Mojo
It’s Saturday, and the question you have to ask yourself is “do I have my mojo working?”
Webster’s Dictionary defines mojo as “a magic spell, hex, or charm; broadly : magical power ; works his mojo on the tennis court“. Webster’s had to throw in the thoroughly white-bread sentence example, didn’t they?
The Wikipedia definition is a little more detailed: “a term commonly encountered in the African-American folk belief called hoodoo. A mojo is a small bag, a type of magic charm, often of red flannel cloth and tied with a drawstring, containing botanical, zoological, and/or mineral curios, petition papers, and the like. It is typically worn under clothing.”
Other names for a mojo?
gree-gree (a Bantu word typically spelled gris-gris by people in Louisiana because of the state’s francophone origins), mojo hand, conjure bag, conjure hand, toby, jomo, and nation sack. In Haiti, the usual name for this sort of charm bag among those of African descent is a wanga, oanga, or wanger.
As for the song “Got My Mojo Working”, it was written in the 50’s by Preston Foster. Many people think he wrote it for Muddy Waters, who popularized the tune, but it was actually Ann Cole who released it first. Cole was an R&B / gospel singer from the 50’s and 60’s. Since then it’s been recorded by a ton of musicians, blues and otherwise… Jimmy Smith, Conway Twitty, Pinetop Perkins, Manfred Mann, Chuck Berry, Canned Heat, and a host of others.
Here’s a few that I like….
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown:
Got My Mojo Working(mp3) – from Standing My GroundElvis Presley:
Got My Mojo Working(mp3) – live, unkown location, date. Listen for Elvis’ F-Bomb (the MF-Bomb to be precise).Professor Longhair:
Got My Mojo Working(mp3) – from Go to the Mardi Gras- Here’s a cool resource for all things mojo: http://www.luckymojo.com/mojo.html
- Mojo Trivia of the Day: “Mr. Mojo Risin” is an anagram of Jim Morrison. Never knew ‘dat.
The Pogues Reissued and Rocking the Swedes
Well the weekend is almost upon us again, and what better way to start it than with some Pogues reissue news and a live show from their prime? Rhino keeps impressing me with the choices of their expanded reissues of great albums. This time, they take on the Pogues, with five expanded and remastered albums: Red Roses for Me (their debut), Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash (produced by Elvis Costello), If I Should Fall from Grace with God and Peace & Love (both produced by Steve Lillywhite), and Hell’s Ditch (produced by Joe Strummer).
Each one has 5-6 bonus tracks tacked on to the end. I got my hands on If I Shoul Fall…, which is such a great ride all the way through, highlighted by the great “Fairytale of New York” with Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl, “Turkish Song of the Damned”, and the title track. The bonus tracks are great here too, “Mountain Dew” (with the Dubliners), “Sketches of Spain”, “South Australia”, and the “Battle March Medley”, among others. And who wrote the liner notes? Steve Earle. He recounts 4 straight nights of playing with the Pogues in very entertaining fashion.
So here’s a Pogues set from 1985. It was either soon before or soon after their 1985 album (and second album) Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash was released. Download, grab a pint and enjoy.
The Pogues
May 10, 1985
Orebro, Sweden(Click here to get the whole show in an incredibly handy zip file. It’s 35 MB.)
1. Repeal Of The Licensing Laws
2. Boys From The County Hell
3. Whiskey You’re The Devil
4. Transmetropolitan
5. A Pair Of Brown Eyes
6. Dark Streets Of London
7. Streams Of Whiskey
8. Sally MacLennane
9. Navigator
10. Dingle Regatta
11. Poor Paddy
12. Waxie’s Dargle
13. Muirshin Durkin* Links to buy all five reissued albums are above.
The unmistakable Shane MacGowan. Nobody ever said he was the pretty one….
The Boss in Rotterdam: Factory
Hey I went a whole week without a Bruce post! I thought I’d post another tour debut, “Factory”. There’s no new arrangement here, it actually sounds quite the same as the E Street reunion tour version. But still good in my most humble opinion. And all those who think that Bruce could stand on stage and fart into a microphone for an hour, and I’d still enjoy it, well – yeah, you may be right. But put me back in the 10th row.
Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band: Factory (mp3) – Live in Rotterdam, Oct. 13, 2006And of course the original can be found right here:
Mixed Nuts
Because I’m too tired to come up with a quality post (I couldn’t even come up with a good title – “Mixed Nuts”? Sheesh), I thought I’d hand you off to a few fine folks…
THE WHO at A Cultured Left Foot: Howzabout hearing a complete show by the Who? It took place October 3rd, 1975 in Stafford, UK. I’m sending you over to Stuart’s site, A Cultured Left Foot, where he has the full show for download. As you’ll also see, the man loves his football (yes, soccer to us Yanks), and he knows how to write about it too.
The Who: Live, Oct. 3, 1975 – Part One | Part TwoTALKING HEADS at Jefitoblog: Who wants a Talking Heads show? Jefito has a full 1978 show available in his latest Bootleg City post.
Talking Heads: Live, Sept. 16, 1978
THE RAMONES / CBGB’s: John at Crooks and Liars has a video of the Ramones at CBGB’s.
RIP Freddy Fender
I won’t pretend that I know much about Freddy Fender’s music, but I do have a few songs by his supergroup of the later years, the Texas Tornados, and have heard a few by Los Super Seven.
