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The Egyptians "Party Stomp" (Mah's 1960): NY Night Train Party Platter

This is the continuing series I will post every other day while i'm out of town, thanks to Jonathan Toubin DJ of New York Night Train

Like a lot of the best tracks ever, I learned this Detroit destroyer from Norton Records. I was initially drawn to the cover of Norton's rerelease - picturing what I can only describe as the absolute coolest looking band I've ever seen. Three turbaned young hip black men with matching patterned shirts, white pants, black socks, and white shoes. One holds a tambourine, one a microphone, and the other a guitar. I've never been able to learn anything about these super-heroes other than that they come from the Motor City and look and sound like this. What else do you need to know? Listen to that! This copy of the best rock'n'roll instrumental there is came cheap from my first trip to Peoples' Records when I took the NYNT Happening to the Old Miami in 2009. The other side "Inkster Boogie" is also about as party as it gets and will probably find its way up here in due time!

Feel free to look at their picture, or even order the reissue while you listen http://www.nortonrecords.com/140-the-...

graphics by AVI SPIVAK (http://www.avispivak.com)!

You're listening to my daily addition to the New York Night Train Party Platter playlist. Each track here is recorded directly from my original 45s (no bootlegs, reproductions, etc) to give you an idea of what the real deal authentic vinyl sounds like. COME BACK EVERY DAY FOR A NEW FIX! Because the records pass so quickly at my dance parties, this channel is an attempt to stop and focus on one record at a time in hopes to personally learn more about each one and at the same time turn you on to the artists, tracks, labels, etc. I'm just hipping myself to a lot of these records for the first time as well - so you can view this as our journey to learning more about cool old records together! But mostly I hope this music moves you as much as it moves me.

Get your enjoys,
Jonathan Toubin
Soul Proprietor, New York Night Train

https://www.youtube.com/JonathanToubin
https://www.facebook.com/newyorknight...
https://twitter.com/jonathantoubin
https://instagram.com/jonathantoubin/

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The Night Riders with Mel Smith "Pretty Plaid Skirt (And Long Black Sox)" (Sue, 1959) - NYNT Daily Party Platter

This is the continuing series I will post every other day while i'm out of town, thanks to Jonathan Toubin DJ of New York Night Train

Today we have another all-time classic by Mel Smith and the fabulous Night Riders - who you may remember from “Chicken Backs” a few months ago. In the early 1950s Atlanta’s Melvin Smith had a huge teenage r&b hit with ”Looped" and by 1954 wound up in Philadelphia fronting bassist James "Doc" Starkes hard rockin' Nite Riders. This overlooked territory band stuck together for nearly a decade - settlng in Hartford and made a living tearing up the east coast.

“Pretty Plaid Skirt (And Long Black Socks)” is one of those rare tracks with a killer name and even better music. I don’t exaggerate when I say this is a perfect platter and one of the most exciting rock’n’roll recordings ever made! Check out the way the band swallows up the wild Bo Diddley guitar and tightens the frantic energy into a symphony of rhythm and heart-stopping dynamics! And that unreal musicianship! And after the verses check out the guitarist machine gunning into "Black Angel's Death Song" slashes before sliding the octave chords way up the neck way beyond where they typically go! Up and down and way out! He was executing a 1980s/1990s post-hardcore punk guitar cliché decades before its time! We used to call that "the Fugazi chord" when i was a kid! And the rhythm section's kinetic syncopation holding the machine together in this high speed chase! And Melvin Smith's throaty growl! And recorded so clear and raw and present at the same time! And mastered loud! Lay down the needle and get ready to jump back because it’s gonna pop out and grab ya! You’re not gonna hear anything quite like this anywhere out there. As with “Chicken Backs,” if you don’t wanna go through the trouble to find one of these killer-sounding original 45s, somebody made a recent reproduction that can be found in a number of internet stores…

Here’s more about Melvin Smith, Doc Starkes, and the amazing Nite Riders…

http://thehoundblog.blogspot.com/2012...
http://koti.mbnet.fi/wdd/docstarkes.htm
http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/m...


graphics by AVI SPIVAK (http://www.avispivak.com)!

You're listening to my daily addition to the New York Night Train Party Platter playlist. Each track here is recorded directly from my original 45s (no bootlegs, reproductions, etc) to give you an idea of what the real deal authentic vinyl sounds like. COME BACK EVERY DAY FOR A NEW FIX! Because the records pass so quickly at my dance parties, this channel is an attempt to stop and focus on one record at a time in hopes to personally learn more about each one and at the same time turn you on to the artists, tracks, labels, etc. I'm just hipping myself to a lot of these records for the first time as well - so you can view this as our journey to learning more about cool old records together! But mostly I hope this music moves you as much as it moves me.

