thích quảng dức: meet the monkees

☛ 'i wanna hold your hand' ☚

life's a drag, petrolhead

pa-130.

Tearing down the straight and narrow in 1963 with Johnny Sudetta, a Clevelander who moved out west to CA in 1959.

Written by R. Christian & J. Sudetta, and recorded by the rechristened Fortune Cookie at the age of just sixteen; he was invited by Johnny Burnette to tour England in the same year on the back of "Soul Surfer", but as a juvenile was prohibited from applying for a working visa. Johnny also provided sterling session guitar for bigger acts including Sam Cooke, Glen Campbell and - on one occasion - even toured with the Beach Boys.

▼ JOHNNY FORTUNE: DRAGSTER from "Dragster b/w Siboney" 45 (Park Avenue) 1963 (US)

OUT OF PRINT

keeper of the sea

"tami red shoes" by doris kloster, 1995.

After a conversation with Jon regarding Burgess Meredith in an episode of "The Twilight Zone" I stumbled on this over on DJ Little Danny's splendid Office Naps. It immediately made me recall all those evocative jazz tinted themes played out on a loop on vintage American tv.

Surf, cigarettes and the smell of damp nylon and nail varnish.

And just a hint of Brian Wilson's "In My Room". Or "The Lonely Sea" ?

Ripped from vinyl by DJ Little Danny himself and shamelessly pilfered. Forgive me.

▼ BRUCE NORMAN QUARTET: KEEPER OF THE SEA from "Keeper Of The Sea" 45 (Rust Records) 1963 (US)

OUT OF PRINT

missa luba: gloria in excelsis deo

gloria in excelsis deo.

Well, the intention was to lead today with an extended celebration of Van's "Gloria", but following yesterday's (very courteous, admittedly) visitation by the "web sheriff" it would seem that's no longer on the agenda.

Of all those covers of this wonderful song, my own favourite is perhaps Patti Smith's from 1975's "Horses", but the Doors also did a mean live version, as did the Human Beinz in Japan, and the Blues Magoos on 1967's "Electric Comic Book".

Anyway, it's all a little immaterial in light of recent events, so stepping onto safer ground like a missionary navigating righteously hostile territories, let's instead turn our attention to 1963's remarkable Philip's release, "Missa Luba", featuring Les Troubadours du Roi Baudouin.

You might recall that the featured rendition of David Fanshawe's chorale was used to good effect in Lindsay Anderson's anti class didactic, "If..." in 1968. A european mass sung in a Congolese flavour, it was directed by Father Guido Haazen, who was presumably engaged in the Congo on a crusade to save souls and instil his little piece of dove winged heaven in the heartland of Africa.

▼ LES TROUBADOURS DU ROI BAUDOUIN: MISSA LUBA (SANCTUS) from "Missa Luba" LP (Philips) 1963 (France)

▼ MUUNGANO NATIONAL CHOIR, KENYA: MISSA LUBA (GLORIA) from "Missa Luba" CD (Philips) 1990 (France)

REISSUED