Today’s show is part of our Vinyl Junkyard series. We take one lp and we play it almost in its entirety with some associations that I get when I think about this record. Today’s record is a very special one in my little world. It’s a 1967 compilation record by Fontana records and it came out from what I know only in Netherlands, Israel and Yugoslavia. The lp contains 13 covers of the psych pop hits of the day, twelve of them by the uncredited studio musicians and two originals by Spencer Davis Group and Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich who were a part of Fontana records roster in Europe. The LP is interesting because even though it’s a clearly psych exploitation record, and even though the musicians are anonymous, all the songs are actually very well played, most of them quite faithful to the originals and in some cases maybe even better. You judge yourself. In any case, the record was very important for me, I grew up with it and whenever I hear songs from this record, actually these covers seem more familiar to me than the originals. They are so deeply carved in my memory.
Stevie Wonder – I Was Made To Love Her;
Fontana Studio Musicians – Let’s Go To San Francisco;
The Flowerpot Men – Let’s Go To San Francisco;
Fontana Studio Musicians – Creeque Alley;
The Mamas And The Papas – Creeque Alley;
Fontana Studio Musicians – Flowers In The Rain;
The Move – Flowers in the Rain;
Spencer Davis Group – Time Seller;
Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick And Tich – Zabadak;
Fontana Studio Musicians – Death Of A Clown;
The Kinks – Death of a Clown;
Fontana Studio Musicians – Pleasant Valley Sunday;
The Monkees – Pleasant Valley Sunday;
The Mindbenders – The Letter;
The Box Tops – The Letter (Single Version);
Fontana Studio Musicians – Jackson;
Johnny Cash – Jackson;
Fontana Studio Musicians – Good Times;
Eric Burdon – Good Times.
Today we introduce two new artists at the Little Lighthouse. Both are coming from Atlanta, Georgia. Vincas remind me a lot on All The Saints, who are also from there. I wonder what happened to them. We also have a new blues band from Atlanta, Delta Moon. Ty Segall is very active. Besides his brand new record with White Fence, he also has a new record with his own band called Slaughterhouse. One of the most interesting reissues so far this year is The Red Bird Girls Very First Time in True Stereo which introduces some of the most interesting singles from Red Bird Records for the first time in stereo.
Four old legendary rockers are back these days with their new projects. Neil Young once again got on his Crazy Horse and this time he covered eleven songs from the history of the American continent. Thus the title Americana. Howe Gelb expanded Giant Sand to Giant Giant Sand and a busload of musicians from two places on the planet (Denmark and the US), and made a new rock opera dedicated to his hometown Tucson. Ed Crawford (Fromohio) has a new band FOOD and a new EP Four Easy Pieces. Alejandro Escovedo is back with the new record called Big Station. Once again, the record is co-written with Chuck Prophet and it is produced by Tony Visconti, just like the other two previous records. The idea of this episode is to fill up an our by hearing some new tunes from Young, Gelb, Crawford and Escovedo and also recall their earlier careers as well.
It’s almost summer. The weather is warm, Sun is shining, Venus is crossing. It’s weather for power pop, it’s weather for the Beach Boys. In today’s show we review the most interesting power pop tunes of today and among them, the new return for one of the biggest inspirations for power pop – the Beach Boys. Mike Love, Al Jardine and Brian Wilson are back together with the new album called That’s Why God Made The Radio. Talking about the Beach Boys, we also have the new record for Nelson Bragg, who played with them for awhile. Then we have Pugwash from Ireland who can definitely harmonize like the Beach Boys. Golden Boys are not so close to the beach, they are from Austin TX and their new record Dirty Fingernails is one of the most exciting records this season. New band and a fine example of good power pop are the Successful Failures who named themselves after a Jack London short story and they come from New Jersey. Tom Oberon comes from Connecticut and he’s a one man power pop band called Oberon Rose. His album Wunjo is free of charge on his soundcloud website. Lemon Clocks come from Liverpool and they have deliberately old fashioned sound on their new album Now Is The Time. Sea of Bees are two ladies with esoteric pop sound and finally, Songs For Snakes come from San Francisco and they bland fine melodies with loud guitars.