Get your enjoys,
Jonathan Toubin
Soul Proprietor, New York Night Train

https://www.youtube.com/JonathanToubin
https://www.facebook.com/newyorknight...
https://twitter.com/jonathantoubin
https://instagram.com/jonathantoubin/

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Joe Cooke "Dish Rag" (Apollo, 196?): NY Night Train Party Platter

This is the continuing series I will post every other day while i'm out of town, thanks to Jonathan Toubin DJ of New York Night Train

Hot stuff! Comin through...

One would think that this is the Joe Cooke of Little Joe and the Thrillers fame. But the voice isn't similar.. Also there's not much out there that indicates this platter exists. It doesn't appear in the Apollo Records discographies - except one that inaccurately lists it as 1953. I'm thinking maybe this is more like 1963? It references the Mashed Potato - which was big in 1962 and "Deputy Dawg" - which also didn't appear on TV until 1962.

If you've been to thee Clap the last couple of years you've probably done the "Dish Rag" to this platter or if you went years back, you may have done the dance to King Coleman's different "Dish Rag" floor destroyer! If you don't know how to do it, Little Joe gives you step-by-step instructions!


graphics by AVI SPIVAK (http://www.avispivak.com)!

You're listening to my daily addition to the New York Night Train Party Platter playlist. Each track here is recorded directly from my original 45s (no bootlegs, reproductions, etc) to give you an idea of what the real deal authentic vinyl sounds like. COME BACK EVERY DAY FOR A NEW FIX! Because the records pass so quickly at my dance parties, this channel is an attempt to stop and focus on one record at a time in hopes to personally learn more about each one and at the same time turn you on to the artists, tracks, labels, etc. I'm just hipping myself to a lot of these records for the first time as well - so you can view this as our journey to learning more about cool old records together! But mostly I hope this music moves you as much as it moves me.

Get your enjoys,
Jonathan Toubin
Soul Proprietor, New York Night Train

https://www.youtube.com/JonathanToubin
https://www.facebook.com/newyorknight...
https://twitter.com/jonathantoubin
https://instagram.com/jonathantoubin/

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Thee Midniters “Everybody Needs Somebody” (Whittier, 1967) original vinyl - NYNT Daily Party Platter

This is the continuing series I will post every other day while i'm out of town, thanks to Jonathan Toubin DJ of New York Night Train

Originally a Solomon Burke / Bert Berns 1964 Atlantic soul hit, and further popularized by The Rolling Stones in 1965 and Wilson Pickett in 1966, and made even more famous by The Blues Brothers in 1980, Thee Midniters’ “Everybody Needs Somebody” is by far the most rocking version - all decked out in fuzz and urgency and Thee Midnite Feeling!

This playlist anticipates the June 18 Los Angeles New York Night Train SOUL CLAP AND DANCE-OFF at the REGENT THEATER with THEE MIDNITERS with Greg Esparza, THE PREMIERS, and THEE COMMONS with a list of my ten favorite o.g. Midniters sides for the LA RECORD!

graphics by AVI SPIVAK (http://www.avispivak.com)!

You're listening to my daily addition to the New York Night Train Party Platter playlist. Each track here is recorded directly from my original 45s (no bootlegs, reproductions, etc) to give you an idea of what the real deal authentic vinyl sounds like. COME BACK EVERY DAY FOR A NEW FIX! Because the records pass so quickly at my dance parties, this channel is an attempt to stop and focus on one record at a time in hopes to personally learn more about each one and at the same time turn you on to the artists, tracks, labels, etc. I'm just hipping myself to a lot of these records for the first time as well - so you can view this as our journey to learning more about cool old records together! But mostly I hope this music moves you as much as it moves me.

Get your enjoys,
Jonathan Toubin
Soul Proprietor, New York Night Train

https://www.youtube.com/JonathanToubin
https://www.facebook.com/newyorknight...
https://twitter.com/jonathantoubin
https://instagram.com/jonathantoubin/

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Thee Midniters "Never Knew I Had It So Bad" (Whittier, 1967) original vinyl - NYNT Daily Party Platter

This is the continuing series I will post every other day while i'm out of town, thanks to Jonathan Toubin DJ of New York Night Train.

Of all of Thee Midniters’ recordings, this is their most straightforward garage rock and the band proves that they can effortlessly deliver a snarly fuzzbox pounder with the best of ‘em.

