Who says my shows aren’t educational? I received an email from Sam Greene, teacher at Camas High School in Camas, Washington today, who teaches a History Of Rock & Roll class at the school.
Three times a week, they start their class with my Today In Music History podcast, with the class trying to guess the year of the number one single at the end of each show. Thanks, Mr. Greene, not just for using my podcast, but more importantly for all the work you do as a teacher.
Super cool show, Brian! As you know I've been waiting a year for this. It needs to be an annual thing. Looking forward to next summer!
Great stuff! I grew up listening to The Ventures a lot, and I have to say that I always thought "Music To Watch Girls By" was a Ventures original… the Original Onions version sounds almost identical to the Ventures track. The Los Straitjackets cover of the Celine Dion sounds like a direct tribute to The Ventures' version of "Telstar". If you're a fan of the surf rock stuff, The Ventures are a great group to look for… they did several albums, almost entirely made of covers.
great show Brian! thanks for including Los Straitjackets. when i saw "Surferville" in the title of the podcast, i said to myself, "self, i hope Brian included Los Straitjackets." and as usual, you didn't disappoint. thanks as always. bd
Dear Brian,
Another great podcast as usual. Makes you wanna get out your longboard and Sex Wax it, no?
I am very looking forward to your Roland Orzabal / TFF covers edition this week. I want to suggest you add a cover of "Ashes to Ashes" by David Bowie that TFF had on their "Saturnine , Martial and Lunatic" compilation of instrumentals and B-sides. It most definitely ROCKS! Major Tom would agree despite being strung out in the heavens high hitting an all time low.
Great stuff – like an alternate Pulp Fiction soundtrack!
I had on my note sheet – which I forgot to mention – the homage to "Telstar" by the Tornadoes in that track. It's brilliant, and a terrific pairing of the two songs.
It was in the list, but pulled it for another cover by TFF that I love a lot more. I'll save "Ashes…" for a David Bowie Cover Story.
That Brian in Las Vegas was even pithier than that Brian in Colorado!
I hope it's "Sea Song" by Robert Wyatt. A truly great rendition by TFF that was dedicated to Wyatt "if your listening". It was the b-side to "I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)". They also did a version of Radiohead's "Creep" as well as a live version "Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis but I don't think it was ever recorded for release.
Los Straitjackets are way cool. While listening to them, I was thinking, what would induce me to listen to a Celine Dion song? If they doused it heavy in surfer music 🙂
I agree, future Brian had quite the 'tude working there and I also noticed he didn't supply us with some future predictions like the stock market. What's future Brian been doing in Las Vegas?
And another tidbit. I was looking at The Blue Hawaiians on the AllMusicGuide the other night, and on almost all their albums, they had a Mancini cover. Is there a surfer-Mancini connection there?