BillsBlog Song Of The Day

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich  - Don Juan   (1969)   +   [March Playlist] Well, it's time to say goodbye to March and see what April brings us. These five fine gentlemen with a hilarious band name (and a bunch of other awesome songs) will now sing us a tragic love story of love and bulls and death. Roll end credits... *The entire March playlist is below. Just click the colorful link and you can hear all the songs for the month uninterrupted. B i l l s B l o g   M a r c h   2 0 2 6 Whistling Jack Smith - I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman (1967) Chris Spedding - School Days (1976) Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra - La Playa (Aruba) (1966) Unit 4 + 2 - Concrete And Clay (1965) John Cooper Clarke - Innocents (1977) Meco - The Empire Strikes Back (Medley) (1980) Dawn Chorus & The Blue Tits - What's Wrong With Me? (1985) Heavy Metal Kids - Delirious (1976) Kregg Nance - You're Eatin' Out My Heart And Soul (1980)  Sylvain Sylvain - Teenage News (1980) P...

The Fleshtones - I Am What I Am (2005) Hey there. Today we're going with straight up positivity and self-affirmation. There's not a whole lot going on here lyrically but it doesn't really matter, the refrain is so joyous and catchy and fun and I'm having a great time. Hope you are too. The Fleshtones formed in 1976 in Queens and they're still going today. That's some crazy dedication.  "I am what I am what I am what I am, I am what I am and I like it."        

Kris Kristofferson - Gettin' By, High And Strange (1972) Good evening. Here's an absolute classic. I once heard a construction crew playing this in a parking lot at 7am as I prepared for a very busy day at the old restaurant, and man it hit hard. It still does today.    

Crass -   Securicor  (1978) Hey! Crass Dance Party!  This album was in constant rotation for me during my teenage years. I don't often revisit it but I had it on blast today and it's really a whole lot of chaotic fun. Their sound is different from other punk bands of the era. It's more like a marching band with amazing funky bass lines, noisy guitars, often shouted vocals with complex rhyme schemes and lyrics about complicated sociopolitical issues that seem to be as or more relevant today as 47 years ago.  Here we go...  "I'm a private in a private army.  I'm a private in a private army.  I'm a private in a private army.  I'm a private in a private army.  I'm a private in a private army.  I'm a private in a private army.  I'm a private in a private army."    

Takeshi Terauchi   -   未完成 (Symphony No.8) (1967) Tonight we have some wild surf from 1960s Japan with "King Of The Electric Guitar" Takeshi Terauchi. He had an extensive discography and here we have his take on Franz Schubert's 8th Symphony, aka Unfinished Symphony, a wonderful listen in its own right. The backing band here is either Blue Jeans or Bunnys and the year is either 1967 or 68 but what is undeniable is the dude shreds.     

Larry Juris - Bed Time Tales (1986) Well, it's just about sleepy time for me tonight so I'm gonna leave you with this lullaby before I shut my eyes.  I've been listening to various songs featured in 80s horror movies for the past few hours and having a blast. I came across this gem that plays over the opening credits to the 1986 horror anthology Deadtime Stories. The movie itself is a collection of spooky twists on common fairy tales framed by an uncle reciting them to his nephew and that idea is captured well in the lyrics here. Enjoy. Zzzzzzzz... "It's no wonder why we turned out like we did, remembering our bedtime tales as kids."   

Radio Stars - Nervous Wreck (1977) Hey Smashers. Today we have a fun one. Formed after the glam supergroup Jet crashed and burned, Radio Stars formed, featuring members of John's Children and Sparks (all bands worth checking out). Although I'm going with the studio version here for audio purposes, there's also a great "live" video of this with the female vocalist sitting on stage reading a newspaper until her line "I don't think so" all the while ignoring vocalist Andy Elllison while he jumps around the stage. Brilliant. I also love the refrain repeating "electroencephalograph", referring to an EEG, which I somehow was able to spell on my own for the first time and I believe it's the only time I've heard used as a song lyric. Learn something new everyday (sometimes). Enjoy.  

The Miamis -   Cry Baby   (c. 1974) Well looks like we're starting the day early and I'm a bit flummoxed on this one. I've been trying to do some research here and I all can really find is what you will see on the screen - they were a popular band in NYC with the CBGBs scene in the mid to late 1970s. Additionally I found a recent clip of them saying that Wayne County was a co-writer and something else mentioning opening for The New York Dolls which would seem to put this around 74. I could be wrong and would love the actual info if someone knows.  Regardless, dates be damned, I really dig that glam power pop sound with the kinda NY doo wop throwback. It also has a super fun bridge around the 1:40 mark. Enjoy.   

