Best Song on Sonic Boom's Spacelines: Sonic Sounds for Subterraneans Compilation

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Sonic Boom's compilation of some of his fave songs + influences. Released in 2004.

The Liner Notes:

SIDE A

This May Be The Last Time - The Staples Singers

This Gospel gem, I believe written by Bobby Womack, is obviously the root of the Stones hit from '65.
Pop Staples remains for me the greatest unsung guitar player.
forget all the Afro '70s late stuff, go for all those classic pre-66 sides - Vee-jay stuff especially.................and that 'GREAT DAY' Fantasy recds release.....

You Don't Care - Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley - born Elias McDaniels, afore adopting his pseudonym - based on an old Delta instrument called a Diddley Bo: basically, two nails 2 ft apart on a door frame, plucked at one end and "bowed" with a bottleneck at the other.
Anyhow - this guy invented more genres than any one - ever. Scary.........
This classic from his amazing '50s sessions that somehow brings Africa to Chicago by way of the Delta in one foul tremelo rich swoop.
This track is really called You Don't Love Me - sorry, typo.

Sun Arise - Rolf Harris

This was a hit in the UK circa '62. Rolf went on to much fame as an ex-pat Aussie kids programme entertainer here, but this stunning one chord wonder - Rolf imitates Digeridoo - tho' he can play it, to great effect.
Unfortunately his other songs were kiddie-turkeys ...........
Presumably based on an old Aboriginal folk song . I think it captures so much mood and emotion it deserves a wider audience.

Transparent Radiation - The Red Crayola

Possibly the greatest Psychedelic band ever, almost certainly one of the first to truly understand it and take it somewhere.
This version is the demo Mayo Thompson recorded pre-Parable of Arable Land, and is the version I and Spacemen 3 usually covered. One of the most amazing lyrics and chord progressions ever.
What more can I say - this is it!

Angels + Demons - Sun Ra

This is a genius vintage live SUN RA track from their early '60's Chicago club stint . This makes my spine tingle and my feet shuffle every time i hear it.
Taken from the Amazing full length CD on Atavistic Records (Chicago), it sees Sun Ra at his best -this is what made him the legend he is. Buy the lp!

Denomination blues - Washington Phillips

This early 20th century classic is part one of two songs. Don't know much about this cat, or his strange instrument, but for a 1920s recording it's a real gem. I believe Ry Cooder recorded it with Big Jim Dickinson on a soundtrack LP.

SIDE B

I'm So Glad You Don't Know What's On My Mind - SheWolf/ Jesse Mae Hemphill

I believe she's from Tate County, anyways, somewhere in the muddy ol' delta. This song is my idea of the blues.
Jim Dickinson has long been a part of this whole scene , and this piece comes from a compilation lp done by Tav Falco - one of Dickinson's sidekicks, back in the Eighties. God bless 'em all. Respect.

Needed Time - Lightnin' Hopkins

Houston's genius bluesman here, on a recording over 50 years old, which makes me cry almost every listen shows Lightnin' lettin a little religion and gospel shine thru his massive ouevre of work . Look out for the great stuff he did on the International Artists Compilation I.A.13 back in the late '70's. Plus the I.A. lp backed by 3 Elevators........

Please Stay - Cryin' Shames

Joe Meek's last hit, and one of his saddest. Shortly before splattering his brains across his Holloway Road, London studio, he allegedly berated this poor singer into this performance. Whatever, it's stellar.
I believe the Drifters had the USA hit, but for me the magic in this record is unequalled on any other version.

Stay - Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs

What can I say? One of the greatest R+B tracks ever.
The soundtrack to a million nights of passion. One of my all time favourites of its era. I wanna dance everytime I hear it.
This is the sort of sentiment I wanna hear more on records...........

She's Coming Home - The Wailers

Not Jamaica's giants, but the Pacific Northwest's compadres of The Galaxies and The Sonics on the Etiquette label.
This is one of my favourite Christmas songs ever - along with a song Dean Wareham turned me on to called "Little Toy Trains", and of course that marvellous version of Little Drummer Boy by the Harry Simeone Chorale The Etiquette XMAS lp this came from is well worth sounding out as it also features the Sonic's Santa Claus masterpiece. To coin a Robyn Hitchcock phrase............. Viva Viva Viva Viva Viva Viva SeaTac -they got the best coffee + computers + smack ............no fool that Hitchcock.........haha.

