Hey, there, Hi there, Ho there, you're as welcome as can be!
Let's get right to it:
If you've read this site (and my posts at WFMU), you may be aware that I am a devotee of the music of the Caribbean, as well as the larger world of Latin music, circa the 1930's to the 1950's, particularly the Calypso music of Trinidad (and the somewhat faux Calypso that became a fad in the US during the 1950's), which I consider the best sub-genre of popular music ever devised by humankind. .
Given that fact, there's no doubt that I would have jumped at the chance to snap up today's offering, once a partial sound file of it appeared on eBay. "That's the Life For Me!" appeared on the Tin Pan Alley, one of the few labels which (at the time, anyway, 1958 or so), was making an ongoing attempt to make their releases match the music styles of the day.
Thus we have a lovely, lilting and energetic island sound backing up Jimmy Dee, who only made two documented records for the label, pretty much back to back. The percussionists here deserve special praise, driving the track along, but the guitarist is doing some really nice things, too, especially in the solo section. Jimmy Dee does a fine job, offering up a fairly passionate vocal. I'd say he's emulating Jackie Wilson, except that at the time this record was cut, Wilson probably only had one single out. But he's in the style, for sure.
Download:
Jimmy Dee - That's the Life For Me!Play:
The flip side is "You Mean All the World to Me". I continue to hear Jackie Wilson-esque vocal stylings from Jimmy Dee, but they seem pretty over-the-top on this very, very slow number. Your mileage may vary, but this just doesn't do anything for me at all.
Download: Jimmy Dee - You Mean the World to Me
Play:
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And now it's time for our "cut-up" of the week. Previous posts have explained this feature enough that I hope I don't need to explain further.
Anyway, today's offering is, I think, the most recent "cut-up" I've made (although I'll share something I did this year, which is not quite in the same genre, soon). It's not really "recent" - it's from 2015 - but I haven't done any since.
It's an overhaul of the great Beatles' track "Norwegian Wood". As compared to the "cut-ups" I did in the early and mid 1980's, this one benefited fully from the excellent sound editing software I have now, compared with the cassette recorder pause button I had then.
Multiple friends have said it's the best thing I've done in this area, mostly (or entirely) because of the way I fooled around with the sitar segments (and not so much the drop-ins heard throughout the vocal). But I think the whole thing is way above my average, and it's one of my favorites.
A caveat: This is an extremely rude and off-color sound file. It is loaded with four letter words and other "blue" imagery. It is probably as foul-mouthed as anything I've ever done in a cut-up. If you're likely to be offended, maybe you should skip it, and it's absolutely not safe for work.
On the other hand, those instrumental passages may just make you laugh out loud.
Download: The Beatles - Norwegian Wood (cut-up)
Play:
