The Rock & Roll Musical Obscurity Thread

KimW · 10th Oct 2009, 12:19 PM

More Nick,doing an Elvis song:

YouTube - Nick Lowe - Whats So Funny About Peace...

KimW · 10th Oct 2009, 12:20 PM

Of course,Here's Dave!

YouTube - Dave Edmunds - I Hear You Knocking

KimW · 10th Oct 2009, 12:23 PM

Take Nick and Dave together and you get this Graham Parker song:

YouTube - Dave Edmunds Nick Lowe Rockpile...

KimW · 10th Oct 2009, 12:26 PM

Kurt,
I meant to comment on this when you posted before but I got distracted.
I also love to research covers.I can spend an evening listening to the same song done by 20 different people.

Steven Wagenheim · 10th Oct 2009, 12:38 PM

This group, amazingly, had 27 singles and NEVER had a hit.

The closest they came was with this 1972 song that just broke the top 40
at number 39.

A terribly underrated group.

Uriah Heep and "Easy Livin"

YouTube - Uriah Heep - Easy Livin'

madison_avenue · 10th Oct 2009, 02:18 PM

This is about the Indian singer Asha Bhosle!
CornerShop. Brimful Of Asha:

YouTube - Brimful of Asha

ConcordeWarrior · 10th Oct 2009, 02:35 PM

YouTube - Joe Cocker with Catherine Deneuve -...

Steven Wagenheim · 10th Oct 2009, 08:28 PM

The year was 1973 and this song made it to all of number 91 on the charts.

Yeah, it was a real dud and a very obscure tune. Have yet to hear this on
the radio since it was played for all of a few weeks.

The group...Circus

The song..."Stop Wait and Listen"

YouTube - Circus - Stop Wait & Listen - (WIXY...

KimW · 10th Oct 2009, 08:36 PM

Never heard of them or the song,but the guy did mention another band that could fit in here I think, The Michael Stanley Band,they put out one of the best live albums Ive ever heard.

KimW · 10th Oct 2009, 08:38 PM

NOw I can't tell you if and when this charted if it ever did, but this is one of those songs that was quite different than anything else when it came out, Lothar And The hand People:

YouTube - Machines- Lothar & the Hand...

Steven Wagenheim · 10th Oct 2009, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by KimW

NOw I can't tell you if and when this charted if it ever did, but this is one of those songs that was quite different than anything else when it came out, Lothar And The hand People:
YouTube - Machines- Lothar & the Hand People

Okay, you got me with this one. I seriously doubt this ever made the
radio where I live.

Wow...talk about obscure.

KimW · 10th Oct 2009, 08:45 PM

How about these folks? I have one album by them but I understand they made either 2 or 3.
After they broke up Michael Kamen(sp?) went on the score several movies and tv series I believe.

YouTube - The New York Rockensemble - Fields of...

Steven Wagenheim · 10th Oct 2009, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by KimW

Never heard of them or the song,but the guy did mention another band that could fit in here I think, The Michael Stanley Band,they put out one of the best live albums Ive ever heard.

I love the Michael Stanley Band.

I can't find their version of this song, though I do have the album with it.

This is the guy who wrote this song for them.

YouTube - "Nothing's Gonna Change My Mind" Jonah...

Kurt · 10th Oct 2009, 08:53 PM

YouTube - Joe Ely, Musta Notta Gotta Lotta (sleep...

YouTube - The Lamont Cranston Band live Nov. 16,...

KimW · 10th Oct 2009, 08:57 PM

I have an Joe ELy album Kurt,but for the life of me can't remember the song that made me buy it.
I also have Lamont Cranston Band albums, I think the first two.That video was from last year, I didn't know they were still plugging away.

By the way, I met the creator of The Shadow in the early 70s. I used to have a lot of the paperbacks from the 70 releases.

Kurt · 10th Oct 2009, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by KimW

I have an Joe ELy album Kurt,but for the life of me can't remember the song that made me buy it.
I also have Lamont Cranston Band albums, I think the first two.That video was from last year, I didn't know they were still plugging away.

