19 AUGUST 2005: CHRIS SPEDDING

I missed so much of the show today, and unfortunately, I wasn't familiar enough with the songs to recognize them on my own. But, as usual, it was totally awesome and if you are a musician I hope you didn't miss it. Jonesy had Chris Spedding on and it was a GREAT, GREAT interview-- or discussion, rather-- with the producer of three tracks on NEVER MIND THE BULLOCKS: NO FEELINGS, PRETTY VACANT, PROBLEMS, plus loads of other stuff.

12:25PM
I heard these announced, I didn't hear the tracks. I think the Captain Beefheart might have been a Spedding cover.
John Cale, MR WILSON (for Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, they said)
Captain Beefheart, CLICK CLACK
Eno, NEEDLES IN A CAMEL'S EYE
?, POGO DANCING

Spedding was talking about playing violin and being in band class in school. Bill Haley turned him on to rock and to guitars. In 1956 he was 12 years old in Sheffield, and he was a Teddy Boy.

Then he and Jonesy played ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK, and Spedding was like "oh no- I didn't know I'd be put to the test!" But they did it great! They actually sounded really great together although neither knew the lyrics.

The Duke

Then they played a Chuck Berry song I didn't know, but it was pretty awesome.

Spedding had a band called The Sharks. He said he'd missed session work and that's why he's not a shark anymore.

The Sharks, ?
(I missed some stuff in here. Everyone thinks Mercury is still retrograde because all the drivers today are just trying to kill each other! I get more phone calls when stuff is bad than good... The life of a witch...anyhow, I missed a lot here.)
Dave Sampson and the Hunters, ?

They talked about English comfort food (for Jonesy it was "Marrow and Nips, made by his Gran... that's marrow served with parsnips and turnips) and they talked some more about music they grew up with. I missed a lot here, too.

The Duke: HB Toyota, a motocross movie

Spedding played with Bryan Ferry in 1977. Spedding said Ferry is really cool. Spedding played guitar on the next track.

Bryan Ferry, PRICE OF LOVE

Then a really cool reminiscing about Kings Road and all the shops near Westwood's. I wish I had been able to write faster all the places he named and described. Jonesy said he used to nick stuff whenever he could because he grew up with a tin bath and outdoor toilet in a tenement building. He said he'd watch the telly and see all this stuff that he wanted. He said now he realizes that was wrong, to view things that way.

Jonesy used to go into this one shop where no one was ever around. He stole stuff like clothes and some other stuff. He didn't know about drugs then and didn't know that they were all in the back shooting up. That's why no one was watching the store. He tried to apologize and make amends later but Jonesy said the guy was all laid back and "whatever." But Jonesy was very adamant about "coming clean." He said would have bought the guy another velvet rhinestone suit! Hehehe.

?, ANGEL EYES
??
Little Richard, LUCILLE
and a few more songs that I either did not know or did not hear.

Then they talked about how Spedding got the Pistols' producing job. He said that everyone was trashing the Pistols but no one had heard them!!! He offered to produce a demo as long as MacLaren brought along cash to pay for the studio. The old skinflint paid for the recording, but Spedding never got any money for the work! They both agreed that Spedding had gotten off easy in not getting stuck with the bill for the studio!

The Duke

Jonesy said that Spedding was the real guitar on the record, and that he was just "the face." He said he was coming clean. (Jonesy was doing that a lot today! I wonder if looming 50 is leaning heavily upon his conscience?) Spedding laughed. (But I didn't hear a heavy denial? I don't know.) Jonesy sure can wield the axe now, says Spedding.

Jonesy asked if Spedding had ever nicked anything from Ferry or any other artist? Spedding said he'd never been able to, because he'd always get caught right away so he quit trying. Jonesy was cracking me up today. He said that one time he stole a Strobe tuner from the Roxy Music kit truck. He said if he ever met Ferry he'd offer to make it up to him. Strobe tuners were the first tuners, and they were huge. Neither of them thought that Ferry missed the tuner, and perhaps didn't even know what one was.

