Gumball "A Love Supreme"

Gumball Revolution on Ice CD (Sony Records [Japan], 1994)

"A Love Supreme" is one of those jazz covers that's been done enough that it's pretty much a cliché. Well, too bad! Today's piece is a cover of it, featuring some lovely, screaming psychedelic guitar skree from ax-meister Don Fleming. As you may know, these days many CDs come out in Japan with extra songs for the Japanese market; that was the case with this one. I already had the album in question, Revolution on Ice, when I stumbled across a Japanese pressing in a bargain bin. Hooray! Gumball arose from the demise of the somewhat similarly named B.A.L.L., who had also featured Fleming on guitar and Jay Spiegel on drums. On their 1989 European tour, however, bassist Kramer just up and quit. They soldiered on for a bit longer, I guess, as I saw them with bassist Guy Pinhas at the Circus in Gammelsforf, near Munich, West Germany. It was an insane show. I'm not sure if Guy knew the songs or not, but he played like a madman. Don shredded away on the guit, and Jay held down the rhythm. The highlight of the show was the encore; roadie Joey Pea came out in a green lamé dress and feather boa, and they did a slammin' cover of The Stooges' "Funhouse."

MX-80 Sound "Spoonfight"

MX-80 Sound
Bloomington 1
compilation LP
(B.R.B.Q. Records, 1975)

DAMMIT! I had a nice writeup started then my computer locked up. Oh, well.

I've featured MX-80 Sound before, but that was before I was setup to rip from records and tapes (I cheated for that post and ripped the song from the CD version of the album where it appeared, but the cover I scanned was from my copy of the single). This was their very first recorded appearance, from a local compilation album released in 1975. From what I've read, they started in 1972, the same year that Suicide and the Swell Maps started. Punk rock ground zero, so to speak.

Harold Kelling "Harlem Nocturne"

Harold Kelling
Harlem Nocturne
7" single
(Hib-Tone Records, 1981)

Harold Kelling and Glenn Phillips were the guitar team for Atlanta's answer to Beefheart and Zappa, the Hampton Grease Band, whose sole album, 1971's Music to Eat, I highly recommend. I found this little gem in the local singles bargain bin at a store near my house a year or two ago. Sadly, Harold passed away in 2005; I have no idea if he released other solo records or not.

NOTE: Hib-Tone Records' first release was the debut 45 by R.E.M., a gazillion freakin' years ago.

Chubby Behemoth "J.M.K.'s DNA Is Not on J.B.'s Panties"

Chubby Behemoth
Drunk Elephant
CDR
(Open Land Records, 2007)

I saw these folks a few years back opening for Brass Castle, my favorite local combo. I'd never heard of Chubby Behemoth before and was mighty impressed, so I bought a copy of their lil' CDR. So, here's a song from it. So there!