By the way, I met the creator of The Shadow in the early 70s. I used to have a lot of the paperbacks from the 70 releases.

Hey Kim...Same here. Was it this one? I know I really like this Ely tune...BTW, Joe Ely sang backup on the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go".

YouTube - Joe Ely Live - 1985 - Ain't Got No...

madison_avenue · 11th Oct 2009, 02:40 AM

Not that obscure but here's John Fogerty(from Creedence Clearwater Revival).

He played a sensational set at Glastonbury UK, 2 years ago (2007), including a lot of his old classics. Here's, who'll stop the rain:

YouTube - John Fogerty - Who'll Stop The Rain...

Dave Patterson · 11th Oct 2009, 05:46 AM

Here's a little obscure band just for you Kurt...

They lean mostly towards the Blues but I've seen them do a kickass version of "Mustang Sally"

I first saw them a couple years ago in the little park across the street from my house during the WC Handy Music Festival (Actually I was sitting in my backyard and when they started playing just HAD to go see who it was)

YouTube - Homemade Jamz Blues Band

Patrician · 11th Oct 2009, 10:11 AM

Obscure or Not, I bet you can't listen to this without at least bobbing your head.

YouTube - The Trashmen: "Surfin' Bird" (American...

Frank Donovan · 11th Oct 2009, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by Patrician

Obscure or Not, I bet you can't listen to this without at least bobbing your head.

Mucho thanks. Hadn't seen that vid before

It inspired me to go and put the Ramones version on at full pelt - my walls are vibrating as I type..

Frank

John Rogers · 11th Oct 2009, 10:53 AM

The original Woo-Hoo.

YouTube - Rock-A-Teens - Woo Hoo

Kurt · 11th Oct 2009, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by Dave Patterson

Here's a little obscure band just for you Kurt...

They lean mostly towards the Blues but I've seen them do a kickass version of "Mustang Sally"

I first saw them a couple years ago in the little park across the street from my house during the WC Handy Music Festival (Actually I was sitting in my backyard and when they started playing just HAD to go see who it was)

YouTube - Homemade Jamz Blues Band

Hey Dave...

Thanks, I really liked that...Don't know what's cooler, that they are so young and keeping blues alive, or that guitar.

Is the guitar made out of a car muffler? Really cool.

Kurt · 11th Oct 2009, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by KimW

I have an Joe ELy album Kurt,but for the life of me can't remember the song that made me buy it.
I also have Lamont Cranston Band albums, I think the first two.That video was from last year, I didn't know they were still plugging away.

By the way, I met the creator of The Shadow in the early 70s. I used to have a lot of the paperbacks from the 70 releases.

Hey Kim,

I saw Lamont Cranston and George Thourogood about a year before George became big, I think it was '78 or '79. They played at an old-time movie theater that was converted for concerts. I think it only held about 500 people. It was a great rock and roll show.

For those that don't know, "Lamont Cranston" was to The Shadow as Clark Kent was to Superman, this will explain Kim's reference.

Steven Wagenheim · 11th Oct 2009, 05:15 PM

In 2007, Paul McCartney came out with what's been his last album.
Everybody made a big deal about it when it first came out and a lot of songs
were played...a lot.

But that was a long time ago. Today, you'd be hard pressed to hear any
of those songs on the radio. Truth is, it wasn't a big hit and the single from
it didn't do very well, peaking at number 26.

Personally, I liked the album. I thought it was well done. There were some
really good songs, one I loved a lot.

This is the single that hit number 26...Dance Tonight.

YouTube - PAUL McCARTNEY - DANCE TONIGHT

Steven Wagenheim · 11th Oct 2009, 05:23 PM

And for what it's worth...from that same album, I think this is one of the
most beautiful songs McCartney ever wrote.

"End Of The End"

YouTube - Paul McCartney-The End of the End

Bill Farnham · 11th Oct 2009, 05:28 PM

Here's a group I saw around 1974/5 in a school auditorium along with about 300 other folks. The group was no longer filling big venues, but I always liked this song...

YouTube - Canned Heat - Goin' Up The Country

Here's another version...

YouTube - Kermit the Frog sings Canned Heat's...