They played another song together and spun a few of Speddings' tracks, which I mostly missed and didn't hear the announcements.
Billy Fury, NIGHT OF A THOUSAND STARS
Chris Spedding and The Hunters

Spedding was a Womble (spelling?). It was a television show with hand puppets. It became very popular and turned into a thing like at Chucky Cheese, I gather from the description, except real people in big furry suits playing pop songs. And they had records, so I guess kind of like the Chimpmunks a little bit, too. Spedding was only a Womble two times. He was "Wellington Womble."

The last song was
REMEMBER YOU'RE A WOMBLE

Great show!

It's worth checking out Spedding's website. http://www.chrisspedding.com/ He's had a really amazing career.

And he is so awesome... well, except for his trashing of Jimmy Page. He calls him a "lesser Clapton." But you know, I get into the Jimmy Page arguement with almost every musician I have ever known. Everyone loooooooves Jeff Beck. Sorry, but whenever I listen to Beck I feel like I'm in music school trying to figure out what the free resolution of the minor feckin' seventh chord is.
And Clapton, sorry, but boooooring... Well, at least post-Yardbirds.

Anyhow, I will try to get the stats on the re-broadcast, if I am able to listen then. I hope you were able to listen, because he and Jonesy were talking about, and spinning, the music that --a very young-- Spedding and Jonesy's parents were listening to---and also a lot of the people whose music we love, like Roxy Music.

This is what I mean, friends, about Jonesy's show. All these fifties songs, and Billy Fury and stuff, take on a whole new meaning and even sound different in this context, this uniquely British youngster context. And then Jonesy spins the Bryan Ferry version of an Everly Brothers song, and even though I have been listening to Roxy Music for years, all of sudden some aspect of the music that I'd never heard before jumps out at me. It was like a little tour of personal musical roots and I loved it.

I loved remembering music I had never heard before.

GOD SAVE JONESY!

18 AUGUST 2005

I missed the very beginning, so I don't know what happened with the theme song. I also think I missed the first song, maybe the second. I've listed what he announced. Or, rather, what I heard and sometimes think he said. Sorry.

There weren't any guests today but it was great show with great spins.

Rolling Stones, ROUGH JUSTICE
?, LOVE EXPLOSION
Jones, HOT DAMN WOMEN
Queens of the Stone Age, REGULAR JOHN
Towers of London, ON THE LOOSE
Superfury Animal, VENUS & SERENA

The Duke-- HB Toyota, and some others. Lenscrafters has been sponsoring the show lately.

Flaming Lips, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (great cover!!!)
Roxy Music, THRILL OF IT ALL

12:50 PM Giving away three pairs of tickets to ABC ("shoot that poison arrow through my heart")
Whistled MISS YOU
The Duke: HB Toyota, missed the rest

Played Concrete's cover of MISS YOU
Then a bunch of great sets and songs:
Evergreen, FOOD FOR SOULS
Bowie, JEAN GENIE
Troggs, CAN'T CONTROL MYSELF
(Jonesy said this was on the jukebox at Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm MacLaren's store, where it all began. I love it when he talks about the old days and all this little stuff, like what was on the jukebox. I wish I'd been there!)
Dandy Warhols, EVERYONE IS TOTALLY INSANE (great song and not at all pretentious!)
Doves, LAST BROADCAST
Suede, WILD ONES

Then Jonesy was saying "is a CD an album?" That new guy actually answered and laughed. Maybe Jonesy gave him some ginger pills, hehe! He said it was an album, and I agree. Because an album is a collection, not just of music-- like a photo album. But young people will look at you like you are a dinosaur if you call a CD an album. Or they will just snicker at you behind your back. But they are probably doing that anyhow. ("I have seen the Eternal Footman/ Hold my coat and snicker..." And the Eternal Footman's name is Lost Youth.)

If you missed the awesome reggae set he played next, I feel sorry for you! Here's as much of it as I could catch.

Scotty, DRAW YOUR BRAKES
Vulcans, STAR TREK
Toots & the Maytals, 24546 IS MY NUMBER
Lee Perry, CLINT EASTWOOD
Freddie Notes & the Rudies, MONTEGO BAY

The Duke was Guitar Centre -- they are having a giant sale (are they ever NOT having a giant sale?). I missed the rest of the commercials.

