DJ Easy Ed's Blog: 2015

Saturday, December 12, 2015

The December 11 Edition of "Easy Ed's Variety Hour"

Hi, folks!

Listed below are the songs played on last night's show--our last program of 2018. We want to thank all of our loyal listeners for tuning in throughout 2015. The show will be back in early January. Happy Holidays, all!

If you live in the Boston area, here are two events you might want to check out:

Our Primitive Sounds DJ night on December 16: This coming Wednesday I’ll be spinning the Primitive Sounds at River Gods along with special guest DJ Stacy Thornton. Stacy spins gems a plenty, in particular lots of great female R&B tracks from the 50s and 60s. This will be a really fun night—our last Primitive Sounds of 2015! The records spin from 8:00 ‘til closing.

www.facebook.com/events/1663141420632149/

River Gods

125 River Street

Cambridge, MA 02139

On December 19 we’ve got a huge rockin’ show planned at O'Brien's with Jittery Jack, Diablogato, and Easy Ed’s Record Hop. See the Facebook event link for details and advance ticket info!

www.facebook.com/events/1663842570567456/

O'Brien's

3 Harvard Ave

Allston, MA 02134

--Easy Ed

The Songs from Last Night's Show

Sherree Scott And Her Melody Rockers

Whole Lot Of Shakin' Going On

Various: Great Rockin' Girls, Vol. 2

Collector Records

Robbins Records 1963

The Roundup Boys

I Just Can’t Get No Love

Hits for Teen-Agers

Rhythm Bomb Records

www.theroundupboys.de/

Jimmy Crain

Shig-a-Shag

Various: Calling All Rock 'n' Roll Collectors, Vol. 3

Cat Records

Spangle Records 1958

Little Joe Allen

Tiger

Various: Tattle Tale

Buffalo Bop Records

MCM Records 1958

The Galaxies

Get Bent

n/a

Epic 45

Background/ambient

Billy Smith

Johnny Machine

Various: Rock It, Vol. 1

Enviken Records

White Star Records 1960

Eddie and The Flatheads

Leave Me Baby

Shakin' The Shack
LP EP Private

Tail Records

www.facebook.com/eddieandtheflatheadss

Jackie Lee Cochran

Mama Don't You Think I Know

Various: That'll Flat Git It! Vol. 7

Bear Family Records

Decca Records 1957

The Hicksville Bombers

Real Rockin’ Party

Voodoo Doll

The Western Star Recording Company

www.facebook.com/HicksvilleBombers/

The Margraves

Guilty

Rockin’ Records 45

Rockin’ Records

Background/ambient www.facebook.com/TheMargravesBand/

Hal Weston & The Offbeats

Rockin’ ‘n’ Boppin’

Hal Weston & The Offbeats EP

Pink ‘n’ Black Records

www.facebook.com/darrelhighamandtheenforcers/

Macy Skipper

Quicksand Love

Various: Raunchy Sugar

Fantastic Voyage

Light Records 1958

Jerry Lee Lewis

Lovin' up a Storm

Classic Jerry Lee Lewis
Album Private

Bear Family Records

Sun Records 1959

The Bill Black Combo

What'd I Say

Movin'

Hi Records

Background/ambient

The Modern Sounds

South of the Border

Stomp Stomp

Ventrella Records

Background/ambient

Leon McAuliffe

Take It Away Leon

Tulsa Straight Ahead

Bear Family Records

Columbia Records 1950

The Lucky Stars

Whose Hat Is That?

