Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Category: Fuzz bass

"Mama Was a Honky Tonk Woman"
Zeroto180

Mama = A Honky Tonk Woman

Just when you thought the “Honky Tonk Woman” carcass had been picked completely clean, one more interesting thing would somehow turn up — this moving and quaintly rocking tale of a British working-class family: “Mama Was a Honky Tonk Woman“ Hurricane (1973) One-time Rolling Stone percussionist, Carlo Little, would document

Read More »
"The Fuzz"
Zeroto180

“The Fuzz”: Strictly B-Side

I’m guessing that Grady Martin‘s 1961 B-side “The Fuzz” influenced Les Paul to soup up his 1963 album track “Ham ‘N Grits” with a little “fuzz bass”: “The Fuzz” Grady Martin (1961) The historical consensus is that Grady Martin himself accidentally invented “fuzz bass” during a 1960 recording session for

Read More »
"Ham 'N Grits"
Zeroto180

“Ham ‘N Grits”: LP Track Only

Check out the opening fuzz bass lines on this tasty album selection – “Ham ‘N Grits” – that never got singled out for release on a Les Paul 45: “Ham ‘n Grits” Les Paul & Mary Ford (1963) Issued on 1963 Columbia album, Swingin’ South – and nowhere else.  Recorded in

Read More »
"Batman"
Zeroto180

“Sewer Lady”: Musically Unsanitary

Neal Hefti‘s soundtrack to the Batman TV series is top-flight 60s instrumental music — playful and imaginatively-produced.  “Sewer Lady,” from the 1966 album, Batman Theme and 11 Hefti Bat Songs, was inexplicably overlooked by RCA Victor for single release: “Sewer Lady” Neal Hefti (1966) Note the fuzz bass that pushes

Read More »
"Sweets for My Sweet"
Zeroto180

“Sweets for My Sweet”: Unattributed Artist

Imagine browsing through a bunch of old records and finding a cover whose only text was a title – “Bubble Rock is Here to Stay” – and an encircled statement that whimsically declared, “There is no artiste on this album – the songs are the stars.” Only when you pull

Read More »
All Categories
Archives