SIDE C

I Can't Let Go - Evie Sands

This superb song was written by Chip Taylor of Wild Thing and Anyway That You Want Me fame. I believe Evie mighta done his demos...............
This song is so much better than The Hollies' insipid hit - it's almost a different track.
I used part of the middle 8 of the song to create How You Satisfy Me for SPECTRUM , but here you get the real deal in all its glory.

Crawdaddy Simone - The Syndicats

Again, a Joe Meek classic from his last couple of years - 'circa 65 on this track, I think. I believe one of these guys ended up in Yes or summit. Whatever, here is the meanest, coolest English Freakbeat around (like US garage punk, but earlier)
Bomps CDs of UK Freakbeat are well worth searching out.
This song has elements of Rave-up, punk, R+B, Blues - and all sounding punk as fuck..............enjoy.

Elevator Operator - The Rays

Elevator Operator is from the early 50s and packs so much power, lift and humour into 2 mins 30, that i'm constantly amazed by it. This vocal based group are so powerful, they practically invent psyche 30 years too soon.
This record was a longstay on the jukebox at Liverpool's legendary Jukebox.
A 70s compilation called "Jukebox at Eric's" is well worth seeking.
Solid gold.

Perfidia - Xavier Cugat

One of the most beautiful songs ever. Xavier Cugat has long performed genius versions of this standard, but this 1950s , almost lounge-style version is enchanting. If you know "The Tide Is High" - you'll be hit by deja-vu.
An all-time favourite. Priceless. Cugat, my respect.

It Was I - The Fantastic Baggies

One of the also-ran surf bands from California .............
Perhaps most famous for their proto-punk Anywhere The Girls Are - on Bomp's vinyl Surf compilation in the '80s.
This song, however, is more introspective, and a real feat of excellence. It's almost Everly Brothers-like harmonies transport you straight to that summer, with those people.........

Firebird - The White Noise

A long-overlooked classic . White Noise were, along with Silver Apples, the first fully electronic band.

This track, written in '67 by the late Delia Derbyshire, sung by John Whitman + with David Vorhaus accompanying Delia on electronics, remains one of the most enchanting pop songs from that era where it seemed ANYTHING might happen.
Delia did much more work, mainly for the BBC Radiophonic workshop - check out the Rephlex vinyl LP for some delights...... her work is fascinating + varied.

SIDE D

True Love Will Find You In The End - Daniel Johnston

One of the greatest singer songwriters of the last 2 decades or so.
This song, also covered by SPECTRUM, is Daniel Johnston at his most open. You can practically feel the blood running down his sleeve...............
It's hard to say anything more than please find his '80s LPs - the early ones.

Just One Time - Juicy Lucy

Unfortunately, this is probably their only good song - but what a song.
Spacemen 3 reworked this as MARY-ANNE, but here we have the original from the early '70s.
Glen Cambell - the genius lap steel player from The Misunderstood - an amazing band - comes up trumps here.
It almost sounds like some WE WILL FALL type IGGY/Stooges out-take.
The mood on this is tangible. A piece of genius.

I Take It That We're Through - The Riot Squad

One of Joe Meek's last recordings, with the unique Riot Squad.
As well as having Mitch Mitchell, pre-Hendrix, on drums , this recording belies the myth that all Meek's recordings were muddy.
The crazy eastern double-tracked guitar, weird organ, strange vocals are nothing if not a tribute to the fact that Joe had ears.
Interesting title for one of his final works.........

Witchdoctor - John Mayall's Bluesbreakers

A searing piece of blues from the late '60s.
I'm informed this is '65 era clapton at his rare best? It originally came out on Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate label. A label worth exploring with Reaction - dont even mention "Waltz for a Pig" by the Graham Bond Organisation.........
Not much to say about this, other than I love it .........

Supposedly he didn't choose the MC5's "Ramblin' Rose". It was tacked on, by the label I guess. I thought I read somewhere once that had he chosen an MC5 track it would have been "Starship" but I may be remembering wrong.

Anyway...excellent comp.

Poll Results

― chromecassettes, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 02:46 (twelve years ago)