Chris Stroffolino: April 19, 2009

Bo Diddley(R.I.P) (and that ain’t no Cadillac Records; maybe Nas will play him in the sequel; Little Walter, “My Babe”)

I heard a Bo Diddley tribute on local college station KALX (and they played songs influenced by him, and hardly ANY Bo-Diddley. Ugh. That’s not what we need. We need more BO DIDDLEY (at least they played The Animals’ “The Story of Bo Diddley” alongside “I Want Candy” and The Smiths.

1. Eddie Bo

   Recently deceased, amazing New Orleans piano soul/funk R&B sides.
   Google him, if you not yet know.

2. The Duchess and the Duke, “I Am Just a Ghost”

   Yes, I like the vocal harmonies. The T. Rex frontman, the B-side to his second single before he joined John’s Children juxtaposing it with rockets and strippers.
   Well, I like Micah Ballard as an example of San Francisco poet, and SunnyLyn Thibodeaux.

3. Norman Whitfield

   Also recently deceased (September, 2008). Another amazing “behind the scenes” guy, whose songwriting and production was as at least as important to “The Motown Sound” as Smokey Robinsonand Holland Dozier Holland.

4. John Rich, “Shuttin’ Detroit Down”

   A contemporary country hit whose working class message about bailing out the fat cats on Wall Street I was very happy to hear. But, watch out, Democrats and progressives. People like talk show host Sean Hannity are trying to co-opt this message for their political agenda even though the Bush administration was even more in bed with Wall Street than Obama is.

5. Lux Interior

   Also, R.I.P.

6. Dean Wareham – Black Postcards

   His recently published memoir; for those who always dug Galaxie 500 more than, say, their New England-based contemporaries, The Pixies. Some nasty page-turning words about that breakup still, but from the perspective of the post-Luna breakup (“it’s hard to be in a band with a couple”), leaves the possibility of a reunion open!

7. Benny Benjamin

   Another underrated, under-talked about, amazing behind-the-scenes Motowner; the main drummer with James Jamerson for that great Motown rhythm section, until his untimely, tragic death in 1969. And, yes, it does seem to be his real name, and, no, they never played with Robbie Robertson or Kris Kristofferson, though that would be a damn cool mosh-up oldies supergroup.

8. General Norman Johnson, “Patches.”

   There’s a cool video of this ex-Chairman of The Board frontman playing “Rockaway Beach” with Joey Ramone.

9. Sylvia Kratins, “Ruth” in Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming

   Excellent performance in San Francisco, from The Off Broadway West Theatre Company (at the Phoenix Theatre). Runs through May 2, 2009.

10. Turn to Me, “Lou Reed”

    Because sometimes you just have to.