D-Sides, Orphans, and Oddities

Some rarely heard original versions, and a set by my favorite art school pot smoking weirdos, Godley and Creme.

A wild potpourri from an early episode of "D-Sides..." and you can hear it in my voice.

The KISS Show!! With Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon:

 

Wicked Lester - She (1972)

Lips - Beck (1971?) The original version of “Beth”, obviously from a cassette. This band never released anything. Lips was born the night Criss's previous band Chelsea died.  While the material they would develop was similar to the material Chelsea had done, several later KISS songs were born in this period.  "I know you love complainin'..."

Crazy Joe and the Variable Speed Band - Eugene (1981) Co-written and produced by Ace Frehley. "Crazy Joe" was actually Joe Renda, White Plains NY producer and recording studio owner linked to the local Ren-Vell Records and North Lake Sound studio. He is perhaps best remembered for...this..., but his roots extend back to early 60s garage rock.

Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Beth 

Gene Simmons - Black Tongue (2004) Garbage. Utter trash. 

Kiss - Bad Lovin’ (1978) (“Dr. Love” demo)

Peter Criss - Hooked On Rock and Roll (1978)

Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - I Was Made For Loving You

Kiss - Watchin’ You (1972-73)

Paul Stanley - Tracks Of My Tears (2021)

Wicked Lester - Too Many Mondays (1972) Turn up the volume to hear at comparable volume. It speaks to how Kiss would have turned out if they hadn't decided on the gimmick we all know. 

Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Dr. Love

 

Potpourri featuring some bad Jan and Dean:

 

The Free Design - You Could Be Born Again (1968)

Bernie Waldon - Bright Lights And Go-Go Girls (1968)

Obituary:Bernard E. “Bernie” Waldon, age 77, passed away June 27, 2012, in Brooksville, Fla. He was born in Crawfordsville to Floyd and Agnes Waldon. He graduated from Crawfordsville High School and moved to Indianapolis in 1965. Bernie worked in radio for several years at WILO, WHOW and WIRE in Indianapolis, and WZIP in Cincinnati. He was a musician working with several Country and Bluegrass groups mainly the Indiana Band and Bluegrass Partners. He appeared on radio and television, was a guest on the Grand Ole Opry and Renfro Valley Barn Dance. Bernie retired from Emery Worldwide in 1977, prior to that he worked for Purolator Courier. Bernie was a private pilot and past president of the Indiana chapter of the Antique Airplane Association of which he was a national lifetime member. He also belonged to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations, the Experimental Airplane Association and the Luscombe Association. He served eight years in the Indiana National Guard.

Billy Dee Williams - A Taste Of Honey (1961) This was the first version of what would become a very popular war-horse for singers all over the world. Another trivia question! Who did it first? Lando California. 

Jean DuShon - For Once In My Life (1966) This was the first version of what would become a very popular war-horse for singers all over the world. Another trivia question! Who did it first? Jean DuShon.   

Jerry Jeff Walker - Mr. Bojangles (1968) This was the first version of what would become a very popular war-horse for singers all over the world. Another trivia question! Who did it first? Jerry Jeff Walker. He also wrote it. 

Rod Rogers & The Swinging Strings - Beatle Crawl (1965)

Tony Bruno - Rhoda Mendelbaum (1969) How I love Tony Bruno. 

Gianfranco & Gian Piero Reverberi - Nel Cimitero Di Tucson (1968) From the movie "Django, Prepare a Coffin". Starring Terrence Hill. 

The Jackson Five - Doctor My Eye (1973)

Jan and Dean - Laurel and Hardy (1966-1969) In response to market forces, Jan and Dean decided to go all out and record a psychedelic album of their own. In the process, Jan got into a car crash that left him somewhat debilitated. The album was finished by 1969. While presented as a Jan and Dean album, Jan Berry (even though he wrote and produced the material) only played and sang on a few songs due to complications from his car accident. Dean Torrence, who by that time had become disillusioned with the duo's prospects, only appears on one song. Glen Campbell made some contributions to t

Bill Withers - You Got The Stuff (1979)

Bruce Johnston - Deirdre (1977) Not bad on Sunflower, but excrement here. 

Frank Sinatra - I Sing The Songs (1977) Written by Bruce Johnston. Barry Manilow's Grammy-winning version was actually the third recording, after Captain and Tennille and David Cassidy. But if you listen to this show, you already know that. 

The Soft Machine - Feelin’ Reelin’ Squeeling’ (1967)

Sons of Champlin - Fat City (1966) Lead singer Bill Champlin joined Chicago in 1982. 