The last song was-- I think--
Dat Pluto,
but I didn't catch the title-- if I can catch the re-broadcast I will try to get it. It was a great, great song, and the whole show was great music!

GOD SAVE JONESY!

SOMEBODY'S GOT TO PLAY JOHNNY CASH ON THE PUNK RADIO STATION

Did you catch the Watusi Rodeo at 7 AM this morning? I caught most of it and it was great. Plus I caught the artist on that cover of HOMEWARD BOUND. It's the Indigo Girls with a guest vocalist who will be on this week's regular Watusi show, Sunday.

Doc said "this isn't alternative country, which is neither alternative nor country." He said the purpose of the show is to keep things going in the Hank Senior vein. Whatever that means, I love the Blasters and the Plimsouls, and it was an awesome show!!! Too bad if you missed it! (Of course, I love Dicky too, he has that great sardonically sexy voice. I think he will be back next week.)

The title of this blog is a quote from Bryson, when Doc was talking about the musical format of Watusi Rodeo.

17 AUGUST 2005

Jonesy wanted people to call in and voice their opinions on his opening theme. (Personally, I like it. It’s very regal and English, and that makes it funny for the show.)

Then he said that he got a lot of emails from people complaining about the Dandy Warhols being pretentious.
( I thought they were interesting, perhaps a bit pompous and definitely belonging to the Art Centre/ Otis Parsons/RISD class of rock, but not too full of themselves. They live in Oregon for Pete’s sake, of course they sound a little pretentious. They have to! People who live in Los Angeles forget how culturally intolerant the rest of the country is.)

He played a Dandy Warhols song. I was sitting at the parking lot of Blockbuster, and even though they don't have late fees anymore, I think it's bad karma, so I missed a chunk of the show returning the movies and getting new ones.

12:33
He was talking about "footie." Some game he was watching. My theory is that is why there were so many long sets-- that, and there were no guests today. He played a lot of music that I had never heard before or had only heard on his show. It was a great show!!!

New Pornographers, SING ME SPANISH TECHNO
?, SOMETHING THE SUN
Big Sea, ?
Astral Heights, THE WHOLE WORLD CHANGES WHEN I AM WITH YOU

1PM
Whistled Bowie's SOUL LOVE (again!)
Gave away White Stripes tickets.
The Duke was: HB Toyota, Tower Records, Dish Network

Played SOUL LOVE
Oliver Future, PILLS VS. FRIENDS
Lovemakers, FASHION
Bananarama, CRUEL SUMMER RARE REMIX
Ponyclub, SINGLE ("I can stay in cuz it's raining and I'm single")
Millbrook, MEET ME IN FIELDS
Charlie Sexton, CRUEL AND GENTLE THINGS

Then he was talking about the new documentary about that guy who lived in Alaska with the bears and then was mauled to death by one. It was in the news a few days ago that there was concern that people might become romanced by the idea of moving to Alaska and copying this guy. That new guy that spins for Jonesy didn't know anything about it. I don't like that new guy. What happened to Mr Shovel? (I think this was Mark Sovel the Music Director, pronounced Shovel by Jonesy. But who ever Shovel was, I wish he would come back. Or give that new guy some personality pills.)

Then the Duke and some ads for HB Toyota and that movie THE 40 YEAR VIRGIN. (If a man makes it to age 25 without getting laid just buy him a blow up doll, trust me!)

Then Jonesy was giving away Coldplay tickets and he called them wankers and wimps and I loved him for it. (I did like that one song when it came out, but I can't recall any lyric or melody from it. Which goes to prove my point again-- in a few weeks you won't even want to hear what ever the hot new song is that you keep flipping up and down the dial looking for. But Jonesy stays with you for a long time...like real heavy cheese...JUST KIDDING!)

The Capes, HEAT
Arctic Monkeys, A CERTAIN ROMANCE
Gosling, SKELETON WINGS

He whistled Bob Seger's STILL THE ONE, but he didn't have the record, so the show ended with him singing his "man who can" lyrics to it.

