The Raunch Hands: Learn to Whap-A-Dang with The Raunch Hands / El Rauncho Grande

It's a Raunchy Re-Post (by Request)

The Raunch Hands have Returned! Go Here Now and Read All About It - http://www.licoricetree.com/Rockers/raunch%20hands.htm.

In the meantime (and for those of you who are not yet familiar with this particular brand of Brilliant Rock & Roll Insanity), here is a 6 song EP from 1985.

The Raunch Hands: El Rauncho Grande

1. Man Needs a Woman
2. El Rauncho Grande
3. Mess Around
4. Storm Warning
5. Spit It on the Floor
6. Ford

And here is the repost. Not only a tremendously rockin' set of songs, this record is a wonderful educational opportunity. As a matter of fact, it is a great record for several reasons:

1. - It's got a nice beat and you can dance to it

2. - The more beer you drink the better it sounds

3. - If you haven't figured out how to Whap-A-Dang yet, this'll fix ya.

The Raunch Hands: Learn to Whap-A-Dang with The Raunch Hands

1. What Yer Doin'
2. Getcha Some
3. Chicken Scratch
4. Blackjack
5. Kangaroo Juice
6. Thunderbird
7. Whap-A-Dang
8. County Fair
9. Exotic
10. Is It True
11. Chicken of the Sea
12. Upset Her

The George Shearing Quintet: Satin Affair / Jackie Gleason: Velvet Brass

Satin and Velvet

It makes sense that these records are named as they are because they both contain some of the smoothest sounds ever recorded. I ripped the first, Satin Affair, by The George Shearing Quintet & String Choir, after seeing two of his other Satin records posted on April 4th and 8th over on Stax o' Wax. Shearing is one of the classiest of the crowd that fits into the Easy Listening category. He is, in fact, most often refered to as a Jazz musician. This album is amazingly good and includes one of the best recordings of Stardust that I've ever heard. It is, also, monopophic.

The George Shearing Quintet: Satin Affair

1. Early Autumn
2. You Were Never Lovelier
3. Stardust
4. Baubles, Bangles and Beads
5. It's Not You
6. The Party's Over
7. Midnight Sun
8. Here's What I'm Here For
9. I Like to Recognize the Tune
10. My Own
11. My Romance
12. Bolero #3

Speaking of Monophonic recordings… The second of these two is a repost. If you don't already have a copy of it, you need to get it. This is one great lounge record.

Jackie Gleason: Velvet Brass

1. You're Driving Me Crazy!
2. Skyliner
3. But Not for Me
4. The Man I Love
5. Cherokee
6. Me and My Shadow
7. Take the "A" Train
8. By the Beautiful Sea
9. Am I Blue?
10. What's New?
11. Girl of My Dreams
12. My Buddy
13. I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me
14. September Song
15. Out of Nowhere
16. Chinatown, My Chinatown

Split Enz: True Colors

I Bought It 'cause It Sounded Good...

Of course... I could have bought it because it looked really cool, too. I'm not sure which mattered most to A&M Records in 1980. Thankfully, it was a really good record!

This was the first album I had ever seen with a Laser Etched Image Etched into it by a Laser. The idea of an Image being Etched into Anything by a Laser in 1980 was Pretty Wild. The idea of a Vinyl Record Album (which we had been taught to keep safe from scratches) being Scratched to Pieces by a Laser and Still Playing was... Well... Astounding!!! I mean... We weren't even supposed to touch the surface of these things with our greasy little fingertips, for Pete's sake!!!

I searched all over this thing we call The Internet and found this picture, along with a whole bunch of info about the band and this album at: http://www.thelogbook.com/disc/enz/

Allow me to state at this point that I will forever refer you to those who have actually searched and researched the information instead of claiming to have it myself. Them other guys are lots smarter than I am. I have more records than they do, though, so we make a good team.

What I do know about this band is this. For one: Enz is the technical term for the Reservoir at the tip end of a Condom. That being said, the name Split Enz had a good bit in common with The Lovin' Spoonful and 10cc. For two: They were from Australia and were led, by this point anyway, by The Finn Brothers. The Finn Brothers, of course, ended up being The Crowded House Guy (Neil) and That Other Finn Guy (Tim). The band was, actually, composed of a number of tremendously talented individuals, all of whom contributed to the group's interesting-yet-accessible sound. This is one of several great records by a really great band. It was pretty cool lookin', too.

Split Enz: True Colors

1. I Got You
2. Shark Attack
3. What's the Matter with You
4. Double Happy
5. I Wouldn't Dream of It
6. I Hope I Never
7. Nobody Takes Me Seriously
8. Missing Person
9. Poor Boy
10. How Can I Resist Her
11. The Choral Sea

The Georgia Satellites: Keep the Faith

I Was a Groover in a Basement!

Nowadays the Buckhead area of Atlanta is covered up with national chains and big ugly discos and a whole lot of uninteresting crap. Back in the 70s and 80s, though, it was a bit more bearable. And if you were down in a basement the chances were pretty good that it was downright excellent.

I say that because I only ever knew of a single bar in Buckhead that was in a basement. It wasn't even there for very long, but I used to hang out there some on the weekends because there was this really great band that played there. I don't know the whole story (and what I do know may be complete bull), but I do know that the bar closed down and the band disappeared. The story, as I heard it, goes that the fellow who had been managing the band went back home to England and took the band's demo tape with him. One day, after a few months, one of the members of the band received a telephone call from England informing him that the band needed to get back together because they had a record out and that a great big contract was in the works.

If that is the truth, then this six song EP is, actually, The Satellites' demo tape. "Georgia" was added to the band's name because there was already a band in England called The Satellites when this record was released on Making Waves Records, of London, in 1985.

Right on the back of the record cover it says: This Record is Dedicated to The Memory of "Hedgens Rock 'n' Roll Tavern," Atlanta, Georgia. Staff and Groovers.....R.I.P.

The Georgia Satellites: Keep the Faith

1. Tell My Fortune
2. Red Light
3. Six Years Gone
4. Keep Your Hands to Yourself
5. Crazy
6. The Race is On

The Brains: The Brains

The Smartest Band in the Whole World!!!

The Brains were one of Atlanta's early New Wave bands, and certainly one of the best. Tom Gray's strong songwriting really pushed them out in front of many of the other bands in the region at the time, and Rick Price's flashy guitar slingin' was a wonder to behold.

This is their first album, released in 1980 on Mercury Records. Strangely, The Brains are about the only band I'm aware of whose sound was tamed (diminished, as a matter of fact) by the production of Steve Lillywhite, who was an incredibly hot producer at the time and who is well known for having produced some really powerful records. Still, the energy that was the The Brains' is apparent in much of this disc and it's a tremendous chunk of rock.

Download it. Listen to it. Use it.

The song "Money Changes Everything" was a hit for Cindy Lauper. Rick Price went on to great success playing bass with The Georgia Satellites.

The Brains: The Brains

1. Treason
2. See Me
3. Raeline
4. Girl I Wanna
5. In the Night
6. Money Changes Everything
7. Scared Kid
8. Sweethearts
9. Girl in a Magazine
10. Gold Dust Kids

The Melachrino Strings and Orchestra: Music & More Music for Dining

I Sure Hope You're Hungry!

George Melachrino never was quite as bold and brassy as those of his contemporaries who tend to be featured in collections of Lounge or Space-Age Pop music. His records are much more tame and, perhaps, stuffy than most by such as Nelson Riddle and George Shearing.

When I was a kid there was a radio station in our market that broadcast music such as this. They would play Perry Como but not Dean Martin, 101 Strings but not The Hollyridge Strings, and Roger Miller but not Jimmy Smith. Station personnel didn't use words like Swing, Hot or Cool on the air. What they played never strayed from a very narrow path. What they played they called Beautiful Music.

And that's exactly what this is. Lush, lovely and wholly unoffensive, this music is where Easy Listening's reputation as "Background" or "Elevator" music came from. These days, though, I find it soothing, nostalgic, and even unusual in that there is nothing exactly like it still being produced. Sometimes I don't want my music to be too exciting or too challenging. Sometimes I just wanna sit down and eat dinner and be made to feel comfortable. That's what Beautiful Music does best.

How to enjoy these records:

Prepare your favorite tuna salad. Spread over split English muffins or
two slices of bread. Top with slices of cheese, and place on tray in broiler until cheese melts.

Prepare a beverage of your choice.

Start music.

Sit down.

Shut up.

Eat and Enjoy.

The Melachrino Strings and Orchestra: Music for Dining

1. Diane (I'm in Heaven When I See You Smile)
2. Too Young
3. September Song
4. Chopin Clopant
5. Warsaw Concerto
6. Domino
7. Tenderly
8. Charmaine
9. Faithfully Yours
10. Chansonette
11. Dark Secret
12. Legend of the Glass Mountain

The Melachrino Strings and Orchestra: More Music for Dining

1. Dream / Melody in F
2. You Are Too Beautiful
3. Ruby
4. Ramona
   
5. Blue Moon
6. L'Amour Toulours L'Amour (Love Everlasting)
7. Easy to Love
8. Musetta's Waltz Song
9. Gigi
10. Stars in My Eyes
11. These Foolish Things
12. Always

These were from a series of albums by The Melachrino Strings and Orchestra called "Moods in Music." Others included Music for Relaxation, Music for Reading, Music for Courage and Confidence, Music to Help You Sleep, Music for Two People Alone, Music for Daydreaming and Music to Work or Study By.

By the way... I actually found that Tuna Melt recipe on a Recipe Website.

The Swimming Pool Q's: The Firing Squad for God

What is this? The He-Man Woman Hater's Club?

Nope. It's just The Swimming Pool Q's after Anne Richmond Boston left. Without her around the guys seemed to feel as if there was no need to include a "pretty" song on this record. Heck! There were only 5 songs on it in the first place. And so "The Firing Squad for God" 5-Song Maxi-Single comes across as a bit more of a Hard Rockin' Guy Record than the previous Q's records, but don't think that means it's not strange and wonderful.

Heck… Jeff Calder's still writing the songs, Bill Burton's still smackin' the skins, J.E. Garnett is still the bass player and the Lead Guitar is still in the capable hands of Bob Elsey. As a matter of fact, Anne is actually playing pedal steel on "Working in the Nut Plant" and she designed the record jacket, so it's still the same band.

In other words… This is a Great Record.

The Swimming Pool Q's: The Firing Squad for God

1. The Firing Squad for God
2. El Presidenté
3. Working in the Nut Plant
4. Hip-Hype
5. Reprisidenté

The Swimming Pool Q's: Blue Tomorrow

Today was, what… ORANGE!?!

I don't know how many copies of this record sold. I don't know how many radio stations played any of the songs on it. I don't know how many people thought Anne Richmond Boston's was the Most Beautiful Voice on the Face of the Planet in 1986. Or that Bob Elsey was the Greatest Guitar Player in the Universe. Or that Jeff Calder was, well… Jeff Calder, for that matter. All I know is that they were all correct.

"Blue Tomorrow" was the second and final record that The Swimming Pool Q's had come out on A&M Records. I could waste about 12 paragraphs telling you how good this record and this band are. Better that you just download it to your computer and upload it to your earhole. Do it.

The Swimming Pool Q's: Blue Tomorrow

1. Now I'm Talking About Now
2. She's Lookin' Real Good (When She's Lookin')
3. Pretty on the Inside
4. Laredo Radio
5. Wreck Around
6. More Than One Heaven
7. Corruption
8. Blue Tomorrow
9. Dream in Gray
10. Big Fat Tractor

The Swimming Pool Q's: The Swimming Pool Q's

Sacrifice Yourself at the Alter of Love

I think the All Music Guide description of the band, written by Mark Demming, is probably better than anything I could come up with:
"Atlanta's Swimming Pool Q's were one of the first Southern new wave bands to gain nationwide recognition in the early '80s after the breakthrough of The B-52s made folks aware that there was more to Southern rock than what Q's leader Jeff Calder called "the Boogie Establishment." However, while most of their Georgia brethren were famous for serving up light, off-kilter pop, Swimming Pool Q's music had a darker and more challenging undercurrent, balancing twisted guitar patterns against lyrics that played on Southern Gothic archetypes in a manner that was often witty, and sometimes ominous."

Read the entire biography at http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:di5zefukhgf1%7ET1.

This is the band's first major label release. While it's a bit more commercial than the album they had put out previously, on Atlanta's db recs label, I still find it strange and exciting. In fact, a few of the songs are just flat-out spooky or disturbing, while the records overall feel is peaceful and pretty. If you're not already familiar with them, this is your chance.

The Swimming Pool Q's: The Swimming Pool Q's

1. The Bells Ring
2. Pull Back My String
3. Purple Rivers
4. The Knave
5. Some New Highway
6. Just Property
7. Silver Slippers
8. She's Bringing Down the Poison
9. Celestion
10. Sacrificial Alter

Last Roundup: Twister!

They Were alt.country when alt.country Wasn't Cool

Everything in Popular Culture, of course, happens in waves. Things that are hugely popular one minute are tossed to the dust bin the next and left there for several years only to become hugely popular once again when discovered by a new audience. While Country Music remains popular with it's own core audience it slips in and out of acceptance with the Rock 'n' Roll crowd about once each decade.

In the 50s it was Rock 'n' Roll's Country Cousin - Rockabilly.

The 60s saw the youth of America embrace Folk Music, most of which was just Old Time Country Music.

Rock fans of the 70s were reintroduced to Country by the likes of Country Joe McDonald, Gram Parsons and Albert Lee. The stuff they played was called Country Rock, but it was just plain Country when it came right down to it.

In the 80s we had a handful of leftover hippies who moved over to the Country stations, but the real Country-Rock Connection of the Post Punk era was known as Cowpunk and was played by bands like Jason and the Nashville Scorchers, Dash Riprock, Rank & File and The Knitters.

The 90s gave us alt.country, with Uncle Tupelo paving the way for BR5-49, The Lonesome Brothers, The Gourds, The Bottle Rockets and a pile of others.

This record came out somewhere between Cowpunk and alt.country. In 1987 there weren't even Country bands who played music that sounded this much like, well, Country Music. And although there were bands who were tossed into the Cowpunk category who played softer sounds than the Punk designation would suggest, there were very few that played a sound as simple and retro as this one. NOBODY on Country Radio was playing anything that sounded anything like this by 1987, and neither have they since.

Last Roundup is made up of Angel Dean singing lead vocals, Amy McMahon Rigby playing guitar and harmonizing, her brother Michael McMahon playing Guitar, Lap Steel and Fiddle, and Garth Powell. The songs were written by the McMahon siblings and you may recognize Amy as she of "Diary of a Mod Housewife" fame a decade later. Angel Dean had a great alt.country band called Angel Dean & The Zephyrs who had a couple of songs on the Rig Rock Deluxe series by Deisel Only Records. She released a record with Sue Garner, who had preceeded her as vocalist for Last Roundup, in 2004.

Last Roundup: Twister!

1. Cast Iron Girl
2. Playin' the Fool
3. To Paint the Town Red (You Need a Bucketful of Green)
4. Mama's Last Stand
5. Don't Wake Me Up
6. River of Red
7. At the Well
8. (A Matter of) Satisfaction
9. Walk in a Straight Line
10. Just a Little is Enough
11. Mary Beth Edwards

Psycotic Pineapple: Where's the Party?

It's Not JUST Crazy… It's PSYCOTIC!!!

The first time I ever heard of The Psycotic Pineapple was on a Sex Pistols' record. I'm not gonna bother explaining that, as it's a pretty obscure reference, except to say that it piqued my interest enough that when I finally ran across a Psycotic Pineapple record in a store I bought it immediately! And I've never been sad for doing so.This one is very New Wave!!! And, of course, as anyone who was alive in the early 80s knows… There was No Such Thing as New Wave!

As such, though, it seems to be a pretty perfect record for 1980. It contains all the perfect 1980 stuff... Some Twangy Guitars, The Perfect "Kind-of, but not really, Obscure" 60s song, "Bad" Words, FUZZ!!!, and a Healthy Dose of Humor.

Humor is a good thing, by the way. Silliness is good too. This record has plenty of Silliness.

Psycotic Pineapple: Where's the Party?

1. Hang On for Your Life
2. The Devil Has Work for Idle Hands
3. I Forgot Who I Was
4. I Wanna Wanna Wanna Wanna Wanna Wanna Wanna Get Rid of You
5. The Saw
6. Headcheese
7. Sabrina
8. She's Boss
9. You're Gonna Miss Me
10. Drop Out
11. I Want Her So Bad

The Raybeats: Guitar Beat

A Twang Spy Surf Cocktail

The Raybeats were made up of former members of New Yorks' No Wave bands The Contortions and 8 Eyed Spy and played a raucous, raunchy twang, sax and organ driven style of instrumental pop that drew heavily upon icons such as Duane Eddy, The Ventures and The Shadows, but blazed their own trail in doing so. Quirky but rockin', inspired but original, their music pulls you back and kicks you forward at the same time. The band never kept a regular bassist for long, but on this record (their only full length LP) the bass is played by Danny Amis, now a member of Los Straitjackets.

The Raybeats: Guitar Beat

1. Tight Turn
2. Big Black Sneakers
3. Tone Zone
4. The Backstroke
5. B-Gas-Rickshaw
6. International Operator
7. Searching
8. The Calhoun Surf
9. Piranha Salad
10. Cocktails
11. Guitar Beat

M: The Official Secrets Act

This is ALSO where I'm from…

Well, okay. This is more like WHEN I'm from. This record is an amazing example of Cold War entertainment. There were a few of those back in the good ol' days. James Bond movies were the best, of course. Anything that scared the pants off of you with THE BOMB was pretty good.
I recall the first time I ever saw "On the Beach," with Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner and thought… "WOW!!! Look at Ava Gardner!!! Hubba Hubba!" But I also thought, of course, "It would be awful if all of humanity were to be destroyed by Atomic Warfare."

By that time, though, I'd also already seen the entire series of "Planet of the Apes" movies and, so, had thought "It would be awful if all of humanity were to be destroyed by a bunch of God-Damned Apes even if Kim Hunter (Hubba Hubba) were there!!!"

So, in the long run, The Entertainment Value of The Cold War turned out to be Greater Than The Warfare Value of The Cold War. If only that could be the case of all wars.

At least we got this record out of it. This is the fella (his name is Robin Scott, actually) that did that cute little song called "Pop Muzik" (New York, London, Paris, Munich...).

This record, "The Official Secrets Act" is his second album (released in 1980). My copy was purchased in "Used" condition and was previously owned by some College Radio Station. The following notes are what a Student Disc Jockey scribbled upon some labels that are affixed to the back of the jacket.

(1) Join the Party - Side 1 Cut 2 - Funny, Good beat, very catchy, great synth work EXCELLENT! Almost silly. Fades.

(2) RELAX - Side 2 Cut 1 -upbeat- very weird, but quite appealing-w/strings Give it a spin! ENDS COLD

2nd album by the man who brought you "Pop Muzik" - This is much stronger than the first album - Many synths, but not so much of a "Gimmick" album as an album of Rock n' Roll dance music. Very Melodic, not too weird, Don't Be Afraid.

M: The Official Secrets Act

1. Transmission (The World Is At Your Fingertips)
2. Join the Party
3. Working for the Corporation
4. Your Country Needs You
5. M'aider
6. Relax
7. Maniac
8. Keep It to Yourself
9. Abracadabra
10. The Official Secrets Act

This one has a bit more noise than some of my other rips, and then again it has less than some others as well.

The Accelerators: The Accelerators

This is Where I'm From

And these are friends of mine. Not close friends, but acquaintances at the very least.

The Accelerators came out of Raleigh, North Carolina, in the mid 80s. The Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill "Research Triangle" was already showing a great deal of promise as the next great Capital of Rock 'n' Roll. It was unfortunate then, I suppose, that those who's job it was to choose the next great Capital were the people who had set out to destroy Rock 'n' Roll completely.

The Capital had already been located, by the Experts (Music Journalists, Critics and Disc Jockeys), in several different spots. The Research Triangle was chosen following a string of successes by the dBs, Mitch Easter, Don Dixon and a few others. As a matter of fact, it seems almost as if The Accelerators recorded their album in The Capital but, by the time it was released, found themselves supporting it from the Boondocks.

Perhaps not too much more should have been expected of Profile Records. They had built their name on Rap, for Pete's sake (Run-DMC, for that matter). This record was their big attempt to step into the world of Rock!!! And it would have been a decent attempt, perhaps, with any promotion or advertising or support put behind it. As it turns out, though, the Record Label expected to be Showered with Moolah just for Signing the Hot New Group from the Hot New Spot. Amazingly, Profile Records wasn't around for long after this record came out.

The Accelerators: The Accelerators

1. Stayin' Up in the City
2. Why You Hang Up on Me
3. Two Girls in Love
4. Black Slacks
5. Under Your Wing
6. Radio
7. Ooh Whee
8. You're a Fool
9. What Is Real
10. Tears
11. The Letter
    

The band's front man and primary songwriter, Gerald Duncan, played and recorded a new CD with a new group of Accelerators a few years ago. They were quite good but didn't stick around for too long.

Bass Player Mike Johns remains active in his hometown of Spartanburg, SC, which is not to be taken lightly. Spartanburg has been home to a great deal of great music. The song "Black Slacks" was originally recorded by Joe Bennett and the Sparkletones, from Spartanburg, and is covered (slowly) on this record.

I don't know a thing about what ever happened to drummer Doug Whelchel other than the fact that he ran into a VW Beetle with his car and dragged it all the way home one night. I hope he's alive, well, and bragging about that particular exploit to this very day.

Guitar Slinger Brad Rice has gone on to play with such great bands as The Backsliders and Whiskeytown and is now doing quite well by his own self. He'd appreciate it, I'm sure, if you'd visit him at http://www.bradrice.net/ .

I agree with him that "If We Don't Buy Records... The Terrorists Win."

Buy his record, Karma Bed. I'd suggest, too, that you get it from Miles of Music 'cause they kick ass.

Not yours, though. Somebody elses.

Alright… Let's try something different.

It's pretty obvious that someone out there is not going to let me post anything to be left up for more than a day or so. I seriously doubt that the individual in question is a representative of a record company or music publisher or a copyright holder. I think it's just a jealous little twit. It's not that they don't want you to have access to this stuff, it's simply that they have the opportunity to do damage and, so, they must. I find this odd and a bit sad. I also find, though, that it is impossible for me to continue posting links only to see them deleted within a day or two. That's it, folks. The Tuna Melt Sharity Blog, as we have known it, is dead.

I said before, however, that I was going to study my options and I have. A comparison of One-Click Web Hosting Sites convinced me that there was no alternative to RapidShare that would be any better whatsoever, so simply posting stuff online and supplying links via the blog is out of the question.

My friend Swanky is a brilliant man. He is also a tremendous bartender, a librarian of and authority on Polynesian Pop Culture, a snappy dresser, and a collector, and a sharer, of Valuable & Interesting Information (http://www.swankpad.org/blather/). I think he may be a pretty good dancer, too, but I'm not sure. Anyhow... So Swanky has this idea, right? Why don't I continue to Rip my Vinyl (which I am, of course, going to do) and post my commentary and the scans of the Jackets at the ol' Tuna Melt but, instead of posting a link to where the album is on the blog, send out an email to let people know where they can download the record?

At first I was against the very idea of limiting the Tuna Melt to an elite and exclusive crowd. There have been more than a few people stumble across the Tuna Melt because they were searching for specific records only to find that they enjoyed other posts they found here. I want to leave the door open. I don't want to exclude anyone who has not behaved in a way to deserve exclusion.

The Tuna Melt Mailing List will achieve this. I'm now convinced that the Mailing List idea is the way to go. I'm already a member of a couple of Music Sharing Mailing Lists and enjoy and I appreciate being included in those clubs. Of course, even this is open to possible sabotage. At least, though, it strikes me as being a bit more manageable. And if someone hates me enough to join my email list to try to make me miserable, I might oughta get a clue and stop being such an asshole.

So, If you're here... Here You Are! Welcome to The Tuna Melt!

Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?

Gonna check the options and see what I think is worth our time.