20,000 Years in Sing-Sing
(Michael Curtiz; 1932)
The Explanation
(for those who require one)
Songs of the Silver Screen #1
Sing a Little Love Song
by Con Conrad, Sidney D. Mitchell & Archie Gottler
(De Sylva Brown & Henderson, Inc.; 1929)
from Broadway
(Paul Fejos; 1929)
The Friends of Flagg #14
"The Vernon Castles"
"When they posed for me, their wolf hound had to get up and dance with them. Irene said that made them the skinniest family on the stage."
Radio Free Gunslinger #3
Your host for this edition of Radio Free Gunslinger is Langston Hughes.
The Content:
First Sequence:
Julie London - The Lonesome Road
Robert Mitchum - They Dance All Night
Earl Grant - The Japanese Farewell Song
Dean Martin - The Tracks of My Tears
Patience & Prudence - We Can't Sing Rhythm and Blues
Second Sequence:
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross - Come On Home
Fred Astaire - I Used to Be Color Blind
Mabel Mercer - Some Fine Day
Bobby Troup - Jamboree Jones
Billie Holiday - Lover Come Back to Me
Third Sequence:
Ricky Nelson - Gloomy Sunday
Nick Drake - Blues Run the Game
The Velvet Underground - I'm Not a Young Man Anymore
Herman's Hermits - Museum
The Zombies - Remember You
Summation:
Ray Charles - A Fool for You
The Art of Cinema #500
When Legends Gather #658
Nature Boy meets a Beach Boy: eden ahbez drops by a Brian Wilson SMiLE session.
Radio Free Gunslinger #2
Your host for this edition of Radio Free Gunslinger is Vladimir Nabokov.
The Content
First Sequence:
Sonic Youth - Skip Tracer
The Breeders - Happiness is a Warm Gun
Pavement - Transport is Arranged
Mazzy Starr - Ride It On
Michael Penn - Long Way Down (Look What the Cat Drug In)
Second Sequence:
The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra (Mildred Bailey, voc.) - Shouting in the Amen Corner
Esther Walker - Ya Gotta Know How to Love
Una Mae Carlisle - If I Had You
Sophie Tucker - If Your Kisses Can't Hold the Man You Love
Jane Green - I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now
Third Sequence:
The Ducanes - I'm So Happy (Tra-la-la)
Noreen Corcoran - Why Can't a Boy and Girl Just Stay in Love?
The Paris Sisters - He Knows I Love Him Too Much
Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans - My Heart Beat a Little Bit Faster
Spector's Three - Mr. Robin
Fourth Sequence:
The Fisk Jubilee Singers - My Lord is Writing All the Time
The Goodwill Male Chorus - Good News, the Chariot is Coming
Kings of Harmony Quartette - Fountain of Blood
The Wandering Boys - Lead Me to That Rock
Hall Johnson Choir - Great Camp Meeting
Summation:
Art Blakey & His Jazz Messengers - Blues March
Artifacts #28
Adventures in the National Pastime #18
Today's adventure: Special Instructions to Players, a rare 1898 document that had to be personally delivered to professional ball teams — it was considered too obscene to be issued via the postal service — admonishing its members for the colourful language they used upon the field.
Click here for a better look.
While some have cast doubt on the authenticity of the document, its provenance has been established, and it sold at auction for $32,312.50.
Radio Free Gunslinger #1
Today we inaugurate, for your listening and downloading pleasure, this blog's very own Podcast series, Radio Free Gunslinger: A guided tour through the chthonic regions of 20th century Western culture and the society it reflected.
At least that's what it says on the wrapper.
Your host for this edition is Albert Ayler.
The Content
First Sequence:
Charles Mingus - Eat That Chicken
Buddy & Ella Johnson - That's How I Feel About You
Buck Clayton & His Orchestra - Cool Breeze Woman
Scott Engel - I Broke My Own Heart
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - I Won't Hurt You
Second Sequence:
The Dead Milkmen - Beach Party Vietnam
Honey, Ltd. - The Warrior
Scott Merrill, George Tyne & John Astin - Army Song
Free Blue - Set Calley Free, Part 1
Evan Greer - The Day All the Democrats Won
Third Sequence:
Randy Newman - Marie (Demo)
Lou Rawls - Let's Burn Down the Cornfield
Gene Pitney - Nobody Needs Your Love
Harper's Bizarre - The Biggest Night of Her Life
Blood, Sweat and Tears - Just One Smile
Fourth Sequence:
The Marks - Greensleeves
Human Instinct - A Day in My Mind's Mind
Four Just Men - Things Will Never Be the Same
King's Ransom - Shame
The Beat Merchants - Pretty Face
Summation:
Kid Ory & His Orchestra - The World is Waiting for the Sunrise
When Legends Gather #657
Ray Bradbury, Forry Ackerman and Ray Harryhausen. Three wise men. Thanks to Jeffrey Roberts for the photo.
Ray Bradbury dies at 91
To try and sum up the contribution of Ray Bradbury to science fiction/fantasy, television and film in a few lines is an impossible task, so I will direct you to the L.A. Times obituary here, and share with you this bit of whimsy concocted by Bradbury's good friend Stan Freberg as part of his campaign to sell America on the concept of snacking on pitted prunes. It's probably not the way most people will remember Bradbury, which is why it's the perfect way to honour his memory at the Gunslinger.
Behind The Scenes #1
George Marino Is Dead
George Marino, arguably the world's finest mastering engineer, has died. Marino, a stalwart of Sterling Sound in New York, began cutting records for Capitol in their New York studios in the late 1960s. He moved to The Record Plant when Capitol ceased its New York operation, and finally settled in at Sterling Sound, working there from 1973 until his death.
If your collection has more than ten records [whether on vinyl or CD] recorded after 1968, you've almost certainly got some of Marino's work on your shelf. From Don McLean's American Pie to John and Yoko's Double Fantasy, from AC/DC to Hendrix to Coldplay, his masterful finishing touch brought life to countless sterile mixes. And, of course, brought sparkle and sheen to some real dogs.
A brief obituary, of sorts, can be found at the Hollywood Reporter.
Musical Indulgence #13
“Oh Susannah” music by Neil Young & Crazy Horse. (Bernard Shakey, 2012) To see Mr. Shakey’s 40-minute promo film of the new Neil Young & Crazy Horse album, click here.
Elisha Cook Jr. Gets the Shaft Again #6
It's not just dames that are poison in The Big Sleep.
(Howard Hawks; 1946)
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