Go to Town
Country

2014

Fate Records

www.facebook.com/TheLuckyStars

Pee Wee King and His Golden West Playboys

Plantation Boogie

Pee Wee King and His Golden West Playboys

Bear Family Records

RCA

The Three Of Us

Sugar Jump

Various: Transparent Rock Shake Rhythm

Still Records

Background/ambient

The Retrobaits

Your Squeezes Don't Leave Me

n/a

www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=retrobaits

Dale Hawkins

Liza Jane

Rock 'n' Roll Tornado

Ace Records

Checker Records 1959

The Four Kings

Thirty Five Thirty

Original Memphis Rhythm 'n' Blues

Stomper Time Records

Background/ambient

Jimmy McCracklin

Everybody Rock

Various: R&B Humdingers, Vol. 14

Vee-Tone Records / IODA

Checker Records 1958

Mable Scott

Subway Blues

Various: Rhythm & Blues Goes Rock and Roll, Vol 1

Past Perfect

King Records 1950

The Magic Tones

Good Googa Mooga

Various: The Super Doo Wop Box

Rockbeat Records

King Records 1953

The Searchers

Wow Wow Baby

Various: Hey DJ! Play Some Jivers!

Helllo Dere Records

Class Records 1958

Jimmy Spruill

Scratchin’

Various: Harlem Rock 'n' Blues, Vol. 1

Collectables
`

Background/ambient

The Enchanters

Bottle Up and Go

n/a

Coral Records 45

Coral Records 1957

Bobby Marchan & The Tick Tocks

Snoopin' and Accusin'

n/a

Fire Records 45

Fire Records 1960

Don & Dewey

A Little Love

Jungle Hop

1991

Specialty Records

Specialty Records 1957

Little Richard

Heeby-Jeebies Love

The Specialty Sessions

Specialty

Specialty Records 1956 (originally unissued). Little Richard celebrated his 83 birthday on December 5.

Dave "Baby" Cortez

Things Ain’t What They Used to Be

Tweetie Pie

Roulette Records LP

Background/ambient

Billy Vaughn

Sabre Dance Boogie

Greatest Boogie Woogie Hits

Dot Records LP

Background/ambient

Johnny Otis

Queen of the Twist

n/a

King Records 45

King Records 1962

Bob and Earl

Sweat Pea

n/a

Class Records 45

Class Records 1958

Bobby DeSoto

The Cheater

n/a

Claro Records 45

Claro Records 1959

Bobby Lonero

Little Bit

Various: Rock and Roll Dance Party, Vol. 2

RRDP

Liberty Records 1959

The Nightmares

Greyhound

Various: 50's & 60's Wild Guitar Instrumentals

Red Devil Records

Background/ambient

Link Wray and His Ray Men

The Swag

The Original Rumble
CD Album Private

Ace Records

Cadence Records 1958

Ric Cartey

Mellow Down Easy

Various: Get Hot Or Go Home: Vintage RCA Rockabilly '56-'59
CD Comp Private

Country Music Foundation Records

RCA Records 1957

Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks

Southern Love

n/a

Roulette Records 45

Roulette Records 1958

The Sadies

The Pyramid

Tales of the Rat Fink Original Soundtrack

Yep Roc Records

Background/ambient

The Rockin' Continentals

1-2-3-4

n/a

Casino Records 45

Background/ambient

The Gigolo’s

Movin’ Out

n/a

Enterprise Records 45

Enterprise Records 45

The Fanatic IV

Go Where the Action Is

Go Where the Action Is - EP

El Toro Records

www.facebook.com/The-Fanatic-IV-235533423127045/timeline/

The Versatiles

Moon Dawg!

Various: Shake Um Up Rock

Norton Records

Sea Crest Records 1961

The Chartbusters

New Orleans

n/a

Crusader Records 45

Crusader Records 1965

The Orchids

The Hucklebuck

Twistin' at the Roundtable with the Orchids

Roulette

Background/ambient

Carl Perkins

Gone Gone Gone

The Classic Carl Perkins
CD Album Private

Bear Family Records

Sun Records 1955

Hank's Jalopy Demons

The Pressure's On

Music on the Up Beat

Flipster Records

www.facebook.com/HanksJalopyDemons?fref=ts

Dwight "Whitey" Pullen

Teen Age Bug

Various: Ultra Rare Rockabillies, Vol. 2

Chief Records

Carlton Records 1958

Jittery Jack

Boston “My Home Town”