The Archies - Don’t Touch My Guitar (1969)

The French Fries (Sky and the Family Stone) - Danse A La Musique (1968)

The Shaggs - Things I Wonder (1969)

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (demo) (1979)

Utopia - Sunburst Finish (1977)

The Beach Boys - Loop De Loop (1970)

The Beach Boys - ’Til I Die (Remix) (1970)

Brian Wilson - It’s Over Now (1977)

 

My Two Favorite Side-Long Songs:

Renaissance - Song of Scheherazade (1975)

Yes - The Gates of Delirium (live in Detroit) (1976)

In this show, I go into great detail about The Royal Guardsmen and the reason this single exists, even though the music and melody are the same as their hit ”Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron.” I also talk about how Phil Collins is the greatest prog drummer of all. And I play the hammiest cash-in disc of all time.

Lawrence Hilton Jacobs was NOT a bad singer. His team made his first solo record pretty good. Especially compared to John Travolta, who recorded nothing but dreck. Later shows, I play "Larry's Theme" which really shines. I bring the funk.

The King's Singers - Strawberry Fields Forever (1978) Scratch and sniff! Produced by the late, great Greg Lake. 

Bangor Flying Circus - Norwegian Wood (1969) 

The Goodship Lollipop - Maxwell's Silver Hammer (1969)

Ken Ray Wilemon and Me - Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) 

Bud Shank - I Am The Walrus (1968)

Charlotte Dada - Don't Let Me Down (1972) The Girl with the Golden Voice, a title she has more than justified since she started her career with the Uhuru Dance Band early in the 1960s. She also sang with Franco and the Walking Shadows before breaking off as a solo artist, recording with Leader of Uhuru Dance Band Stan Plange and his Experimental Group and the Britain-based group Cool Blaze.

Cher - The Long and Winding Road (1973) At 30:50 of this podcast, the bass player makes a pretty big goof. 

Ken Ray Wilemon and Me - The Long and Winding Road

Ken Ray Wilemon and Me - Old Brown Shoe 

Don Randi Trio - Tomorrow Never Knows (1966) Don Randi began his career as a pianist and keyboard player in 1956, gradually establishing a reputation as a leading session musician. In the early 1960s, he was a musician and arranger for record producer Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. He played piano on "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra and on her albums as well as being a member of her touring band for decades. He performed on the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" and "God Only Knows". His piano can be heard on the Buffalo Springfield songs "Expecting to Fly" and "Broken Arrow". He claims to have played on over three hundred hit records, working with Linda Ronstadt (the harpsichord on "Different Drum"), Quincy Jones, Cannonball Adderley, Herb Alpert, Sarah Vaughan, Lee Hazlewood and Frank Zappa.

Doug Parkinson In Focus - Dear Prudence (1969)

Fickle Pickle - Maybe I'm Amazed (1970)

Ken Ray Wilemon and I - You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

Ken Ray Wilemon and I - Here, There, and Everywhere

Ken Ray Wilemon and I - I Should Have Known Better 

Franck Pourcel and His Orchestra - Don't Let Me Down (1969)

Gary McFarland and Gabor Szabo - The Word (1966)

Ray Conniff - Hey Jude (1978)

Ken Ray Wilemon and Me - Gimme Some Truth 

The Koppycats - Things We Said Today (1966) Ian & The Zodiacs were a British Rock'n'Roll and Beat band formed in 1958, originally known as The Zodiacs, in Liverpool, England. The band existed in relative obscurity until relocating to Germany in 1964 where they achieved national success. During the band's three-year stint in Germany, they released three albums under their name, exclusive to the country until their re-release. They also released two cover albums featuring material by The Beatles with the name The Koppycats.

The Koppycats - Nowhere Man (1967) Jeesh, get the chords right. And the harmonies. 

Les 409 - Hello Goodbye (1967)

Les 409 - I'm a Man (1967)

Link Wray - Please Please Me (1963)

Mike Quinn - Apple Pie (1969)

Nicky Scott - Honey Pie (1969)

Helen Merrill - Norwegian Wood (1970)

Ken Ray Wilemon and Me - Beware of Darkness 

Ken Ray Wilemon and Me - Jet

Randy Bachman is Canadian royalty for his pop success in the '60s and '70s with various bands. And for his seeming inability to stop rockin'. But first, I have a sincere question for both of you: 

You're not a...commie...are you? 

Hagers - 84 Olympics - The Russian Game (1984) 

The Guess Who - Take The Long Way Home 1970 (The Way They Were)

Chad Allan & the Expressions - Stop Teasing Me (1965) 

Union - Mainstreet USA (1981) You....ARE....going...TO....TOUR.....WITH....THE...OLDIES....we LOVE!!!!!!! Get in the box with Cummings. We can wait. The Canadian government can wait. 

Union - Next Stop London (1981)

Brave Belt - Crazy Arms, Crazy Eyes (1971) God help the person with these afflictions. This was the band he formed after he left The Guess Who and before he formed BTO. 

Here he is with his purse. 

Brave Belt - It's Over (1971)

Brave Belt - Too Far Away (1972)

Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Easy Groove (1977) From the album Freeways. Here's a good article on the history of Randy Bachman and BTO in particular. 

Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Lookin' Out For #1 (1975) This was their last big-ish hit in the USA. 