Gene Pitney - Town Without Pity (1961) Hey there. Tonight we segue nicely from the Star Trek Enterprise, right down into a dive bar with this beauty of a track playing on the jukebox. It's a swaggering classic originally from the movie of the same name, which I haven't seen, but the song itself captures my imagination to the point it feels like its own 3 minute movie. The Dickies also have a great rendition from 1989.     

Leonard Nimoy - Music To Watch Space Girls By (1967) I'm not much of a Star Trek fan but I love the idea of Leonard Nimoy being in character as Mr. Spock for this album, especially because it has instrumentals, such as this one, that he clearly has nothing to do with. It's highly illogical. Note: It's a cover of a Bob Crewe song from the previous year. The producer here is Charles R. Grean (though uncredited?) who worked with Nimoy to put this whole thing together.  

The Only Ones -  City Of Fun (1978) I can't think of a damn thing to write tonight but here's a song I really like.    

Roky Erickson - Burn The Flames (1985) [Recorded 1982]  What's up vampires and skeletons, How are we tonight? Well here's a magical song by Roky well after his 13th Floor Elevators days. This is an absolute slow burn classic of a song, featured on The Return Of The Living Dead soundtrack. The pacing and the pausing really brings out every instrument and holy hell the guitar solos, the laughing, the Vibes on this one are so genuine.     Here I sit, a vampire at my piano The flames burn glaringly higher And the eyes that stare through the darkness Though they have no form There's no need for alarm So burn So burn, burn the flames Higher and higher So burn, burn the flames Never to expire Here I sit, a skeleton at my organ The candles in my candelabra burning hellishly, hellish hell And the laughter unending echoes through the haunted house A little Christmas spirit, ghostly haunting deadly spirit Every creature is stirring Even the mouse So burn So burn, burn the flames Hi...

London Cowboys - Saigon (1982) This song and I have been getting to know each other for the past couple days and it seems we get along pretty well. I love this droney beat and the detached vocals staying perfectly in the groove. The lyrics so vividly explain a situation of despair without feeling like a whine all while leading to the A+ hook...  "I'm so deep down in the shit I'm really saturated. And I'm telling you... I'm a regular guy."       t du ein Künstler? Hol das Beste aus deinen Songtexten mit Musixmatch Pro heraus!

The Revelons - 97 Tears (1979) Hey there Heartbreaker. Today we have a true hidden gem. Sounds like something between Television, The Cars, and The Modern Lovers. I was unaware of this band until yesterday and I've listened to this track about 30 times since. I can't find much info on this band except they played NYC during the punk boom of the late 1970s, this was their only released single, and it sounds like Tom Verlaine of Television on vocals here. Not sure. But I am sure I dig it. Hope you do too. On a completely different note, I've also discovered something called the December 31st, 1969 glitch. Apparently my recent posts keep trying to back date to that day. It was a great year for music but not so much so for blogs. More on this later...    

The Pogues - The Wild Rover (1984) Here's an all time classic by one of my favorite bands of all time.  

Venom - Countess Bathory (1982) Let's get heavy tonight with a dose of Venom from their 1982 album Black Metal with a track about the supposed vampiric killer countess who would bathe in women's blood to sustain her youth. Enjoy!    

Andrew Matheson - True Romance (1979) Andrew Matheson was the lead singer for The Hollywood Brats, a British glam/protopunk band in the style of The New York Dolls. Tonight let's join him in this dark alley and have a late night milkshake with this sweet little tune.    

Pearl Harbour - Fujiyama Mama (1980) Hey there buddies. Today we’re checking out Pearl Harbour with her completely unhinged version of Wanda Jackson’s barely hinged Fujiyama Mama. She’ll kick your doors in, shoot your lights out, beat you up, and drop an A bomb on your head. Don't mess with this mama.

Harry Manfredini - Friday The 13th Part 3 Theme (1982) Hey, it's Friday so let's all head on down to the lake by the old campground. We can go dancing. What could possibly go wrong? This is when the Friday The 13th franchise went 3D. It's also the one where Jason gets his hockey mask. It's also when the opening theme went full on electrofunk and it really is a glorious moment when those opening titles hit. This is an extended version but an extra couple minutes of that spooky riff and that syntholated beat is fine by me. I'm doing the Robot as I try to type this. See y'all later.    

