Slavdik: Turk

I Ride My Camel, It's an Ugly Mammal

I've seen some pretty f^ck$d up Rock'n"Roll shows in my day (The Cramps, The Butthole Surfers, Conway Twitty...). But some of the most bestest shows I ever witnessed were put on by Slavdik!!!

Okay... Slavdik didn't have some butt-ugly naked girl with rubber bands hangin' out of her braces dancin' naked in front of a projector that was showin' "Hamburger on the Highway" (or some other Driver's Ed film), but That's Because Slavdik Didn't NEED IT! All Slavdik Needed was All Slavdik Had! And That, Brothers and Sisters, is All Slavdik Gave!

The band's name (pronounced \ˈslāvˈdik\, it sounds like Slave Dick) is taken from the true last name of it's founder and front man, Rudi Slavdik. He changed it, after bringing his Albanian Roots Rock Band to the US, to King Cotton. He's also the primary songwriter and, I must say, the tunes on this little EP from 1986 are simply gems. I'm especially fond of "The Turk" and "Karl Marx (He No Dead)." I heard a DJ, in Atlanta, compare King Cotton's vocal stylings to David Byrne once. That's not bad, if you ask me.

Slavdik: Turk

1. The Turk
2. (I Hate) Party Talkin'
3. Karl Marx, he no dead
4. Barbecue Hut (Live in Prague)

To quote The King (King Cotton, not Elvis): "The Mighty, Mighty SlavDik had its day, but a new Magog has risen from the ashes. Check out King Cottton and The Remnants."

Yes, King Cotton, along with what is left of the original Slavdik personnel, have released a new collection of Weird-Ass Southern Country Soul on CD. You can get it HERE.

The Three Suns: Having a Ball with The Three Suns

It's Tuna Melt Party Time in Sunshine Land!

The Three Suns (brothers Al and Morty Nevins along with their cousin Artie Dunn) were said to have been Mamie Eisenhower's favorite group. They were an amazingly prolific outfit, in terms of the amount of music they produced, and amazingly diverse, in terms of the range of musical styles that they recorded. Now considered to be near the top of any expert's lists of Easy Listening, Vintage Lounge, Exotica and/or Space Age Bachelor Pad performers, they were a staple of the RCA Victor catalog from the mid-forties through the mid-sixties.

There are a handful of their albums that are considered to be heads and shoulders above the average product available at the times of their release. This is not one of those (and those are, or have been and will again be, available at other outposts in The Blogosphere).

This one is, however, a prime example of their average offerings. Released in 1958, it was tossed out into a world filled with Exotica and Space Age Hi-Fi Demonstration Records but remains unaffected by either of those faddish affectations. It is, purely, (as the name would suggest) the perfect record for a PARTY!!!

So fix yourself a tall stiff one (or two), set a few tidbits about to nosh upon, grab your gal (or guy, as the case may be) and get on down with The Three Suns!

The Three Suns: Having a Ball with The Three Suns

1. You Are My Lucky Star / How About You? / Hello! My Baby / Stompin' at The Savoy
2. I'm in the Mood for Love /
   I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder / That Old Feeling / A Kiss to Build a Dream On
3. Linda Mujer (You Never Say Yes – You Never Say No!)
4. Hi Lili, Hi-Lo
5. You Were Meant for Me / Just You, Just Me / Doll Dance / Elmer's Tune / Johnson Rag
6. I Cried for You / Something's Gotta Give / Coquette / Don't Be That Way
7. If I Had You / I Don't Know Why (I Just Do) / Honey / Should I
8. Three O'Clock in the Morning
9. Walter Winchell Rumba
10. I Never Knew (I Could Love Anybody Like I'm Loving You) /
    When You Wore a Tulip / Sing, Sing, Sing / Tiger Rag

And for more info on this marvelous group go to:
The Three Suns @ Space Age Pop Music
The Three Suns Universe