Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Tag: Musical fights

Chris Blackwell
Zeroto180

Trojan Records History Highlights

It always helps to have streaming audio within arm’s reach to make music history more of a ‘multimedia’ experience. From reading Young Gifted and Black:  The Story of Trojan Records by Michael de Koningh and Laurence Cane-Honeysett, for example, I have picked up a number of helpful listening tips and

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"She's a Friend of Mine"
Zeroto180

Lee Hazlewood vs. Don Nix: ’73

I discovered another musical coincidence recently — two albums with similarly-constructed titles released the same year by two hip and influential songwriter-producer-arrangers:  Poet, Fool or Bum by Lee Hazlewood -vs.- Hobos, Heroes & Street Corner Clowns by Don Nix, both from 1973. On his one and only album for Capitol,

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"Keep Them Big Wheels Hummin'"
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David Allan Coe’s Trucker Tune

David Allan Coe, intriguingly, merits four full paragraphs in Neil A. Hamilton‘s history of The 1970s: “Born in Ohio, Coe spent part of his youth in reform school and, in the 1960s, served time in the Ohio State Penitentiary.  Here was a man to whom the term outlaw meant more

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"The Soul of JB"
Zeroto180

The Duel: Organ vs. Sax

In the early part of this century, reissue label, Hip-O, put out a comprehensive series of James Brown single releases that were issued from 1956-1981.  Historians & researchers will no doubt be studying these liner notes in decades to come as they try to organize and make sense of the

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"Sligo"
Zeroto180

“Sligo”: Area Code 615 vs. 301

Now that I no longer live in the Ohio Valley but the Sligo Creek Valley watershed (which drains into the Anacostia, a tributary of the Potomac), I thought it would be interesting to search 45Cat’s singles database for any songs with the word “Sligo” in the title.  Surprise! That elite

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"Small Beginnings"
Zeroto180

“Small Beginnings”: Shorter vs. Longer Version?

Early Yes guitarist, Peter Banks, and vocalist, Colin Carter, formed prog-rock ensemble Flash in Summer 1971, signing with Sovereign, an EMI/Capitol subsidiary label, and recording their first album in November (with early Yes member, Tony Kaye on keyboards).  By 1972 the group had a Billboard Top 40 hit right out

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"Finger Mash"
Zeroto180

“Play De Music” vs. “Finger Mash”: Festival Sound Clash

In the liner notes to Baba Boom! — Trojan’s compilation of Jamaica Independence Festival songs from 1966-1975 — one piece of text really jumped out at me: 1974’s ‘Play De Music‘ by Tinga Stewart – a monster hit and the very last one of the archetypal Festival Songs, celebrating the

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"Baia"
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“Baia”: Carol Kaye as Bandleader

One weekend in late March 2009 I was listening to Bob Edwards‘ radio show while on my way to an event and had to pull over to finish listening to the rest of his interview with legendary session bassist, Carol Kaye – who is estimated to have played on more

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"Mandolina"
Zeroto180

“Mandolinia” vs. The Remarkable Riderless Runaway Tricycle

Media Alert! A battle has suddenly erupted between two formidable foes who share a common sound — the analog synthesizer.  Not just any analog synthesizer sound, mind you, but a deep burbling one:  pulsating and insistent. In this corner, wearing a strangely intricate electronic eyepiece, we have Ronnie Montrose with

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"Musical Fight"
Zeroto180

“Musical Fight”: Most Literal Song Title

“Musical Fight” by The Crashers is, literally, a fight set to music — “Musical Fight“ The Crashers (1970) Produced in 1969 by Sonia Pottinger and released as a split single with Stranger & Patsy (“True Love“), this B-side — renamed “Target” — would be released in the UK the following

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