The McCoys – Sorrow
I know this track really through Bowie’s 1973 cover of it, and also - more recently George Demure’s. But the original by The McCoys from 1965 is still my favourite. It was on this, the band’s first record - as the B-side to their cover of Little Willie John’s Fever. What a record!
Billy Merman – 900 Miles
I actually first heard this track whilst playing a demo of a PlayStation3 game last year. The game was Mafia II and in the game your character – a junior member of the mob in Goodfella’s era New York – can tune into three different radio stations as you drive around town in your cadillac. The full game has over five hours of music and let me tell you whoever put the soundtrack together did a super job. It features tracks by the likes of The Ink Spots, The Andrews Sisters, Bo Diddley, Buddy Holly, Rosemary Clooney, Louis Jordan, Dean Martin, Louis Prima… The list goes on… Actually, to see the full list of tracks on said soundtrack, check this link: www.gameculture.com
So yes, this is a 1957 ditty, and could be described as being of the Popcorn persuasion. I don’t really know much else about it except that I know I’ll never tire of playing (and singing along to) this record. Usually I speed it up a notch or two when playing it out, (it’s actually sped up on the soundtrack of Mafia II) but here it is as it was meant to be heard. Enjoy!
B.B. King – Poontwangie
Is there a track with a better name than Poontwangie? No. No there isn’t. And I’ve never heard B.B. King deliver a more tittyshaker sound than on this particular cut which was originally issued as 3 O’Clock Stomp in 1962 (Kent 373) with Mashed Potato Twist on the flip. This later issue though (with Don’t Get Around Much Anymore on the flip) isn’t hard to find and sells for around £15 in mint condition these days. Totally do-able!
Chuck Rio and The Originals – Margarita
Anything that sounds vaguely like Tequila by The Champs gets my vote. This recording by Chuck Rio and The Originals (Chuck Rio’s real name is Daniel Flores - an original and vital member of The Champs - he wrote Tequila which was a number one hit in 1958) on Jackpot is basically a cross between Tequila and The Champs’ equally excellent Sombrero tune - only instead of the “tequila” refrain (or the “where is my sombrero?” refrain) when it comes to the break, the crazy thick mexican voice intones “margarita”. Awesome.
Because of the tequila link, I guess the reference is to the margarita cocktail, however, I like to think that maybe, just maybe, it’s about pizza.
The Vontastics – Day Tripper
Part of me will always think – why fuck with a Beatles track? They’re just so fucking perfect as originally recorded. I personally would never attempt covering Day Tripper… But, having said that, when I saw this I had to grab it, with the mentality that Day Tripper is such a great song, how could any cover of it be bad? As it goes, it’s a pretty good cover - and it didn’t take me so long to find out. But I FOUND OUT!