Nina Hagen- SMACK JACK

I am gonna just give you this picture, it was too hard to choose from all of the amazing photos and styles this diva has donned over the years. People either love or hate Nina Hagen, but she has had an amazing career and is still at it. This single off of "nunsexmonkrock" is quintessential of her early 80's crossover sound: weirdo goth synths and guitars, jagged beats that are still poppy but almost cheap, and of course her amazing range of growls, screeches and operatic scary German woman voices. She is always controversial, of course she plays into it, but damn she looks the part and would have scared the piss out of me as a kid (even though now she just released a children's audio book). Oh, wiki also told me that she dated Anthony Kiedis for a year, that must have been fun. Here is the vid.

Nina Hagen and "Smack Jack"

Betty Harris- CRY TO ME

Lets just say that the mood of this picture is the exact opposite of that in the song, but Betty looks good, so I figured it would add a little spice to the page. "Cry To Me" from 1962, on Jubilee Records, to me is one of those at home with the bottle type of songs. I don't get to DJ this one too much cause its just too painful, but if its just right (say Valentine's Day at 3 AM, when there is just the heavy drinkers left at the bar and the lonely women sitting in the corner with the glow of their cigarette the only evidence of their existence) then I will let it loose. Woman's got soul, there is no doubt. And while she is more know for her catchy Toussaint productions on Sansu records, this one always hits the spot for me. She builds into it the right way, its like Charlie Parker said about soloing (and I paraphrase): you don't just go into a room and start shouting, you smile and shake hands first. You can check out the B-side "I'll Be A Liar" on So Many Records So Little Time as well, to get an idea of just what kinda voice we are dealin with here.

Betty Harris with "Cry To Me"

Jennell Hawkins- MOMENTS

When I first put this song on here I couldn't find any info on the lady herself outside that she recorded with Richard Berry (yes, the "louie louie" guy) but now there is a whole bio page and even some mp3 links. This Titanic label photo is courtesy of Brian's Music Musings a great resource for oldies but goodies like this one. I got this as a Collectables reissue B-side to Ike and Tina's "Poor Fool", but this song immediately captivated me. Her sweet vocal line is longing and slightly shattered, but never wavering in devotion or bitter. The track has a great sax intro and solo and such a smooth feel that it almost breezes past you. Most people who know me know that I only play this song when I am either really happy or really sad.

Jennell Hawkins- "Moments"

Peggy Lee- ME AND MY SHADOW

This is the B-Side to the 1969 classic "Is That All There Is?", and even more nasty and depressing, but in that super cool Sunset Boulevard (by Billy Wilder) kind of way. Peggy Lee slings and slurs her way through the text, making it seem almost cute that she's so desperate and alone. This gal could do it all and did. She even wrote the lyrics to the Disney classic "We are Siamese" cat song from "Lady and the Tramp". The arrangement of this Jolson-written cabaret number (originally made famous by the Rat Pack) is by Randy Newman. The piano and bass reel this song along while her breathy vocals make you wanna give her a big bugs bunny kiss or slit yr own throat. Sounds melodramatic I know, but goddamn I love this song.

Peggy Lee "Me and My Shadow"

Flor Silvestre- UNA LIMOSINA

Flor Silvestre, stage name of Guillermina Jiménez, has been in dozens of mexi-famous movies and sang many a celebrated song, yet will always live in the shadow of her husband, Antonio Aguilar, heartthrob actor who sold over 150 million albums over his 40 year career (not to mention son, pepe). This song develops the story of being tortured by someone so great you have to let them go, but with style (una limosina), so they know how special but evil they are. Her voice and the accordion are hauntingly desperate and sincere, something singers above the border often forget. Go to her myspace page to see what a showstopper she was, lots of videos and tracks.

Flor Silvestre- "Una Limosina"

Althea and Donna- UPTOWN TOP RANKING

I have noticed that many of my post involving ladies, esp ladies of color, have been deleted. I am not sure if the flagging gods have started to inflict their exacting (yet frivolous without explanation) censorship on my blog because I am offering up free mp3 downloads (of singles I purchased used and digitized that can no how supplant the original source tapes or official reissues) or because of some kind of musical misogyny. I almost hope for the latter as it could be some how mediated, but in attempt to add some balance back to the blog, I will put up some of the tracks again.

Like this cool cool classic from '77, of Althea and Donna singing over the Alton Ellis riddim "I'm Still in Love". John Peel originally brought this into chic-dom, gotta love him for that. This song is one of my clutch singles, I use it either to shift into the dance vibe or to apologize for something that didn't hit the floor running. This is the scene::> At least 1/3 of the girls will immediately hand their boyfriend their drink and then either attempt to pull him to the dance floor or make their way solo, knowing its a ladies number anyway. Its not really a booty track so there is more head swaying with arms up in the air than ass smackin. Here is a youtube of them gettin down on TV (love the glasses on Donna, or is that Althea?).

Althea and Donna- "Uptown Top Ranking"