Well, I think I made it pretty clear how I love playing 45s, so here is round 2 of the mixes I made. Enjoy!… Read more...
Mixtape Monday: 45-7 Vol 2
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Tag Archives: history
Blue Moon
I’m diggin’ through records (what else is new) because the sixth graders are reading The Watsons Move to Birmingham 1963 (highly recommended). Came across this gem by the Marcels, which is one of my earliest great music memories/song obsessions. In the early 80s, my dad listened to a lot of 560 KSFO & 1050 KOFY (amazing how radio stations & music purveyors stick with you), and I was introduced to this song. I bought the tune for him later (when I was in Jr High) at Brown & Berrigans on a compilation from Rhino.
Here’s the YouTube version… Read more...
The Glory of Love
Happy Valentine’s Day! I think Otis is the greatest American male vocalist of all time, so here’s one of his best songs. It’s not a love song about a person, it’s a love song about love.
I got two copies of this one, that’s how good it is!
What’s in a name?
Turntables. Record players. Decks. Wheels of steel. Tables. They get called just about everything except for their original name: phonograph. And they almost didn’t even get called that! Check out the list of names Thomas Edison & the crew thought of before deciding on “phonograph.”… Read more...
Mixtape Monday: 45-7: A Tribute to 45s
This January, I tried something new. Although I love the creativity possible thanks to Serato and digital DJing, I find that it also erodes some basic DJ skills and makes me (and others) a bit lazy. In order to challenge myself and get back to my roots, I decided to only DJ with real vinyl for all of January. … Read more...
Scratching Cassettes
I hear cassettes are coming back in style, at least in a retro way… although I told a friend I was coming out with a new mix and was going to put it out on cassette, and he said he didn’t know if he’d even be able to play it. Well, either way, He couldn’t play it like this guy—in fact, I can’t even play records like this!… Read more...
Today’s Stack
This is the pile of 45′s I came across at a random sale the other day. Great pile of Southern Soul, although some are scratchy as hell. Looks like I have some enjoyable listening to catch up on!
So far, lots of Joe Tex, including these two, and quite a bit of Johnny Taylor. Good stuff, that’s for sure. My next step is to clean and listen to them all, put them in sleeves (they didn’t come with… Read more...
Heptones Dubplate
The Heptones, one of my all time favorite reggae groups, recently lost one of their founding members when Barry Llewellyn died the other day.
Starting their recording careers like so many artists at Studio One in Kingston, they were one of Jamaica’s many popular vocal trios. They recorded at Studio One for legendary producer Coxsone Dodd from 1966 until the early 70′s, with lead singer Leroy Sibbles doing double duty as the regular session bassist. In that role, he played iconic reggae basslines like the “full up” riddim (you know, the one from “Pass the Kutchie/Dutchie“) and the “Three Piece Suit” riddim.
As the Jamaican sound slowed from rocksteady… Read more...
Hip Hop Love
Here’s a link to a remix I made over the last few days. It’s been in my head for months and I’ve been playing it live (as in just mixing the acapella with the beat on two records) but I recently started messing with Ableton and decided to make it for real and so it can be shared.
For me, the remix pretty much defines hip hop. The lyrics, especially Andre 3000′s, capture a lot of the essence behind why we “do” music
My 1st love
Wow! Bet nobody expected that picture! Or at least I hope so! Above is Maynard Ferguson, whose version of MacArthur Park I used to lie and bed and listen to as my father played it in the next room. It was the first time I learned that music can capture an emotion so well that you feel it every time you hear it. I was probably 5 or 6 years old, and the soaring thrills of the trumpet solos alternating with the mellow and cool refrain was exactly how I understood life to be. It still is.
