- Artist: King
- Title: Won’t You Hold My Hand Now (Heavy Times Mix)
- Year: 1984
- Format: Vinyl 12 in.
- Rating (1-10): 5
- Owner: Mary
- Acquired: ?
- Keeper: No
The endless line of King 12 inch singles continues. This one is another version of “Won’t You Hold My Hand Now”, the “Heavy Times Mix.” I’m going to admit that this time I found it less annoying, maybe slightly entertaining. The songs on side two, “Endlessly” and “Never Ending” are probably better. I usually play the record I’m writing about when I post, but right now I’m still spinning the last one, The Gift by The Jam.
- Artist: King
- Title: Won’t You Hold My Hand Now
- Year: 1985
- Format: Vinyl 12 in.
- Rating (1-10): 4
- Owner: Mary
- Acquired: ?
- Keeper: No
I’m so tired of these King 12 inches. “Won’t You Hold My Hand Now” was not motivating me to update this site, but I’m getting it over with now. This single is extra boring. I’m not all-out hatin’ on King, it’s just that this is really blah. Buh-bye.
- Artist: Peter Zaremba’s Love Delegation
- Title: Spread the Word
- Year: 1986
- Format: Vinyl 12 in.
- Rating (1-10): 8
- Owner: Tracy
- Acquired: 1986 – Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA
- Keeper: Yes
I’m all out of official Fleshtones records, but Peter Zaremba’s Love Delegation is pretty similar in sound, and personnel. I’m not sure if I should file this under Z for Zaremba or L for Love Delegation. In the real world I just file right after the other records by The Fleshtones. Fleshtones guitarist Keith Streng is a part of the core band, and drummer Bill Milhizer also contributed some. There are a lot other folks too, but the most well-known would be Dave Faulkner, front man of the Hoodoo Gurus.
I got to see the Hoodoo Gurus a few times and they put a on great show with a heavy crunch rock sound that doesn’t come across on their albums. Once I saw Mr. Faulkner at a Fleshtones show. They were playing at a small bar in Norfolk, VA called the King’s Head Inn. Faulkner was carrying their gear onto the stage! Apparently he was just hanging out with them for a while. This was when the Hoodoo Gurus were at their most popular in the States, and in Australia they were playing arenas. I even got to talk to him a bit. Later in the Fleshtones set Dave came on stage to play guitar with the band. Peter Zaremba announced they were “combining the rock and roll forces of two continents!”
Back to Spread the Word. This is a great record. About half of the songs are covers. It’s similar to The Fleshtones sound but overall it’s more pop and soul.
- Artist: Sam and Dave
- Title: The Very Best Of
- Year: 1995
- Format: CD
- Rating (1-10): 9
- Owner: Tracy
- Acquired: 2006 – Christmas gift!
- Keeper: Yes
I love the Stax stuff. When I was teenager I couldn’t get enough early soul music, and spent as much time listening to that as I did punk rock, arty stuff, and metal. Despite that, there are some big holes in my collection. Mary helped correct that by getting this Sam and Dave collection for me. “The Very Best Of” is, of course, excellent. Who in his right mind doesn’t like “Hold On! I’m A Comin’”? Other well-known classics include “Soul Man”, “Wrap It Up”, and my favorite “I Thank You.” ZZ Top also had a hit with “I Thank You.” It’s even one of my favorite ZZ Top songs, but they had to sleaze it up bit by replacing “me” in the lyrics a few times with “it.” For example:
You didn’t have to squeeze me but you did
And so on…
- Artist: Sade
- Title: Your Love Is King
- Year: 1984
- Format: Vinyl 7 in.
- Rating (1-10): 7
- Owner: Mary
- Acquired: ?
- Keeper: Yes
I played this before we hit the road for Christmas. I remember liking “Your Love Is King”, but I have to admit that right now I can’t remember anything else about it. On the back is “Love Affair with Life” and I don’t even remember if I like that one. It’s Sade; it probably sounds like all the rest of her songs, which isn’t a bad thing.
And for something totally different check out Fuel.TV. They call themselves “action sports television” but believe me, Fuel is the best music network on the air. Last night they were running a marathon of the excellent show Check 1,2 and I stayed up way too late soaking it in.
