Chris Bell "You and Your Sister"

Chris Bell I Am the Cosmos 7" single (Car Records, 1978)

OK, I admit it . . . I cheated on this one. I don't own this single, but I wish I did! I ripped the song from the I Am the Cosmos CD released by Rykodisc in 1992. It came out as I was trying to get over a boy for whom I'd fallen quite hard. In my case, however, his sister didn't say I was "no good;" rather, I felt like she was trying to push us together. I was still struggling with my orientation, and I had no idea what his was; it's been twenty years since then, and I still have no idea (nothing ever happened between us). Regardless, this song really got to me, and it was a long time before I could listen to it without bursting into tears. Chris was one third of the legendary Memphis power poppers Big Star. He left after their first album, #1 Record, however. In 1978, he released this solo single then died in a car wreck, which may have been suicide. There's a fair amount of debate over whether or not Bell was definitely gay, but it's seems highly unlikely that he was not, based on what I've read. The above-mentioned CD of Bell's post-Big Star recordings is well-worth the money, in my opinion. Rhino Handmade released an expanded version last year, but it's quite expensive ($40 for a two-CD set!) and the bonus material is mainly alternate versions of the songs on the album. I've not heard it, however, so take my comment as you may.

Steve Cameron "Truck Stop Café"

Steve Cameron Overloaded Diesel various artists LP (Power Pak, 1973)

It's been two months since the last one, so here's another tune from the Overloaded Diesel compilation. As with Pam Gilbert, I've not been able to find any info on Steve Cameron, other than, unlike Pam, he co-wrote his lil' contribution. You may have noticed I spelled the last word of the title Café; on the album itself, it's spelled Cafe. I'm sorry, but I could not bring myself to spell it that way in the post title. I'm such a pedant.

Boxtops "Sugar Creek Woman"

Oh, dear! You must not have a compatible version of flash!

Boxtops
Sugar Creek Woman
7" single
(Hi Records, 1972)

What to do when a popular group has disbanded? How can one take advantage of the situation? Perhaps, one could slightly alter the name and get a singer that sounds like to the real one? Supernatural? Perhaps. Baloney? Perhaps not!

Pam Gilbert "I'm Movin' On"

Oh, dear! You must not have a compatible version of flash!

Pam Gilbert
Overloaded Diesel
various artists LP
(Power Pak, 1973)

I found this one a few weeks ago, and the cover art compelled me to buy it. I could be wrong, but it looks like the work of cartoonist Charles Rodrigues, who did hilariously disgusting cartoons for the National Lampoon back in the 20th Century.

Alex Chilton "She's Alright"

Uh, oh! You either don't have the Flash plug-in installed, or you have it disabled.
Otherwise, there'd be a cute lil' streaming audio player on the left, rather than this message.

Alex Chilton
A Man Called Destruction
CD
(Ruf Records, 1995)

Alex Chilton is one of my (many) gods. I first heard his early '70s combo Big Star at a local record store back in 1985 or '86, when #1 Record and Radio City, their first two albums, had just been freshly pirated by some label. I had no idea who they were but I liked what I was hearing. A lot. I asked my friend at the counter if she might tape them for me. Lord knows how many times I listened to that tape. Eventually, they and the third album, 3rd, were legally reissued and I jumped on them.

LX's solo stuff has been poo-pooed by a lot of folks because it sounds nothing like Big Star. I don't give a rat's butt; I like it. The last couple of decades of his life, LX played and recorded mostly covers of older r'n'b songs. This album, A Man Called Destruction, was his last to include original material (six of the twelve tunes were self-penned). It was released in the USA on the revived Ardent Records label, original home of the first two Big Star records. In Germany, however, it was licensed by Ruf Records and featured a bonus track, which is also an original and is today's selection. It's maybe a bit fluff, but I think it's a fun lil' number. I hope you do, too.