KJ

Frank Donovan · 12th Oct 2009, 11:03 AM

1972. Lemmy (pre Motorhead) on vocals

A loud and glorious shambles of a band... Hawkwind

YouTube - Hawkwind - Silver Machine (Promo)

Here's my favorite Hawkwind track - and some great use of video footage...

YouTube - Hawkwind - Space Is Deep

Frank

KimW · 12th Oct 2009, 11:29 AM

Didn't Michael Moorecock write a few songs for Hawkwind?

Frank Donovan · 12th Oct 2009, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by KimW

Didn't Michael Moorecock write a few songs for Hawkwind?

Yes, he contributed some lyrics. He was quite involved with the band in their early stages.

Frank

KimW · 12th Oct 2009, 11:51 AM

Thats what I thought.I have quite a few of his books lying around.
I never did listen to Hawkwind though, and I never knew until today that Lemmy was in it.

Steven Wagenheim · 12th Oct 2009, 06:11 PM

The year was 1973.

Procol Harum had come up with one incredible album. While no singles are
listed as having come from it, there was in fact one song that was released
under the radar. While the album got significant airplay and reached number
21 on the Billboard charts, it has since lapsed into total obscurity. If you
hear any Procol Harum songs these days, they're either "A Whiter Shade Of
Pale" or "Conquistador."

This amazing album is lost to all but their die hard fans...and it's a damn
crying shame.

Here is the "obscure" single, Grand Hotel and grand finale of the album,
Robert's Box.

They don't make 'em like these anymore folks.

**NOTE** The guy who uploaded Robert's box did some stupid voice
over at the beginning. I guess to get people to download the song
from his site. Really lame if you ask me.

YouTube - PROCOL HARUM : GRAND HOTEL

YouTube - Procol Harum Grand Hotel Robert's Box

Steven Wagenheim · 13th Oct 2009, 08:54 AM

The year was 1976. In the world of obscure music, this vanished so fast that
I sometimes wonder if it ever existed at all.

The Artist...Elliott Murphy

The Album...Night Lights

The Song...Isadora's Dancers

YouTube - ELLIOTT MURPHY - Isadora´s Dancers

jkt777 · 14th Oct 2009, 01:37 AM

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

This group, amazingly, had 27 singles and NEVER had a hit.

The closest they came was with this 1972 song that just broke the top 40
at number 39.

A terribly underrated group.

Uriah Heep and "Easy Livin"

My favorite from Uriah Heep

YouTube - Stealin' Uriah Heep Live Stealin...

jkt777 · 14th Oct 2009, 01:43 AM

Originally Posted by KimW

I have an Joe ELy album Kurt,but for the life of me can't remember the song that made me buy it.

Was this it?

YouTube - Joe Ely~Me and Billy the Kid

jkt777 · 14th Oct 2009, 01:59 AM

Spiderbait re-did this song a couple of years ago, but I like the original.
I read somewhere that this was recorded in one of the members backyard.
Came out the year I graduated high school, 1977

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMLnDuzgkjo#

madison_avenue · 14th Oct 2009, 02:43 AM

Here's a band from the mid 1990's but still going strong. Lovely harmonies and nice lyrics. Belle and Sebastian, The Blues Are Still Blue:

You Tube Large

Kevin Flask · 14th Oct 2009, 09:45 AM

I don't know much of this artist, but at first, I thought it was David Bowie.
He sounds very much like Bowie. I like the guitar in this one.

I first heard this tune on an internet radio station, and I just heard it yesterday on an alternative rock station. I wonder if he had any success on the US charts.

This artist from the UK is Edwyn Collins.

Song title: "A Girl Like You"

YouTube - Edwyn Collins 'A Girl Like You'

Frank Donovan · 14th Oct 2009, 10:46 AM

Hi Kevin

Originally Posted by Kevin Flask

I first heard this tune on an internet radio station, and I just heard it yesterday on an alternative rock station. I wonder if he had any success on the US charts.

Edwyn hails from Scotland and originally found fame in the UK with his band, Orange Juice in the late 1970s.

