FRANKIE SUMATRA’S HIP-SWINGIN’ SOUNDS FOR HIPSTERS, HEP-CATS & KITTENS
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People
often say to me "Hey,Frankie what’s happenin’ in the hippest nitespots on
the Vegas Strip,man. Which sounds are the hep-cats groovin’ to,baby? Well
folks, you’re asking the one guy who’s got his finger on the racing pulse
of the vibrant, throbbing, sensual, libidinous, uninhibited, swinging, polymorphously
perverse phenomenon that is Vegas. The only rule is it don’t mean a thing
if it ain’t got that swing, baby. For the last few years hipsters have been
jumpin’ about like cats on a hot tin roof to the swing sound of Big Bad
Voodoo Daddy, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, Royal Crown Revue, Brian Setzer Orchestra
and all these new kids on the block but they’re still payin’ homage to the
aristocats of swing who fired the whole crazy scene into action back in
the days when Dino was still a big hit with the chicks.
So here’s a dozen tracks old and new that
can’t fail to get the party started right.The key to all these tracks is
their "live" sound. Some of these tracks were recorded live on stage, others
were studio sessions which retained the raw energy of live performance.
This ain’t easy listening folks it’s kick ass swingin’ funky latino mod
jazz boogie! |
|
1. |
PEREZ PRADO |
Mambo No.5 |
Perez "Prez" Prado King of Mambo |
RCA LP |
1989 |
| Was rockin’ the casa at Vegas years before Lou
Bega got a hold of it, plastered his limp rap over the top of this monster
and made plenty of midsummer moolah. "Perez the Mambo King" deserves a better
legacy. Hear the original and best at Vegas. |
|
2. |
CHERRY POPPIN’ DADDIES |
Zoot Suit Riot |
The Swingin’ hits of the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies |
Mojo Records |
1997 |
| The new swing anthem from a buncha
punks straight outta Oregan. These cats are puttin’ ska, swing, blues, funk
and punk into the melting pot and cookin’ up a very spicy gumbo indeed. |
| 3. |
BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY |
You & me & the bottle makes 3... |
"Swingers" soundtrack |
Mirimax Records |
1996 |
| BBVD set the wheels in motion for
the whole street swing rennaissance with their appearance in the Doug Liman
"Swingers" flick. The BBVD debut album is hot stuff with this the stand
out track but the "Swingers" soundtrack gives you three BBVD tracks (including
a great version of Jungle Book anthem "I Wanna Be Like You" ) plus Dino,
King Floyd, Roger Miller, Love Jones etc. etc. |
| 4. |
RAY GELATO GIANTS |
Tu vuo fa l’Americana |
|
Double Scoop 45 |
1998 |
| Swinging London gets into the scene
with this Louis Prima style homage to the Italian-American connection. |
| 5. |
YOUNG HOLT UNLIMITED |
Light my fire |
The Best of Y.H.U. |
Brunswick LP |
1995 |
| These cats were the smokin’ rhythm
section on the Ramsey Lewis Trio’s biggest hits. On leaving RLTin 1966 Isaac
"Redd" Holt (drums) and Eldee Young (bass) put together the Young-Holt Trio
(later to become YHU) with pianist Don Walker. With their cool blend of
jazz and Latin and their hip renditions of popular songs of the day YHT
were soon joining contemporaries Cal Tjader and Mongo Santamaria as big
favourites with the Mod and Hipster crowds. Listen to the excellent YHT
live album "On Stage" (available on a reissue cd on the Brunswick label)
and be amazed at how funky a jazz trio can get. Their medley of Ramsey Lewis
hits "The "In" Crowd" , "Wade in the Water" and their own excellent " Ain’t
there Somethin’ Money can’t Buy" (also on Best of YHU) has to be heard to
be believed. Great tracks like "Soulful Strut", "Wack Wack" and "Yon Gimme
Thum" were an early blueprint for funk bands like Kool & the Gang and Salsoul
pioneers like Joe Bataan. But perhaps their most astonishing track was their
superbly funky version of The Doors "Light My Fire" which was used as the
killer backing track for both Erma Franklin and Jackie Wilson’s northern
soul versions of the song. Shirley Bassey later did a great rendition on
her "Something" LP but nothing beats YHU’s instrumental with it’s melodic
piano motif taking centre stage. Later to be sampled by De La Soul for "A
Rollerskating Jam Called Saturdays." |
| 6. |
MONGO SANTAMARIA |
Watermelon Man |
Latin Fever LP |
JazzFM Records |
1998 |
| The Latin soul anthem. This track never goes
away. A staple of mod clubs, soul clubs, disco clubs, latin clubs, funk
clubs, jazz clubs you can hear Mongo’s version of Herbie Hancock’s tune
a hundred times yet it still sounds fresh. My vote goes to the instrumental
version available on this LP over the familiar vocal one. Like Quincy Jones’
ubiquitous "Soul Bossa Nova" this track is so popular because it’s so good.
