Episode #32: A Whole New Year Of Chance-Taking

courtesy Tone Tank & Calm Pete

We're Back!

Back in the New York Groove

A whole New Year of Chances & Chance taking. Chance encounters & Chanting & Cha Cha Cha.

Episode #32


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Tracklist

Plastic Jesus - Paul Newman

Prologue - Scott Walker

Sugar Town - Lara and the Trailers

Happy New Year, Baby - Johnny Otis Orchestra

Happy New Year To You - The Qualities

Rat Race - The Drifters

Meditations - Felius Andromeda

Take It Like A Man - The Walker Brothers

Strange Feeling - Billy Stewart

Akata Sun Dunchi - Takashi Hirayasu & Bob Brozman

Mellow Yellow - Big Maybelle

Mechanical Man - Bent Bolt and the Nuts

Your Dog - The J's with Jamie

Troglodyte (Cave Man) - The Jimmy Castor Bunch

Payin - Love Joy

Definition of Things - Mitch Mitchell & Gene "The King"

I'm just a guitar (everybody picks on me) - Pete Drake

Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul - Gil Scott-Heron

Tatoué Jérémie - Serge Gainsbourg

San Franciscan Nights - Gabor Szabo & The California Dreamers

Reality - Black Merda

You Can't Love 'Em All - Solomon Burke

My Sweet Lord - John Gary Williams

Skateboard - Norma Tracy & Cinderella Kids

Godofallofus - New Hope

The Edge (Live) - David Axelrod

The Next Message - Mighty Mo

Multi-Horn Variations - Rahsaan Roland Kirk (note: He's playing all the horns at the same time - by his self)

Black Baby - Reverend Jim Jones and People's Temple-Choir (note: Yes, THAT Jim Jones)

See About Me - Don Covay

Dirt Dishin' Daisy - The Mills Brothers

Auld Lang Syne - Beach Boys

My New Years Resolutions - Mae West

I'm Getting 'Long Alright - Esther Phillips

Where's The Girl - Ben E. King

Voodoo Lady's Love - James Last

Wine Wine Wine - Nightcap

Let's Go Get Stoned - Lowell Fullsom

Just Ain't Gonna Work Out - Mayer Hawthorne and the Country

Check My Style (Return To Zero) - Ultramagnetic MC's

We Almost Lost Detroit - Gil Scott-Heron

Soul Je T'aime - Sylvia & Ralfi Pagan

Heart Full Of Soul - The Yardbirds

Happy New Year - Beverley

Happy New Year - Lightning Hopkins

Who Wants Me Now - Tokay Lewis

Kolo, Kolo, Kolo - Bobby McFerrin

Happy Christmas

WPIX Yule Log

Chances With Wolves X-Mas Special

Here it is: the 1st annual Chances With X-mas Christmas Special.
We got all the holiday spirit filled jams for you to play softly in the background of your holiday parties.
For best results play along with roasted chestnuts, an open fire, egg nog (spiked with good rum), mistletoe for to kiss under, candy canes, and santa hats.
And of all your closest friends, family and loved ones.


We spent our lovely X-mas special alongside one of our favorite human beings - special guest star Mr. Gary Langol (below; outside; in the window;on the phone)

Episode #31


You can subscribe to our podcasts at East Village Radio

You can also download the entire x-mas special as an mp3(.zip)


Tracklist:
Introduction - Bruce Haack
O Christmas Tree - Vince Guaraldi Trio
Let's Unite The Whole World At Christmas Time - James Brown
~Oscar's hating~

It's Christmas Time - The Cosmic Rays
Deck Five - Saturday's Children
We Three Kings - The Gaylads
You're All I Want For Christmas - The Persuasions
We Wish You A Merry Christmas (whistle) - Quigley
Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas - The Staple Singers
Jing-Jing-a-Ling - Honey & The Bees
I'll Be Working On Christmas - Michael G. Mayham
Come Back Christmas - Allen Ginsberg
Blue X-Mas - Bob Dorough/Miles Davis/Gil Evans
I Went To Santa Town - The Whites
On Christmas Day - The Trinity Family
Fat Daddy - Fat Daddy
Here Comes Santa Claus - ?????
Santa Baby - Ertha Kitt
All I Want For Christmas Is You - Carla Thomas
Silent Night - Bootsy Collins
X-mas Balls - Ben Light & His Surf Club Boys
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Jimmy Smith
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - The Caravans
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Joe Quigley
The Christmas Song - Jim Baker
Come On Santa Let's Have A Ball - Kay Martin & Her Body Guard
Kingle's Jingle - Ken Griffin
Christmas In Vietnam - Soul Searchers
~Kermit Gets In On The Story~
Christmas Love - Rotary Connection
El Nino Del Tambor - George Conedy
O Tannenbaum - Magnetic Fields
Santa Claus is a Black Man - Akim & The Teddy Van Project
Jingle Bell Hop - MH Holiday
Hey You, get Off a My Roof - The Legendary Stardust Cowboy
The Man With all The Toys - Beach Boys
Toy Drive PSA - The Beach Boys
Back Door Santa - Clarence Carter
Christmas in Hollis - Run DMC
Let The Jingle Bells Rock - Sweat Tea
Cold Chillin Christmas - The Juice Crew
Christmas Rhymin' - Audio Two
Christmas in The City - King Sun
~Kermit's Demographic Survey Findings~
What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas? - The Emotions
For Today Is Christmas Morning - Michael G. Mayham
Jingle Bell Mambo - Pete Rugolo Orchestra
Hark The Herald Angels sing - Charlie Brown Christmas Special
It's Christmas Time - James Brown
My Christmas Tree - The Temptations
Blue Grey Christmas - King Coleman
Silent Night & The 11 O'Clock News - Shurfire Singers
Another Christmas Without My Son - Rev. Oric Mays
Santa Claus Comes Once a Year - Trinity
Silver Bells - Julian Koster
Saludo - Maria & Luis
Billy's Christmas Wish - Red Sovine
Santa Claus is Here Again - The Lemon Sisters
Merry Christmas Baby - Otis Redding
Put The Loot In The Boot - Mae West
White Christmas - The Drifters
Meaning of Christmas - Charlie Brown & Linus
We Free Kings - Roland Kirk
Happy Christmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues

Even older, weirder Talk Box/ Steel Guitar w/ Robot !