"A Girl Like You" is his best-known song as a solo artist - I think it made the US top 40 in 1994. It was certainly a big hit in the UK.

I've heard him interviewed several times and he comes across as a really friendly, down-to-earth kind of guy.

Frank

Frank Donovan · 14th Oct 2009, 05:47 PM

Most people will have heard of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" - the album that launched Richard Branson's Virgin empire, back in 1973.

However, following that historic release, Virgin put out a few albums that didn't have quite the same impact.

Here's one by a band called Gong; a sort of prog/rock/jazz combo that notably featured Steve Hillage on guitar:

YouTube - Gong: Flying Teapot

Then there came the eccentric and almost totally inaccessible, Henry Cow:

YouTube - Henry Cow - Amygdala

And several years before Kraftwerk hit the scene, Virgin pioneered the rise of "KrautRock" by signing bands such as Faust and Tangerine Dream

YouTube - Krautrock - Faust

Frank

Steven Wagenheim · 15th Oct 2009, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by Frank Donovan

Most people will have heard of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" - the album that launched Richard Branson's Virgin empire, back in 1973.

However, following that historic release, Virgin put out a few albums that didn't have quite the same impact.

Here's one by a band called Gong; a sort of prog/rock/jazz combo that notably featured Steve Hillage on guitar:

YouTube - Gong: Flying Teapot

Then there came the eccentric and almost totally inaccessible, Henry Cow:

YouTube - Henry Cow - Amygdala

And several years before Kraftwerk hit the scene, Virgin pioneered the rise of "KrautRock" by signing bands such as Faust and Tangerine Dream

YouTube - Krautrock - Faust

Frank

Frank, I actually have Mike Oldfield's album. The version they played on
the radio (AM stations) was chopped up to bits. The album version was
quite interesting.

Trivia: What movie featured "Tubular Bells?"

Steven Wagenheim · 15th Oct 2009, 04:17 PM

Well, at the risk of being run out of here (again) the year was 1974. It was
just before disco really started to take off in 1975 with "The Hustle". I never
really liked disco, but there were two songs that came out around the same
time in 1974 that I really liked. One was by The Trammps (Disco Inferno
fame) and the other was by a group by the name of Sons Of Robin Stone.

Neither song was very big. The Trammps tune hit #101 on the under the
bubbling 100 and Sons Of Robin Stone, best to my knowledge, never
charted. These were two of the "better" disco songs before disco became
what it became...a joke.

From 1974.

Got To Get You Back - Sons Of Robin Stone
Trusting Heart - The Trammps

YouTube - Sons Of Robin Stone - Got to Get You...

YouTube - The Trammps - Trusting Heart

Frank Donovan · 15th Oct 2009, 06:01 PM

Steven

The Trammps were quite well-known in the UK, but The Sons Of Robin Stone?

Never heard of them - or their Dad :confused:, so thanks for that.

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

Frank, I actually have Mike Oldfield's album. The version they played on
the radio (AM stations) was chopped up to bits. The album version was
quite interesting.

Trivia: What movie featured "Tubular Bells?"

It sounds as though Mike Oldfield wasn't as big Stateside as I thought. Tubular Bells, on which he played every instrument, is kind of an iconic album in the UK - especially as it started off that whole Virgin steamroller.

I believe the music was featured in The Exorcist (?)

Frank

Steven Wagenheim · 15th Oct 2009, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by Frank Donovan

I believe the music was featured in The Exorcist (?)

Give the man a cigar!

KimW · 15th Oct 2009, 07:32 PM

Must be the crowd we hung out with back then. Everyone I knew had Tubular Bells.

Kurt · 16th Oct 2009, 04:09 AM

Originally Posted by KimW

Must be the crowd we hung out with back then. Everyone I knew had Tubular Bells.

I had it...I think he was only 19 when he recorded it.

Kurt · 16th Oct 2009, 04:21 AM

YouTube - Ides of March - Vehicle

Steven Wagenheim · 17th Oct 2009, 02:10 PM

Harry Nilsson, in spite of having so many songs, had very few "hits", his
biggest being "Without You" which hit number 1. The song was actually
written by Pete Ham of Badfinger.