But it’s always sad to lose a music legend, regardless of our familiarity with them, because their work touches countless others’ lives. The song below has touched my life. My 2 year old is a music lover as it is, but it takes something special to really get her going. “Guacamole” does the job.
So in memory of Freddy Fender, take a listen to a great one by the Tornados.
The Texas Tornados (Freddy Fender, Flaco Jimenez, Augie Myers and Doug Sahm):
Guacamole(mp3)- Buy the Best of the Texas Tornados.
- Freddy Fender’s All Music profile.
1999 Tour: Prince takes the Stage
This is about the only official Prince web site online right now. Click this, take a look, and come back. http://3121.com/
Yep, it looks a little something like this, doesn’t it?
So the latest rumor surrounding the purple guy is a series of shows at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. We’ll see… it is only a 5.5 hour drive from my home, so I’m not totally against the idea, but still strange to fathom…
So let’s wrap up the March 31st Long Beach show, shall we?
Prince & the Revolution
Long Beach, CA
March 31st, 1983
The 1999 TourIntro / Controversy
Let’s Work
Do Me, Baby
D.M.S.R.
Lisa’s Solo
With You
Still Waiting
How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?
Lady Cab Driver
Little Red Corvette
Dirty Mind
International Lover
1999Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
I’ve never been a Cure nut, but something about their 1987 album, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, caught my ear around that time. I was working at Camelot Music in a Racine, Wisconsin mall before I went off to college in Colorado, and I used to play the new releases I found interesting. It’s the cover that made me open it and take a listen, and I’m glad I did. It turned into one of those albums I’ll always associate with that time.. being 18 years old, still seeing the high school sweetheart, and shipping off to school out of state.
So Rhino has introduced the Cure Deluxe Reissue Series, which is made up of albums the Cure put out between 1984-1987: Kiss Me, The Top, and The Head on the Door. Each album has an extra disc of rare outtakes and demos. The extra disk didn’t do too much for me, but I can imagine how great it would be for a Cure superfan. But it was great to hear this great album remastered, and damn, I still love that cover!
The Cure: Catch (mp3)
- Buy Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me – part of the Cure Deluxe Reissues Series.
- Also reissued, buy The Top, The Head on the Door, and Blue Sunsine (a collaboration between Robert Smith, and Siouxsie & the Banshees’ bassist, Steve Severin)
- Check out the eCard.
Ahoy! It’s Tweedy’s Sunken Treasure
Looking through the promo photos of Jeff Tweedy (great pics shot by Charles Harris), I’ll guess that Jeff enjoys these photo sessions about as much as a root canal. But sit for these photos he must because the promotion machine is in full swing for his forthcoming live DVD, Sunken Treasure: Live in the Pacific Northwest. Judging by the really cool trailer, and the following clip – an unreleased track called “The Thanks I Get” – this is gonna be one definite must-have DVD.
I’ve enjoyed the Tweedy sounds since I picked up Mermaid Avenue when it was released in ol’ 98 (eight years ago? Huh?). Well after listening to “California Stars” and “At My Window Sad and Lonely” a few thousand times, Summerteeth came out, and all bets were off, I was hooked.
So I’ve caught Wilco a couple of times over the years, but have never had the opportunity to see a solo Tweedy show. Luckily, I’ll have this DVD in a couple of weeks to fill the void until it happens. So it goes without saying that the Ickmusic Stamp of Approval *dinggg* is firmly adhered to the glossy outer case of this upcoming DVD. Pre-order it, receive it, watch it, nurture it, and hand it down for generations to come, until your great great great great grandchild Zeldar IV picks up his ‘GuitarZozoCoder 2195’ and plays along.
Pre-order the DVD (available on October 24th).
The Time Funk Up Long Beach
Smack dab in the middle of Vanity 6 and Prince on the 1999 tour (figuratively speaking, I think), was Prince’s funky-ass pet project, The Time: Jesse Johnson, Monte Moir, Jellybean Johnson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and of course charismatic front man Morris Day. Now, rumor of course has it that the Time were dropped from the tour toward the end because Prince was tired of being upstaged. Truth, rumor? I don’t know. Who can offer insight into this great life question?? Help me people, I was 12 during this tour.
The Time were touring in support of their second (and best) release, What Time Is It?, produced, arranged and composed by Jamie Starr and his Starr Company.
Mr. Starr (yes, aka Prince) had created a monster…
The Time
Long Beach, CA
March 31st, 1983
Opening for Prince on the 1999 TourIntro
Get it Up
777-9311
Girl
Wild and Loose
Gigolos Get Lonely Too
Cool
The WalkPrince takes the stage later this week… | Vanity 6’s Set
Bruce in the land of Romeo and Juliet
The October 5th Verona show had a few tour debuts in store. “Samson & Delilah” (which I was familiar with from the Dead’s version), “Fire”, and “Valerie” (from wife Patti Scialfa’s first album and sung by Patti). Verona… “Romeo and Juliet, Samson and Delilah”. Get it? Got it? Good!
Here’s a couple of those, as well as Oct. 4th’s “Growin’ Up”.
The Italian crowds are a very spirited bunch, and believe in full crowd participation, as you’ll hear….
Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band:
Samson & Delilah(mp3) – October 5th, Verona
Fire(mp3) – October 5th, Verona
Growin’ Up(mp3) – October 4th, Udine