You're listening to my daily addition to the New York Night Train Party Platter playlist. Each track here is recorded directly from my original 45s (no bootlegs, reproductions, etc) to give you an idea of what the real deal authentic vinyl sounds like. COME BACK EVERY DAY FOR A NEW FIX! Because the records pass so quickly at my dance parties, this channel is an attempt to stop and focus on one record at a time in hopes to personally learn more about each one and at the same time turn you on to the artists, tracks, labels, etc. I'm just hipping myself to a lot of these records for the first time as well - so you can view this as our journey to learning more about cool old records together! But mostly I hope this music moves you as much as it moves me.

Get your enjoys,
Jonathan Toubin
Soul Proprietor, New York Night Train

https://www.youtube.com/JonathanToubin
https://www.facebook.com/newyorknight...
https://twitter.com/jonathantoubin
https://instagram.com/jonathantoubin/

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Lee Rogers "Troubles" (Mah's, 1962): NY Night Train Party Platter

This is the continuing series I will post every other day while i'm out of town, thanks to Jonathan Toubin DJ of New York Night Train.

Lee Rogers was one of the finest and most prolific vocalists of the soul era in Detroit and was a big influence on Marvin Gaye and the Detroit sound in general. While Rogers is underrated and virtually unknown in the outside world, you'd be hard pressed to find a soul 45 collector that doesn't have at least a few of his jams.

Mississippi-born Lee Rogers appeared on the Detroit recording scene with a vocal group called The Peppermints, but really made his mark in the early 1960s singing with The Barons whose amazing early soul/post-doo wop group 45s "Dog Eat Dog"/"Money Don't Grow On Trees Who's In The Shack"/"While The Cats Away" are still goodtime dance party classics! In 1962 Rogers went solo with "Walk On By" but DJs flipped it for the side you're hearing, the very swinging and dynamic "Troubles." Next Morris Levy's Roulette Records saw enough potential here to pick the platter up for national distribution.

And why not? "Troubles" has everything! Check out that piano intro! And the way the up-high guitar figure slides in over a banging beat! And Rogers' stunning falsetto! Gliding and vibrating all over the top and eventually howling by the end! And all the stops and the sax that comes in outta nowhere! And its got so much fluidity and emotion that you don't even notice how much is happening! A bonafide early rockin' soul classic!

After "Troubles," Rogers moved away from the rock'n'roll/rhythm and blues influence in favor of a mid-1960s Motown soul approach and went on to record countless canonical sides for D-Town, Wheelsville, Premium Stuff, Diamond Jim, and Loadstone.

Soulful Detroit on Lee Rogers
http://soulfuldetroit.com/web11-mike%...

graphics by AVI SPIVAK (http://www.avispivak.com)!

You're listening to my daily addition to the New York Night Train Party Platter playlist. Each track here is recorded directly from my original 45s (no bootlegs, reproductions, etc) to give you an idea of what the real deal authentic vinyl sounds like. COME BACK EVERY DAY FOR A NEW FIX! Because the records pass so quickly at my dance parties, this channel is an attempt to stop and focus on one record at a time in hopes to personally learn more about each one and at the same time turn you on to the artists, tracks, labels, etc. I'm just hipping myself to a lot of these records for the first time as well - so you can view this as our journey to learning more about cool old records together! But mostly I hope this music moves you as much as it moves me.

Get your enjoys,
Jonathan Toubin
Soul Proprietor, New York Night Train

https://www.youtube.com/JonathanToubin
https://www.facebook.com/newyorknight...
https://twitter.com/jonathantoubin
https://instagram.com/jonathantoubin/

School of Life Monday HISTORY OF IDEAS - The Renaissance

The Renaissance is a historical period with some important lessons to teach us about how to improve the world today. We need to study it not for its own sake, but for the sake of our collective futures.

Thee Midniters "Dragon-Fly" (Whittier, 1967) original vinyl - NYNT Daily Party Platter

This is the continuing series I will post every other day while i'm out of town, thanks to Jonathan Toubin DJ of New York Night Train

Thee Midniters blow thee summer of love open with this cool and crazy surrealist cartoonish instrumental masterpiece that is beyond category and description. Their Dragon-Fly is of the “Flight of the Bumble Bee” and “Green Hornet" species, buzzing around the cut-and-paste aesthetic of Love’s “Revelation” and briefly landing a couple of times on a bizarro early Sun Ra horn arrangement before flying off into the smoggy dayglow horizon. Weird, wild, and wonderful!