Gonna Have a Time with Jittery Jack

2014

Annabelle Records

www.facebook.com/pages/Jittery-Jack/123690897657839 See Jittery Jack 12/19 at O’Brien’s in Alston, with Diablogato and Easy Ed’s Record Hop. www.facebook.com/events/1663842570567456/

The Originals

Scatter Shot

Various: Rock 'n' Roll with Piano, Vol. 18

Collector Records

Background/ambient

Barrence Whitfield & The Savages

Shot Down

Savage Kings
Rock

2001

Munster Records

www.facebook.com/BarrenceWhitfieldSavages/?fref=ts

Friday, December 4, 2015

Platter-Spinning at Brass Union December 9/Radio Show December 11/Primitive Sounds December 16/Holiday Show December 19 (Whew!)

Hi, folks. As I may have mentioned before, I cohost a longstanding, live record hop called “Primitive Sounds” twice a month at a club called River Gods in Cambridge, MA. We have a lot of fun doing that, and the night has led to other things, including another regular night at Brass Union in Somerville, MA. We’ve been doing this new night for about a year, and we’re simply calling that one “Easy Ed and P.J. Eastman Spin the Platters.” Our next one is December 9. (Info here.) You can find us at Brass Union once a month on the second Wednesday. Here’s next week’s flier, and the promo blurb.

A holiday happening? A red-hot record hop? Primitive Sounds in Exile? Whatever you call it, the records will be hot, the crowd cool, the drinks tall and bubbly, and the food delicious. Join Easy Ed and P.J. Eastman December 9 at Brass Union for their monthly Somerville record party. They'll be spinning their finest rock 'n' roll, R&B, rockabilly, and more just for your. Brass Union is cool nightspot with a fantastic sound system, great food and drink, friendly staff and patrons, table games, dance floor, and more! They've got it all. See you there! Brass Union is located at 70 Union Square in Somerville, MA 02143.

The next edition of the “Easy Ed’s VarietyHour” radio show will happen on December 11. More about that next week, but I hope you can tune in (or download the podcast after the fact).

On December 16 I'll be back at River Gods, spinning the Primitive Sounds with special guest DJ Stacy Thornton. Details here!

On December 19 we’ve got a huge rockin’show planned at O'Brien's (3 Harvard Ave., Allston, MA) with Jittery Jack, Diablogato, and Easy Ed’s Record Hop. Hope to see you before the snow flies!

Easy Ed

Saturday, November 21, 2015

The Songs from Last Night's Show/Thanksgiving Eve Party at Atwood's Tavern with Jittery Jack!

Hi, Folks!

Thanks for tuning in to last night's show. If you missed it, the archive MP3 will be available for free download from easy-ed.net and iTunes in just a few days. See below for a list of what we played. Come down to Atwood's Tavern this coming Wednesday for our big Thanksgiving Eve party with Jittery Jack and Easy Ed's Record Hop! I hope you all have a great holiday next week.

Here’s what we played on last night’s show (November 20).

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Thanksgiving, Radio, Jittery Jack, and Rockin' Records

If you're reading this, and you celebrate Thanksgiving, I send my best wishes to you, your friends, and your families. It's a wonderful holiday--my favorite, in fact. I hope you have time off from your labors to relax, reflect, and enjoy for a few days.

My radio show, "Easy Ed's Variety Hour," will broadcast this Friday, November 20 on WMFO in Medford, MA (and possibly on November 27 as well--I'll let you know.) If you've heard the show I hope you will listen in again. If you haven't, maybe you'll check it out. To get an idea of what it's all about you can look at the history of songs I've played in my (nearly) ten years on the air here. (On the Spinitron site, click "Playlist" to see the songs from each listed week.)

