Obligatory Yuletide Offering

Here's some stuff.
Don't say we never gave you anything.

Merry Christmas and Season's Greetings
from the Fluville Chamber of Commerce.

Drive Safely.

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Download:

"White Christmas" mp3
by Bob Marley and The Wailers, 1963.
available on Destiny: Rare Ska Sides From Studio 1

"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" mp3
by Darlene Love, 1963.
available on A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

"If Christmas Can't Bring You Home" mp3
by the Reigning Sound, 2005.
available on Home for Orphans

"Christmas Eve Can Kill You" mp3
by The Everly Brothers, 1972.
available on Stories We Could Tell

"Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto" mp3
by James Brown, 1968.
available on Funky Christmas

"Merry Christmas, I Love You" mp3
by James Brown, 1966.
available on Funky Christmas

"Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year" mp3
by James Brown, 1966.
available on Funky Christmas



"All I Want For Christmas" mp3
by Solomon Burke, 1972.
Pride 45-1022
out of print

"Christmas Must Be Tonight (Alternate)" mp3
by The Band, 1975.
available on Northern Lights Southern Cross

"Christmas Wish" mp3
by NRBQ, 1979.
available on Peek-A-Boo: Best of 1969-89

"My Mom and Santa Claus" mp3
by George Jones, 1968.
available on A Good Year For The Roses:
The Complete Musicor Recordings 1965-1971 (Part 2)

"Rock & Roll Santa Claus" mp3
by Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns, 1962.
available on Twas the Night Before Christmas

"'Twas The Night Before Christmas" mp3
by Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns, 1962.
available on Twas the Night Before Christmas

"Doing The Santa Claus" mp3
by Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns, 1962.
available on Twas the Night Before Christmas

"Christmas In Prison" mp3
by John Prine, 1973.
available on Sweet Revenge

"Jesus Christ" mp3
by Alex Chilton, 1975
from Radio Broadcast WLXY Memphis

"The Christmas Song" mp3
by Dexter Gordon, 1970.
available on The Panther!

More Christmas music can be found:
HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

top photo: © Ted Barron, 2010.

Christmas Eve Can Kill You

What the hell, one more Christmas post.

Download:

GONE mp3
by The Everly Brothers, 1972.
available on Stories We Could Tell

GONE mp3
by John Cale, 1973.
available on Paris 1919

GONE (alternate) mp3
by The Band, 1975.
available on Northern Lights-Southern Cross

GONE mp3
by The Reigning Sound, 2005.
available on Home for Orphans

GONE mp3
by Big Star, 1974.
available on Third/Sister Lovers


Merry Christmas to you and yours.

The Paradoxical Waltz

The waltz is magnificently improper -- the art of tone turned lubricious. There is something about a waltz that is irresistible. Try it on the fattest and sedatest or even on the thinnest and most acidulous of women, and she will be ready, in ten minutes, for a stealthy smack behind the door -- nay, she will forthwith impart the embarrassing news that her husband misunderstands her and drinks too much and is going to Cleveland, O. on a business trip tomorrow.

H.L. Mencken, 1919.


Sorry for the lull, but I've been dealing with some complications of the heart here in Fluville, and fearing that perhaps I may be toeing the line toward the maudlin, I've restrained myself from dragging you listeners through my personal life.

However, there's just too much good music to ignore, and for reasons too complicated to explain I got to thinking about waltzes. So, forgive me while I indulge myself here for a bit - and then we shall resume our regularly scheduled programming - whatever that may be.

Today, we'll listen to some sad songs composed in a time signature that exists for an intimate dance. Therein lies the paradox. Not all waltzes are sad, yet 3/4 time or 6/8 - the imperfect waltz - lends itself well to songs of sadness, longing and loss.

The waltz, originated as a peasant folk dance - La Volta meaning "the turn" from Volver "to revolve." Louis XIII found it to be immoral for its sensual movements. The German word for this is waltzen, and it was from Austria where it emerged as a musical form most notably through Johann Strauss.

That's not what we're gonna listen to here.


Download:

"The Old Country Waltz" mp3
by Neil Young, 1977
available on American Stars 'n Bars



















"I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry" mp3
by Hank Williams, 1951
available on 40 Greatest Hits

"Weary Blues From Waitin'" mp3
by Hank Williams, 1952
available on 40 Greatest Hits

"Alone And Forsaken" mp3
by Hank Williams, 1949
available on The Complete Hank Williams Box Set


















"The Last Waltz" mp3
by Webb Pierce, 1951.
available on More and More



















"Kentucky Waltz" mp3
by Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys, 1948.
available on Anthology



















"I Wonder If I Care As Much" mp3
by The Everly Brothers, 1958.
available on The Complete Cadence Recordings

"Dancing With Tears in My Eyes" mp3
by X, 1982.
available on Under The Big Black Sun

"Waltz #2 (xo) mp3
by Elliott Smith, 1998
available on XO

"Long, Long, Long" mp3
by The Beatles, 1968
available on The Beatles

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A pair of songs written in 4/4 and covered in the ternary meter.

"Oh, Lonesome Me" mp3
by Neil Young, 1970.
available on After The Gold Rush

"Girl Don't Tell Me" mp3
by Jay Sherman-Godfrey, 2006.
available on Twoscore

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"You Don't Miss Your Water" mp3
by William Bell, 1961.
available on The Soul of a Bell

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And finally, a pair of songs that walk hand in hand down life's lonely highways and an early John Fogerty number that starts in 6/8 and takes off after the break when it switches to 4/4...

"Edge Of Town" mp3
by Clare Burson. 2007.
available on Thieves

"I Found A Reason" mp3
by The Velvet Underground, 1970.
available on Loaded

"You Better Get it Before It Gets You"
by The Golliwogs 1967.
available on Creedence Clearwater Revival Box Set