Today we say the last goodbye to the great banjo player Doug Dillard and one of the Bee Gees – Robin Gibb. Both of them passed away recently and we owe a lot to each of them for the development of rock’n’roll and popular music in general. Other than that, we check out mainly some new singles, eps – short form in general. John Doe and Exene have a new one, recorded with minimal arrangements in the studio. Richard Buckner has a new three-track ep called Willow. And then come the rockers. The Intelligence from Seattle and Nobunny have new 45s. The Paperhead from Nashville sport a lovely Syd Barrett styled single from a split EP with Mikal Cronin (among others). King Khan also splits a 45 with Mikal. Only LP tracks are by the Dillard and Clark and The Beegees today!
Today we say goodbye to one of the truly greatest bass players in rock’n’roll, legendary Donald Duck Dunn of the Booker T And The MG’s. He passed away on May 13, 2012 in his sleep after a gig with his old band mate Steve Cropper. We also have a new band in the show called Catl from Toronto. Jim Diamond produced their brand new album called Soon This Will All Be Gone. Gabriel Fulvimar hails from Cleveland. He has an interesting band called Gap Dream and we check that out today. The dB’s are back together with a full original line-up and we check out a new tune from the new lp called Falling Off the Sky. Guided By Voices have yet another new lp as well.
One two three four! Today we rock hard. There’s a new album featuring Joey Ramone’s vocals recorded over the years called “Ya Know”. King Tuff, after the new single presented a few weeks ago in this show, is back with the new self-titled album. Natual Child from Nashville TN, are also back with the new record called For The Love of The Game. Mission of Burma toil on with a new record as well called Unsound. New names in today’s show are fun time rockers Low Cut Connie, retro pop duet Quantic and Alice Russel and a mysterious retro glam band Cozy.
 Today we pay respect to Beastie Boy MCA and Flying Burrito Brother Chris Ethridge. We also have a new name at the show, a singer from Cardiff in England, Suzi Chunk. Another new name today is a Basque artist called Petti. He joined forces with the legendary Boston’s singer Barrence Whitfield and did a very nice record over in the Basque land, which still happens to be part of the Northern Spain. Naim Amor is back with a new album Dansons and Italian rockers Mojomatics are also here with a new record which the call You Are The Reason For My Troubles. The volume two of Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s tribute record is out and Tav Falco’s Panther Burns have a nice song on it.
Today we have new songs for the Sub Pop band Beachwood Sparks who were a big surprise some ten years ago when they first appeared. They are back with the new music after almost a decade of silence. King Tuff aka Kyle Thomas has a new single out and we check it out today. Ty Segall joined forces with White Fence on their new album together called Hair. New name in today’s show is a Nashville group of musicians go by the moniker The Altered Statesman. In our segment Live In Cleveland we have Joe Grushecky. Today’s show is dedicated to Levon Helm, legendary drummer of The Band who died recently.
Today’s episode has a completely different format than the other episodes of The Little Lighthouse. The entire show is a bit longer today and it’s fully dedicated to one book. The book is called Early ’70s Radio, The American Format Revolution and it’s written by the good friend of our show Kim Simpson from Austin TX. Some of you may remember him as a solo artist and as a band leader of The Mad Dukes. He was a guest on our show a few years ago in Salt Lake City. Today he and I chat about his book about the early ’70s radio in USA, what led to it and how it influenced the world around it and the radio of today. The book is a result of Kim’s several years of research and it’s based on his doctoral dissertation in media studies. Although it’s an informative and detailed academic work, it is also full with trivia and stories about forgotten moments in history of pop music that it feels as if shopping in a fun thrift shop. We also had Kim playing on his guitar five ’70s medleys which parallel the chapters of the book. So, we hope this is will be fun for you all and perhaps you will also consider getting Kim’s book as well. All info about the book can be found on Kim’s blog