Many people listen to the program after the fact. MP3 files of each show are available for free download from my web site, easy-ed.net. You can also find the show on iTunes, and you can subscribe there so that new shows come to you automatically. (The show is also rebroadcast twice each week on Rockabilly Radio.) Here's this week's flier:

As the fine print states, the great Jittery Jack will play a show Thanksgiving Eve at Atwood's Tavern in Cambridge. He's asked me to bring the mobile version of my show, "Easy Ed's Record Hop," along, so I'll be spinning 45s for you that night. Jittery Jack is a dynamic, world-class performer who really knows how to entertain a crowd. This event at Atwood's isn't just for the greasy rockers, folks. Jittery Jack appeals to a wide array of music fans, and he's got a top-notch band backing him: Miss Amy on guitar, Johnny Sciascia on bass, and Judd Williams on traps. (BTW, he hosts a talk show on youtube. See his page for info. It's a fun watch.) We hope to see you at Atwood's.

Atwood's Tavern
877 Cambridge St, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141

I tip my hat to small, independent record labels that put out vinyl 45s. That format is the weapon of choice for many live DJs, including me. These labels face steep challenges: Find great acts to record, get them to the studio, then jump into the highly competitive world of record pressing. Record plants are few; they can't keep up with demand these days. It can take a loooong time to get your records. So, big kudos to Rockin' Records in Vancouver. They are dealing with all the headaches and getting things done right. I really dig their latest release, "Not Guilty" by The Margraves. If you're a fan of rockin' 45s, check out Rockin' Records.

That's all for now! Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 13, 2015

I'm a Fanatic IV Fan!

The Fanatic IV from Helsinki caught my ear a few months back with a preview track from "Go Where the Action Is!," a 4-song EP on the El Toro label. This record has taken up permanent residence next to Deck 1 in my record room, except when traveling around in the "Gotta Spin NOW" box I bring to DJ gigs. This is straight ahead rock 'n' roll sung and played by guys who know exactly what they're doing. But it's also more than that. You don't make a record like this by dabbling in a genre for ten minutes before rolling tape. A lifetime of rock 'n' roll is wrapped in this small orange package.

About the format: Although the Fanatic IV most definitely have the firepower to deliver a full LP/CD--I expect that's already in the works--the four-song EP packs a solid punch. The term "all killer--no filler" would not be misapplied here. More bands should do the short form. Bash four scorchers down and blast your best sounds around the world.

Make that three scorchers and one moody burner, a twist-era cover of Hank Williams' "Ramblin' Man." You're right to be skeptical, but the results are infectious. (This band could get the Statue of Liberty out on the dance floor.) There are two originals on the disc--including the title track, which I've found fits perfectly between Lelan Rogers' "Hold It" and "Las Vegas Scene" (Wes Dakus) in a live set--and another cover, Bobby Darin's "Irresistible You."

Here's how The Fanatic IV summarized their sound on Facebook: "Imagine frat rock at its moronic peak in ’63 mixed with heartfelt teen ballads done by the last of the greasers in the time when blond Fender Amps were the loudest thing in town and everybody was doing the twist." Nicely said, and, sure, it is all that. But they're holding back more than a little bit. This is a very special little record.

Monday, November 9, 2015

DJ Night at Brass Union (November 11, 2015)

I've gotten some flak/questions about not promoting many band/DJ shows in the last few months. That may change in 2016. I sure want to do it, but the time just isn't available at the moment. For now, in addition to the radio show, I've been putting a lot into various DJ nights in the Boston area. In addition to our twice-monthly Primitive Sounds night at River Gods, P.J. Eastman and I spin together once a month at Brass Union in Somerville, MA. The next one is coming up this Wednesday. This is a blog post, not an ad, but I do hope you check out our night sometime as P.J. and I put a lot into it. Brass Union is a fun place, with a good draft beer/wine/cocktail selection. They've got room to dance, games (e.g., shuffleboard), and a top-notch sound system. And we play records. Lots of records! The night goes from 8:00 to 1:00.

Brass Union
70 Union Square
Somerville, MA 02143

This month's Brass Union is by Alex F.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Reconnected by Records

Yesterday afternoon I drove up to Lowell, MA, to check out the record show at Mill No. 5. I like that city--hadn't been there in a while--and the event poster (above) was eye-catching. If you haven't been to Lowell it may seem a bit gritty and worn on the surface, but the history of the place is fascinating and I find the people to be friendly (in a New England sorta way). In Boston a lot of cool old stuff gets torn down and replaced with new stuff that tries to be cool and look old. Lowell tends to leave things as they were.