Chad Allan & The Expressions - Made In England (1965)

Axe - Take the Long Way Home (1970) The second song in the show, recorded as an instrumental for RB's first post-Guess Who album, Axe. I much prefer Burton Cummings' wailing. 

Chad Allan - Ramona's Hourglass (1968) Written by our boy.

The Guess Who? - Believe Me (1966)

Ironhorse - I'm Hurtin' Inside (1980)

Brave Belt - Never Comin' Home (1972) 

Randy Bachman - I Am A Star (1978)

Randy Bachman - Just A Kid (1978)

Randy Bachman - Maybe Again (1978)

Ironhorse - Sweet Lui-Louise (1979) Trying to tweak the record-buying public by reminding them of the accidental stuttering in "Ain't Seen Nothing Yet". 

Axe - Zarahemla (1970)

Iron Horse - One & Only (1979)

The Guess Who - Palmyra (1970)

The Guess Who - Silver Bird (1970)

The Guess Who - The Answer (1970)

Union - Keep the Summer Alive (1981) You know this song as a Beach Boys release, but what you might not know is that it was co-written by Randy Bachman. 

Union - All Night Long (1981)

"The Naked Ape' was based on a popular novel from 1967. II's more proof that just having Hugh Hefner involved didn't mean success. The film starred Johnny Crawford of "The Rifleman" and Victoria Principal of "Dallas".

Frederik - Se Jokin Minulla On (1975) The Locomotion in Finnish. 

Alice Babs - Been To Canaan (1973)

Pretty Purdie and the Playboys - You've Got A Friend (1971)

Carole King - Child of Mine (1970) 

Design - I Feel The Earth Move (1973)

The City - Now That Everything's Been Said (1968) From the great Light In The Attic website: 

By the mid-‘60s, King’s marriage to Gerry Goffin, with whom she’d written many of those wonderful hits, had hit the rocks. A divorce loomed, and King all but retired to raise their two daughters. She headed west to Laurel Canyon in ‘67, taking the children with her, and made the previously unlikely move of joining a progressive folk-rock band. King formed The City with future husband Charles Larkey on bass and Danny Kortchmar on guitar and vocals. With King on piano and vocals, they created a folk-rock sound that pre-empted the singer-songwriter boom of the ‘70s.

Produced by Lou Adler and featuring Jimmy Gordon on drums, The City’s sound is deep and soulful, imperfect but passionate. And the songs, with King writing or co-writing all but one, are as exceptional as you’d expect and as widely covered as her factory work. “Now That Everything’s Been Said” was a hit for American Spring [Ed: That was the band that Brian Wilson produced, featuring his wife Marylin and his affair d'couer, his sister-in-law Diane.], “A Man Without A Dream” was tackled by The Monkees, and “Hi-De-Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)” was a hit for Blood, Sweat & Tears. Central to the album’s appeal is King’s own stirring reading of her track “Wasn’t Born To Follow,” covered masterfully by The Byrds for the Easy Rider soundtrack.

King had been used to a life on the sidelines, and her stage fright left the trio unable to tour the LP which adversely affected their fortunes. That, plus some behind-the-scenes distribution problems, meant the album was quickly deleted, and it remained so for the next thirty years–partly at King’s request. Even so, its failure was a surprise to those concerned. “I was 26 when Now That Everything’s Been Said was released in 1968,” King says of the album. “[We] expected it to zoom to the top of the charts within, at most, a few weeks. Individually and together, we optimistically imagined the album’s success as if it had already happened. Danny and Charlie kept telling each other, ’It’s a great album. The City is gonna be Number 1 with a bullet!’"

Frances Yip - I Feel The Earth Move (1973)

The Isleys - It's Too Late (1972) From one of my favorite pages, Wilson and Alroy's Record Reviews: Their review of Brother, Brother, Brother (two stars out of five) This is the kind of thing you can do when you own your record company: the Isleys turn over half the running time to three Carole King covers ("Brother Brother," her then-current hit "Sweet Seasons," and a ten-minute version of "It's Too Late"). All of which are calming and pretty but not particularly moving, similar in style to Givin' It Back but not quite as rough. Those numbers are complemented by some funkier tunes more reminiscent of Get Into Something, including the single "Pop That Thang," "Love Put Me On The Corner," and the propulsive "Work To Do." More than anything, this is transitional, pointing out the direction that was to pay off far better commercially and artistically starting with the next studio album. The younger crop of Isleys played most of the instruments again but still received no producing or arranging credits.

Carol Burnett - It's Too Late (1972) 

Jerry Butler - So Far Away (1972) 

Daffi Von Cramer - Locomotion (1972)

Lone Kellerman - Kom An Baby (1977)

Mike James Kirkland - It's Too Late (1973)

Nora Aunor - Sweet Seasons (1972) Known as "The Grand Dame of Philippine Cinema" for her contribution to the Philippine film industry. Aunor has released more than 360 singles and recorded more than 200 songs and over 50 albums. She has notched more than 30 gold singles and with an estimated gross sales of one million units, Nora's cove