The Victims -  Television Addict  (1977) Tonight we go back to the late 70s with my absolute favorite Aussie punker of all time. It's a perfect performance with perfect production and absolutely prescient of media in our current times. It's wild to think this came out almost 50 years ago. "We're not dumb!"       Read the news the other day About a boy they threw away He went out and shot someone Like some Kojak teleplay He claimed he was confused Between fact and fantasy It seems he spent all of his time In front of a TV screen He was a Television addict His lawyer said, "This boy is sick Blame the ratings for his crime" They say too much sex and too much violence On the idiot box spoiled his idiot mind He was a Television addict Ah, you and me, we spend all of our time In front of window on the world Just because I watch Dinah Shore Doesn’t mean I need a face-lift Doesn't mean my brain has slipped Doesn't mean anything There’s more everything o...

Prima Donna  - Stray Doll   (2008) Once again I'm getting those New York Dolls vibes so let's head over to the late aughts for some retro rock neo glam with L.A. based Prima Donna. "Lover boy's in love again"...    

Sylvain Sylvain - Teenage News (1980) It’s a beautiful day to sit in the sun and blast a classic track by the lesser known guitarist of The New York Dolls. Although not as popular as Johnny Thunders in his solo career, Sylvain Sylvain had a name so nice you gotta say it twice and he made some pretty sweet music.     

Kregg Nance - You're Eatin' Out My Heart And Soul (1980) Well tonight we certainly have ourselves our treat. We're going to put on B horror classic Motel Hell, but let's just skip to the end credits and let Kregg croon about getting cannibalized.  Note: There is a really fun tune with a punk band playing in a van called "I've Had It Up To Here" by Don Nowak but I can't find the actual track anywhere, so I guess you gotta watch the movie for that... And the pig mask chainsaw fight... And Cliff Claven from Cheers.  "It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent Fritters."    

Heavy Metal Kids - Delirious (1976) Here we go with the Heavy Metal Kids with a way over the top self-loathing punk rock banger.  They got their name from a group of characters in William Burroughs' 1964 novel Nova Express (not from the music genre). Most of their material is kinda classic rock / glam, but 1976 came along and this would have certainly fit in nicely on Nevermind The Bollocks the following year.    

Dawn Chorus & The Blue Tits - What's Wrong With Me? (1985) Hey. That's an interesting band name. It refers to birds, ya know? The song itself is a fun little bopper and it's a real cool time.    

Meco - The Empire Strikes Back (Medley) (1980) And here's the magical Meco with some Darth Vader disco...  

John Cooper Clarke - Innocents (1977) Hey there Smasher. I know, I see you over there in the corner scowling down at your Ovaltine, wondering how March has already been completely derailed and muttering the eternal question: "Where's the Punk?" Meanwhile I've been sitting here quietly sipping my Tang listening to breezy 60s tunes. Well, today the Punk comes back to town. "Uh what's this-uh?"      

Unit 4 + 2 - Concrete And Clay (1965) Today we're going to keep that Latin beat while we hobble on over to this London construction site and check out Unit 4 + 2. Although the band name sounds like an industrial band from the 90's we actually have a sweet pop rock group with 4 vocalists plus the 2, referring to the drummer and bassist, with a number 1 hit in the UK in 1965.  The lead singer here is Tommy Moeller, who is the brother of Billy Moeller (aka the actor who toured as Whistling Jack Smith) which we listened to a few days ago.  Now let's grab our hammers and hard hats and here we go...    

Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra - La Playa (Aruba) (1966) Say what? It's time for a little Latin Space Age Pop as spring tries to push its way through winter and the sun blinds us reflecting off the melting snow. This intermission is brought to you by musician, artist, director, and restaurateur Xavier Cugat. Now relax, put the sunglasses on and enjoy...    

Chris Spedding - School Days (1976) Today we're going nice and easy with some soul soothing slick sounding seventies Spedding shredding and reminiscing about bringing his guitar to school and sweet times never ending. Hope y'all have a good night. "One thing before I go I'd like you all to know My advice to you, if you can use it If you start rockin', you ain't never gonna lose it "        

Whistling Jack Smith - I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman (1967) Hey everybody. Let's get March started with this beautiful dream of a song by our ol' buddy Whistling Jack. He sure can whistle, eh?