Mill No. 5, however--as the name suggests--is an old mill building that's being renovated as retail space. For yesterday's show, on the building's fourth floor, art and craft vendors, record-dealer tables, and a DJ were set up. They had a healthy crowd, but the dealers mostly had LPs and I was after singles.

Vinyl Destination is a permanent record store at Mill No. 5, and they had all their 45s on sale for $2.00 each. I had fun digging through their boxes and amassed a small stack to buy. (Again, the inventory was mostly LPs.) Nice folks there. It was good to see kids buying records--the busy store made me think of Saturday record shopping when I was a kid--and it was refreshing to pick up some bargains. I probably already have four copies of "Why" by the Cues, but couldn't pass up a pristine example with a cool "Hot Stuff" sleeve. Also got a nice copy of "Dinky Doo" by Eddie Bo. (You'll have to come out to Brass Union this week to hear the others.)

Strange thing: A few of the records I bought had a name-and-address sticker on the them, and the name was familiar. I Googled the guy and learned that it was who I thought it might be, a former day-job colleague from many years ago. He died in 2014, and someone must've sold off his records. He and I never discussed music at work, but I see now that we should have since we apparently had similar taste. It feels eerie to own records of a dead person you used to know, but they are in good hands and will be enjoyed. He'd probably be happy to know that.

This of course leads to the inevitable question: What will happen to all my records after I hand in my lunch pail? I guess someone else will need to worry about that. OK. Enough morbidity. Time to go play some more of the newly acquired finds.

Just for the Record(s)

This summer I was hired to DJ at an out-of-town, day/evening gig. It was a little like DJing a wedding. I didn't know many people there and wasn't sure what the crowd would want to hear. But it was my job to entertain them, and I did. I brought tons of 45s with me that day and ended up playing fairly well known stuff (well known to me anyway). Some of these records I play at regular club shows close to home (Boston/Cambridge), but most don't see daylight too often because I always think everyone's heard them too much already. But for an event like this you need to try to read the crowd and give them what they like (e.g., stuff they know or stuff that sounds like other records they know).

I know--this is all basic DJ info, so why bring it up now? Well, I realized the day after that show that I had kept all the records I'd played in one box, in the exact order I'd played them. I'm usually not that neat. I always start out with my records organized into logical groups, but by the end of the night everything's all over the place. Because I'd kept everything in order after this particular gig--possibly the only time in my DJ career that I'll do that--I decided to type up a list the next day over my late-morning coffee. (I think I was procrastinating about something more important that also needed to get done that morning.)

Here, preserved in digital amber, are my sets from that day. It's kinda interesting to me to read through it again now. (I'm a bigger Ricky Nelson fan that even I knew.) Maybe it will be interesting to you also. Some of these are requests. Most of the records are originals, although I do spin repros when necessary. The event went from early afternoon--a hot, sunny day--until late at night, and there were several band sets interspersed with the DJ sets.

1.The Ventures/Instant Mashed (Dolton)

