a hand-screened miniature cigar box, with a printed shingle as an inert.

In their 17 years of musical output, :zoviet*france: have become one of the most influential bands of the (post)-Industrial movement. Despite this, though, they have remained largely anonymous, playing very few live dates and generally avoiding over-exposure. Their music has been described as 'a series of infernal soundworlds that wanders between organic, non-linear, lo-fi explorations and fake ethnicity, creating a world where nothing is locatable and everything is suggestion, awaiting responsive imaginations' (Phil England, The Wire). More recently, they have moved towards a more electronic sound, although still devoid of obvious reference points and still operating via the more subconcious channels of communication.", "This is another new category added to the jukebox. 'K7' became an acronym for the cassette format preferred by grass-roots independent musicians round the world, and the network for music produced on this format grew like mushrooms. We can point back to throbbing Gristle as one of the first groups to produce some of their music on cassette, and then the genre itself fueled the fire for the cassette medium.

Hisious In Strength was one of the bands associated with Sleep Chamber and the Innersleeve reord Soter in Boston in the early 80's. " ) arLABEL = new Array( "Fire", "no label", "em:t", "Warp", "Tomlab", "Hit Thing", "Swim~", "Ultimate Dilemma", "Cherry Red", "Taang!", "", "Ace Fu", "Salsoul", "Dootone", "Joy", "Factory", "Cameo", "Rama", "Mercury", "Hi Fi", "Dead Man's Curve", "thefatrooster", "hungryhippo1970", "Staalplaat", "xXx" ) arFORMAT = new Array( "CD", "CD", "CD", "CD", "CD", "CD", "CD", "LP", "CD", "CD", "CD", "CD", "45", "78", "45", "Double 7-inch", "45", "45", "LP", "LP", "LP", "thefatrooster", "hungryhippo1970", "CD", "Chrome C-60 Cassette" )