Dancing In The Street - The Flavor

Here's a 1968 garage version of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas hit "Dancing In The Street". It's a fun rock n' roll romp for kicking the summer off right. Plus, it's got some funky sitar action happening in the background. Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!


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"Dancing In The Street" was the Carpenters first ever televised performance. Very groovy in that mod beat sorta way. And, on another side note, man can that Karen Carpenter drum!

Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey - Fats Domino

Fats Domino released "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey" in 1969 as a stand alone single.  He had previously covered "Lady Madonna" and "Lovely Rita" on his Fats Is Back LP, however this one is my favorite of the three boogie-woogied Beatles songs.

The song is about the scandal seeking paparazzi sticking their pens, and lens, into the lives of John & Yoko. Metaphorically, that would make Yoko the monkey. Others claim that "my monkey" is a veiled reference to John's heroin habit. If that's the case then "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey" is happiest heroin song that I've ever heard.


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"Lady Madonna" was Fats Domino's last hit.

La Mouche - Michel Polnareff

Michel Polnareff, the eccentric mad genius of French pop, recorded this insanely cool b-side back in 1972. "La Mouche", or "The Fly" has a uniquely trippy vibe that I totally dig. It's a colorfully bizarre single, and one of my personal favorites.


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Michel playing the much mellower a-side "Holidays". Signature sunglasses still intact.

Jeanette - Wade Flemons

Before Wade Flemons added his flame to the band Earth Wind & Fire he ignited the northern soul scene with this 1968 scorcher, "Jeanette". I never cared for the name Jeanette until the needle dropped on this 45. It's that good. One might even call it a name changer.


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No dance floors were spared during the playing of this song.

Nobody Loves Me But My Mama - Johnny Holiday

Never underestimate the power of funky flutes and never underestimate the potential of a greasy B.B. King blues song. There is no listed recording date on this single, but I'm guessing it's from the late 60s.  Johnny Holiday's "Nobody Loves Me But My Mama" isn't your traditionally lilting Mother's Day song, and that's why it funking rocks!


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Ya! Ya! - Lee Dorsey

Lee Dorsey is such a funky, funtime badass, and he's cool enough to have opened for the mighty Clash in 1980!  Dorsey is arguably the only musician who can rival the great Allen Toussaint. I think of him playing the Sundance Kid to Allen's Butch Cassidy. 

"Ya! Ya!" dates back to 1961, and was actually inspired by a children's nursery rhyme.  It's silly, simple, and undeniably cute. Enjoy.

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Dr. Strangelove - Arthur Ponder

I love this song! It's an obscure soul 45 off Capricorn Records circa 1970. I've listened to Arthur Ponder's heartwrenching "Dr.Strangelove" hundreds of times, and it still chokes me up every single time.


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