2. Wanda Jackson/Mean, Mean Man (Capitol)

3. Dale Hawkins/Susie Q (Checker)

4. Glen Glenn/Everybody’s Movin’ (Era)

5. The Cotillions/Surf Twist (Alley)

6. The Seeburg Spotlite Band/Slow Down (Seeburg)

7. Bo Diddley/Road Runner (Checker)

8. Guitar Jr. /The Crawl (Goldband)

9. The Delroys/Bermuda Shorts (Apollo)

10. Chuck Berry/Back in the U.S.A (Chess)

11. Ann Cole/Got My Mo-Jo Working (Baton)

12. Edgar Blanchard/Let’s Get It (Ric)

13. Gary U.S. Bonds/Not Me (Legrand)

14. Jim and Monica/Slippin’ and Slidin’ (instro side) (Betty)

15. Gene Vincent/Git It (Capitol)

16. The Trophies/Somethin’ Else (Nork)

17. Freddie Cannon/Tallahassee Lassie (Swan)

18. Fabian/Got the Feeling (Chancellor)

19. Sandy Nelson/Let’s Go (Polydor International)

20. The Rivieras/Let’s Have a Party (Riviera)

21. Arthur Alexander/A Shot of Rhythm and Blues (Dot)

22. Joe Tex/Ain’t I a Mess (Anna)

23. Googie Rene/Wiggle-Tail, Part 2 (Class)

24. Big Buddy Lucas/Bump Te Bump (Lawn)

25. John Fred and His Playboys/Shirley (Paula)

26. The Blue Dots/Saturday Night Fish Fry (Ace)

27. Lavern Baker/Jim Dandy Got Married (Atlantic)

28. Joe Turner/Flip, Flop, & Fly (Atlantic)

29. Varetta Dillard/Promise Mr. Thomas (Savoy)

30. Noble “Thin Man” Watts/Hot Tamales (Baton)

31. Big Sandy/Have Love Will Travel (HipShakin’)

32. Mike Waggoner & The Bops/Guitar Man (Vee)

33. Larry Williams/Slow Down (Specialty)

34. Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters/What ‘Cha Gonna Do (Atlantic)

35. Ray Sharpe/Linda Lu (Jamie)

36. The Jive-a-Tones/Wild Bird (Fraternity)

37. Ricky Nelson/Hello Mary Lou (Imperial)

38. Roy Clark/Wildwood Twist (Capitol)

39. Bill Haley and His Comets/Rock the Joint (Roller Coaster)

40. Billy Lee Riley/Pearly Lee (Sun)

41. Ricky Nelson/Believe What You Say (Imperial)

42. The Belairs/Mr. Moto (Arvee)

43. Al Casey/Guitars, Guitars, Guitars (Stacy)

44. Roy Montrell/The Mellow Saxaphone (Specialty)

45. Little Richard/Heeby-Jeebies Love (Specialty)

46. Larry Dale/Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee (Atlantic)

47. Joe Houston/Shtiggy Boom (RPM)

48. Ritchie Valens/Come On, Let’s Go (Del-Fi)

49. Johnny O’Keefe/Real Wild Child (Brunswick)

50. Jack Kitchen/Hot Rod Boogie (Repro)

51. Link Wray/Turnpike U.S.A. (Swan)

52. Gene Summers/Alabama Shake (Capri)

53. Jerry Lee Lewis/Lovin’ Up a Storm (Sun)

54. H.B. Barnum/Tia Juana (Imperial)

55. Don and Dewy/Justine (Specialty)

56. Big Al Downing/Georgia Slop (Columbia)

57. The Chancellors/Little Latin Lupe Lu (Soma)

58. The Pastel Six/Twitchin’ (Downey)

59. The Rivingtons/The Bird Is the Word (Liberty)

60. Hand Ballard and the Midnighters/Sugaree (King)

61. The Royal Lancers/Good, Good Lovin’ (Hi Mar)

62. Johnny Knight/Rock & Roll Guitar (Morocco)

63. Dick Dale/Shake-N-Stomp (Deltone)

64. Gene Vincent/Right Now (Capitol)

65. The Champs/Midnighter (Challenge)

66. Dick Holler and the Holidays/Double Shot (of My Baby’s Love) (Comet)

67. Harold Dorman/Uncle Jonah’s Place (Sun)

68. Little Bob/I Got Loaded (La Louisianne)

69. Johnny Guitar Watson/Looking Back (Escort)

70. The Five Royales/Catch That Teardrop (Reissue)

71. The Velvettes/Needle in a Haystack (V.I.P.)

72. Baby Jean/If You Wanna (Reissue)

73. The Everly Brothers/I’m Not Angry (Warner Brothers)

74. Jerry Lee Lewis/Money (Sun)