You can’t argue with the dancefloor. |
| 7. |
RAMSEY LEWIS TRIO |
The "In" Crowd |
Ramsey Lewis Trio’s Greatest Hits |
Chess LP |
1997 |
| These guys took Dobie Gray's song and turned
it into an infectious red hot mod jazz instrumental. This track became one
of the biggest instrumental hits of the 60's and still packs a punch today. |
| 8. |
MARIA BETHANIA |
Mano Caetano |
Mojo Dancefloor Jazz vol.5 |
|
1996 |
| Sheer Brazilliance from the magical Maria Bethania
. A singer of songs beyond compare, a musical dramatist whose deep resonant
voice casts a spell on the listener. But most of all this song kicks ass
on the dancefloor. Ignite this polyrhythmic firework and stand well back.
It doesn’t matter if the crowd have never heard this song before. Dancing
to this is an involuntary reflex action akin to an uncontrollable muscle
spasm. A big track at Vegas for the last couple of years but few will know
the artist behind it. If you only check out one of these tracks make it
this one. |
| 9. |
RAY CHARLES |
What I’d Say (live) |
Ray Charles Live In Concert |
ABC/Paramount LP |
1965 |
| Anyone who thinks the piano ain’t rock n’ roll
sure hasn’t heard this baby. This is a psychedelic latin blues soul explosion
of a record, a carnal celebration of jumpin’ jazz and blues born in Africa,
baptized in the barrios and brought up in New Orleans. This live version
is surfin’ on a wave of pure rock power. |
| 10. |
BOBBY DARIN |
Mack The Knife (Live) |
Bobby Darin’s Greatest Hits |
Curb Records LP |
1990 |
| The hippest single ever bar none. Bobby Darin
transformed this very morbid teutonic Kurt Weil/Bertold Brecht song about
a serial killer "MacHeath" from "The Threepenny Opera"into a swingin’ stateside
smash hit. Admittedly Louis Armstrong bridged the transatlantic chasm first
with his version but it was Darin who subverted the song completely, translating
the story from Berlin to New York and transforming the tone from a stately
song of mourning to a hip celebration of gangster chic. The live version
on this LP is so good it almost surpasses the studio cut and was allegedly
Bobby’s favourite version. |
| 11 |
GOOGIE RENE COMBO |
Smokey Joe’s La La |
Mo’ Mod Jazz |
Kent LP |
1998 |
| This is the northern soul mod jazz
anthem you’ve heard everywhere but probably can’t put a name to. Much used
on football preview programmes and sampled by hip dance d.j. David Holmes
amongst others. This sounds like a party goin’ on down at Smokey Joe’s Cafe
with a funky rhythm section, a boogie-woogie piano player and the whole
drunken bar room clientele singin’ along in the background. Chas and Dave
with soul. |
| 12 |
DEAN MARTIN |
Ain’t That A Kick In The Head |
The Very Best of Dean Martin |
Capitol LP |
1998 |
| Dino up on stage doing what he does
best. This is one of his best songs and it sounds like it was recorded live
at "The Sands" with Dino workin’ the room like only Dino can. |