This song made 27 on the US charts. It got very little airplay and today,
hearing it anywhere is a minor miracle.

From 1972, and back in the days when drummers actually got drum solos,
"Jump Into The Fire."

YouTube - Harry Nilsson ~ Jump Into The Fire ~...

KimW · 17th Oct 2009, 02:17 PM

He did pretty good with this song:
It was one of the few songs over the years that I got tired of hearing,seemed it was played 24/7 for a while there.

YouTube - Harry Nilsson - Coconut (1971)

Steven Wagenheim · 17th Oct 2009, 02:18 PM

Here's another long lost and forgotten tune of Harry Nilsson's from 1972.

Sadly, he passed away in 1994.

Spaceman

YouTube - Harry Nilsson - Spaceman

KimW · 17th Oct 2009, 02:19 PM

And of course this one, which if memory serves me, is connected to a pretty famous movie.

YouTube - Harry Nilsson - Everybody's Talkin'...

10th Oct 2009, 12:26 PM	#204
KimW Cranky Old Man War Room Member Join Date: 2002 Location: Virginia,USA. Posts: 821 Thanks: 5,108 Thanked 4,324 Times in 2,548 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Re: The Rock & Roll Musical Obscurity Thread Share on: Kurt, I meant to comment on this when you posted before but I got distracted. I also love to research covers.I can spend an evening listening to the same song done by 20 different people.
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10th Oct 2009, 08:36 PM	#209
KimW Cranky Old Man War Room Member Join Date: 2002 Location: Virginia,USA. Posts: 821 Thanks: 5,108 Thanked 4,324 Times in 2,548 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Re: The Rock & Roll Musical Obscurity Thread Share on: Never heard of them or the song,but the guy did mention another band that could fit in here I think, The Michael Stanley Band,they put out one of the best live albums Ive ever heard.
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10th Oct 2009, 08:57 PM	#215
KimW Cranky Old Man War Room Member Join Date: 2002 Location: Virginia,USA. Posts: 821 Thanks: 5,108 Thanked 4,324 Times in 2,548 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Re: The Rock & Roll Musical Obscurity Thread Share on: I have an Joe ELy album Kurt,but for the life of me can't remember the song that made me buy it. I also have Lamont Cranston Band albums, I think the first two.That video was from last year, I didn't know they were still plugging away. By the way, I met the creator of The Shadow in the early 70s. I used to have a lot of the paperbacks from the 70 releases.
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12th Oct 2009, 11:29 AM	#228
KimW Cranky Old Man War Room Member Join Date: 2002 Location: Virginia,USA. Posts: 821 Thanks: 5,108 Thanked 4,324 Times in 2,548 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Re: The Rock & Roll Musical Obscurity Thread Share on: Didn't Michael Moorecock write a few songs for Hawkwind?
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12th Oct 2009, 11:51 AM	#230
KimW Cranky Old Man War Room Member Join Date: 2002 Location: Virginia,USA. Posts: 821 Thanks: 5,108 Thanked 4,324 Times in 2,548 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Re: The Rock & Roll Musical Obscurity Thread Share on: Thats what I thought.I have quite a few of his books lying around. I never did listen to Hawkwind though, and I never knew until today that Lemmy was in it.
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14th Oct 2009, 01:59 AM	#235
jkt777 Joel Thomas War Room Member Join Date: 2004 Location: Georgia Posts: 60 Thanks: 54 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	Re: The Rock & Roll Musical Obscurity Thread Share on: Spiderbait re-did this song a couple of years ago, but I like the original. I read somewhere that this was recorded in one of the members backyard. Came out the year I graduated high school, 1977 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMLnDuzgkjo#
	Last edited on 14th Oct 2009 at 02:00 AM. Reason: link

15th Oct 2009, 07:32 PM	#244
KimW Cranky Old Man War Room Member Join Date: 2002 Location: Virginia,USA. Posts: 821 Thanks: 5,108 Thanked 4,324 Times in 2,548 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Re: The Rock & Roll Musical Obscurity Thread Share on: Must be the crowd we hung out with back then. Everyone I knew had Tubular Bells.
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