INDIE ALERT: Tomorrow morning the amazing Bryson Jones will be filling in on the Mighty Morning show. Actually, it's Doc Holliday's WATUSI RADIO, but Bryson will be co-hosting. WORTH GETTING UP EARLY FOR!!!!!! Bryson is one of two or three people I've met who isn't famous, but that you know it's just inevitable he will be one day soon. I don't know him that well, but he has amazing energy and he's really interesting and knowledgeable. He also knows EVERYONE. If outer space aliens came here from Alpha Centauri, I would ask them if they know Bryson, and I bet they'd say yes and not abduct me 'cuz I dropped a name they knew.

16 AUGUST 2005: DANDY WARHOLS

When I tuned in they where talking about the Oregon Glam Rock movement. The Dandies have a giant studio in Portland. They were talking about Gothman who sashays and is totally gay, but has a girl friend right now. Gothman's favourite song on the CD is Jonesy's favourite song, too.

12:20 PM
Love, MAYBE THE PEOPLE, etc
Dandy Warhols (I think two songs)
Billy Fury (again)

Then the Dandies played SMOKE IT, their new single, and it was pretty awesome. I love hearing people perform live on the show!
The Duke, and then another live song.

Then they were talking about how the Capes should record a new song "Salty pee" or bitter pee or something (asparagus pee) and then they played a song from the Capes CD.

I had to turn off the radio and for some reason I also missed this section listening to the re-broadcast at six!!!

A Rolling Stones song I heard announced but missed.

When I came back they were talking about some people who'd gotten loaded on a plane and then gotten undressed in their sleep. One was having sex in the back of the plane with an Australian bull dyke of Jonesy's figure, wearing a fisherman's fly hat.

Jonesy has big hands and hooves, and you know what that means: big shoes and gloves!

Cliff Richard, DON'T TALK TO HIM
Kay Starr, WHEEL OF FORTUNE

They played BOHEMIAN LIKE YOU on their tiny toy instruments.

A totally awesome show, as usual! LONG LIVE INDIE! AND GOD SAVE JONESY!

15 AUGUST 2005: SIOBHAN FAHEY

I was listening, but I had to keep turning the radio off, so I missed alot. There were two people on the show, one was Siobhan from Banarama and Shakespeare's Sister, and now has her own solo career. The other was man, who was English and sounded familiar, but I never found out who he was, and he didn't say much when I was listening. What I heard was great, and Soibhan continues to be totally awesome!

Sometimes I heard the songs, and sometimes I heard the song announcements. They may not be in the right order, as sometimes he lists them backwards, etc.

Leo Sayer
Rolling Stones
Count Five, PSYCHOTIC REACTIONS

A few songs I missed altogether.

Whistled HEART OF GOLD by Neil Young and then played it.

Then a great set that I did hear most of the way through:
Adam Ant, DESPERATE BUT NOT SERIOUS
Sex Pistols, NO FEELINGS
Bananarama, I HEARD A RUMOUR
and their cover of NO FEELINGS
ALL THINGS BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL
Billy Fury (wasn't he the Australian Elvis?) IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE

1:30 PM

Siobhan, POSITRON The VTE Remix
Rolf Harris, I'VE LOST MY MOMMY
Ian Dury, CLEVER BASTARD
Dexies Midnight Runners
Roxy Music, STREETLIFE

Siobhan's last name is Fahey, and when she was little kids used to call her "Farty." Jonesy was farting quite a bit because if you talk about it, he does it. (Strangely this tactic does not work when requesting Pigbag or Stevie Nicks--not Fleetwood Mac-- just Stevie.) Jonesy's farts were pretty bad, from what I hear.

I only heard the beginning of STREETLIFE, when I came back they were playing another
Rolf Harris, WALK ON THE WILDSIDE
(The back up singers were singing "dodododododo--dijeredooooo" it was very funny. I might have spelled that wrong-- the Australian Aboriginal wind instrument the dijereedoo.)

That was the end of the show.