Notice the use of the phrase: "take a powder"

and her "store-bought hair"

Pete Drake got the brilliant idea one time to make his steel guitar talk

You gotta be fucking kidding me.

How hip is this guy?!?

Episode #30 Cold Cold Chances (with PQ)

Episode #30




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Tracklist:

Winter In America (Live) - Gil Scott Heron
Baby, It's Cold Outside - Dean Martin
I Got A Cold - King Tee
Ice - Spirit
Coffee Cold - Galt Macdermot
Winter - Carol Batton
Please Warm My Weiner - Bo Carter
Ice Cold Daydream - Shuggie Otis
It's Getting Kind Of Chilly - Slim Gailard
Winter Song - Nico
Snow Surfin Matador - Jan Davis
Cold World - GZA
Cold Cold People - Timmy Thomas
End Of The Season - The Kinks
December - Regina Spektor
Cold Blooded Old Times - Smog
Pocket Full Of Cold - Nervous Cabaret
Wind Blows Hard - The Pleetas
Favorite Sweater - Y Pants
Baby, It's Cold Outside - June Carter
Long Long Winter - Bob Marley
Snowin on Raton - Townes Van Zandt
-BREAK-
Disillusioned Man - Demon Fuzz
Brwon Baby - Derrick Harriott
Mona Ki Ngi Xica - Bonga
Pastures of Plenty - Odetta
I Can Love A Woman - Al Kooper
While I'm Alone - Frankie Beverley
Touch Me Baby - Myrna Hague
I Feel Good With You Baby - William Smith
1,2,3 you and Me - Charles Wright
Sensitive Kind - J. J. Cale
Hard Times - Boz Scaggs
????? - Carol Kaye
Incidental Black Cloth No. 3 - Keith Mansfield
Undisputed Truth - Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World) / Friendship Train

Episode #29

Episdoe #29




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Tracklist:
E.V.R. - Jean-Jacques Perrey
Think Of Me - Black Merda
On The Horizon - Ben E. King
Shadows On My Wall - The Poppy Family
Pad - Fritz & Jerry
That's The Way It Is Out Here - Eddie & The Rays
Skydiving Accident - Last Good Tooth......
The Great Medical Menagerist - Harmonica Frank
One Kiss Led To Another - The Coasters
I Turned To The Bottle - Debbie Brimmer
Everybody Saw You - Ruby Andrews
Inner City Blues - James Last
Midnight Cowboy - Martin Denny
Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance - The Mothers Of Invention
Just Another Day In The Projects - Nas
Beautiful Scarlet - Capability Brown
Hard Times - The Young Pimps & The Nastys
People From Another World - The Jive Five
Hey Hey - First Moog Quartet
Dreadlocks In The White House - Junior Reid
Window Of My Eyes - Cuby & The Blizzards
3 is the Magic # - Elizabeth Mitchell
Love Power - Dusty Springfield
Jailhouse Blues - Andre Williams
Can't Call It - De La Soul
Kung Fu - The Upsetters
Tap Water - Dengue Fever
Left Right - Death Of Fashion
When The Night Falls - The Eyes
Blue Driver - Vetiver
Under Arrest - Big Beats
There's No Satisfaction - Manfred Hubler, & Sigfried Schwab
Watch Me Burn - Mike Furber
Of Dreams and Tombstones - The Purple Hearts
Tec - Tom Ze
Boulmamine - Orchestra Baoban
All Your Sisters - Mazzy Star
An Occasional Dream - David Bowie
To Russia My Homeland - ....and you will know us by the trail of dead
Portrait of Linda In Three Colors, All Black - Sonny Sharrock

Billy Swan - "Don't Be Cruel"

This is the song we get the most emails about, and the song which I find I am most often asked about at cocktail parties.

Here's the story:
They used to make these things called "break records". They were basically bootleg collections of songs with dope drum breaks pressed on vinyl for hip hop DJs to cut up, sample, or have rappers rap over them or whatever.
Since they were bootlegs they almost never had the artist information on them. Just the track names.

One of these series of break records was called "octopus breaks" and on one of these volumes was a particularly haunting version of "Don't Be Cruel" sung by a women who sounds somewhat like dolly parton - my colleague Kenan had this record and searched for years trying to find the artist who recorded this gem. He bought any and all covers of don't be cruel sung by women (of which there are quite alot he would soon find).A lot of them were good too, in their own way, but every time he'd put on one of these don't-be-cruels, he would be disappointed to find it was not the one he had been searching for.
Until one day, by chance, he plays a version by Billy Swan which sounds suspiciously like the elusive gem but slower and, you know, more manish.
Then it dawns on him. The tricky bootleggers behind Octopus Breaks had sped it up and pressed it on the record that way so that the drums would sound funky.
(and boy, that break, with the naked drums & sped up vocal, is very, very beautiful)

The original version is nice too (& slow) but having heard it in it's other-worldly sped up incarnation, we can't hear it any other way.




Download: Billy Swan - Don't Be Cruel (45 rpm)