The Smithereens - Gotti

Tell me there's a Mafia
I'll tell you there's a Santa Claus...

 
from side 5 of A Date With The Smithereens promotional box set - RCA/BMG 07863-62807, 1994

I have no idea whether Pat DiNizio is being serious or not with this song, but I do like the snotty vibe. Maybe it's a New Jersey thing. Really nice bass line throughout - somebody listens to a lot of mid-period Beatles...  

This sounds a bit different from the CD version, as do most of the tracks. For this promo release, they pulled some different mixes, and added some good old fashioned compression mojo so they could cram some considerably long running times on these sides (as stated on the back of the box).

Scott Walker - The Plague

Got Plague?
 
 
B-side of "Joanna" - Philips (Japan) SFL-1161, 1968

A pretty far-out B-side from Scott, rendered in full panoramic stereo on the Japanese release.  

The backing vocals sound like they came straight out of a Cecil B. DeMille film. Dig the Frippy guitar flourishes.

Slim Harpo - Tip On In (Parts 1 & 2)

 
Excello 2285, 1967

This is barfly music.

I recently scored an original LP of his, and it had one of those inner sleeves with pictures of other albums on his label. Every single one of them was inspirational spoken word or Gospel music. Slim must have been the black sheep of the bunch. I wonder what his labelmates thought of this single, especially with lyrics like

Let your hair down, baby
We ain't goin' to heaven no how
I'm ready to burn, baby
Right here and now

part 1:


...the saga continues :

Tommy James & The Shondells - Crimson & Clover

 
MCA D-2483 (reissue of Roulette 7028, 1968)

Any fan of this group needs one of these, as the LP version is a complete mess.

Wiki says: 
Based on suggestions from radio stations, Tommy James and The Shondells chose to create a longer version of "Crimson and Clover" for their album. Since the song was initially recorded in single format, they had the choice of either re-recording it or expanding it. Opting to expand the song, the first two verses were copied without vocals and overdubbed with guitar solos by Shondells guitarist Ed Gray using steel guitars and fuzz guitars. Due to issues with the speed of the single version and the master, this resulted in a slight drop in pitch during the solos, which went unfixed...

Regardless, the LP version is terrible - and, unfortunately, all over oldies radio and best-of comps. Aside from the pointless instrumental interludes, the LP mix is weak. The original mono single mix has a wonderfully raw edge to it and some great dynamics (which I tried to keep intact for this mp3 rip).