You're listening to my daily addition to the New York Night Train Party Platter playlist. Each track here is recorded directly from my original 45s (no bootlegs, reproductions, etc) to give you an idea of what the real deal authentic vinyl sounds like. COME BACK EVERY DAY FOR A NEW FIX! Because the records pass so quickly at my dance parties, this channel is an attempt to stop and focus on one record at a time in hopes to personally learn more about each one and at the same time turn you on to the artists, tracks, labels, etc. I'm just hipping myself to a lot of these records for the first time as well - so you can view this as our journey to learning more about cool old records together! But mostly I hope this music moves you as much as it moves me.

Get your enjoys,
Jonathan Toubin
Soul Proprietor, New York Night Train

https://www.youtube.com/JonathanToubin
https://www.facebook.com/newyorknight...
https://twitter.com/jonathantoubin
https://instagram.com/jonathantoubin/

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Ruben Fort "So Good" (Anna, 1960): NY Night Train Party Platter

This is the continuing series I will post every other day while i'm out of town, thanks to Jonathan Toubin DJ of New York Night Train



This week I'm throwing all Detroit platters up here in anticipation of Saturday's Soul Clap and Dance-Off at U.F.O. Factory!

While "So Good" can definitely be categorized as popcorn soul, like a lot of the rockin' minor key Detroit destroyers, this one's minimal arrangement, lack of orchestration, strong dynamics, ripping guitar work, handclapping break, and rock'n'roll bridge drives this jam smack dab in the middle my neighborhood. Also while the intro warns that the backing vocals may send this track into cheeseville, the singers instead hold back until the choruses and add a little touch of Detroit group doo wop harmony to the mix. And of course Fort's soaring soulfullness is the star of this show!

Of all of the early Motor City recording stars, its particularly difficult to find any information about Ruben Fort. And this is too bad because he possesses some serious pipes and can really push 'em way up into Willie Little John-ville with the greatest of ease.

What little is known about Fort is that his career got lost in the Anna/Harvey/Check-mate soap opera from which Motown was born. "So Good" was cut for Billy Davis and Gwen Gordy's Anna Records imprint one month after Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)" put the label on the map. Motown mogul Berry Gordy's sister Gwen was in a long heavy romantic relationship his writing collaborator Billy Davis (the co-writer here! The team of Gordy and Davis pinned Jackie Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops," Marv Johnson's "You Got What It Takes," etc) and Gwen and Billy started Anna Records together. The Moonglow's Harvey Fuqua, the arranger here, a huge Chess Records recording star, and at the time Etta James' boyfriend and collaborator, helped Anna get the Chess distribution that enabled "Money (That's What I Want)" to become a hit. Harvey also fell in love with Gwen and the two ran off together to build the excellent Harvey and Tri-Phi imprints. The dejected Davis split with the acts he signed to start the quality but unsuccessful Chess subsidiary Check-Mate. And Berry Gordy absorbed the remainder of the Anna roster to help build the foundation of Motown Records.

As luck would have it, Ruben Fort was assigned to Check-Mate instead of Motown. Despite getting lost in the shuffle of history, Fort's Check-Mate platter, "I'll Do The Best I Can"/"Nobody" also illustrates what a badass Ruben Fort is. I'm gonna go in my stacks and dig that one up for you as well. If you're somewhere out there Ruben Fort, you've got fans!


graphics by AVI SPIVAK (http://www.avispivak.com)!

You're listening to my daily addition to the New York Night Train Party Platter playlist. Each track here is recorded directly from my original 45s (no bootlegs, reproductions, etc) to give you an idea of what the real deal authentic vinyl sounds like. COME BACK EVERY DAY FOR A NEW FIX! Because the records pass so quickly at my dance parties, this channel is an attempt to stop and focus on one record at a time in hopes to personally learn more about each one and at the same time turn you on to the artists, tracks, labels, etc. I'm just hipping myself to a lot of these records for the first time as well - so you can view this as our journey to learning more about cool old records together! But mostly I hope this music moves you as much as it moves me.

Get your enjoys,
Jonathan Toubin
Soul Proprietor, New York Night Train

https://www.youtube.com/JonathanToubin
https://www.facebook.com/newyorknight...
https://twitter.com/jonathantoubin
https://instagram.com/jonathantoubin/

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Godfrey "Down Whittier Blvd" (Whittier, 1967) with Thee Midniters! original vinyl - NYNT Daily Party Platter

This is the continuing series I will post every other day while i'm out of town, thanks to Jonathan Toubin DJ of New York Night Train



Owner of the Kay-Gee, Gee-Kay, and Flashback record labels, radio DJ, and host of many East L.A. dances and review shows, Godfrey Kerr was one of the biggest proponents of Chicano rock and soul music in the mid-to-late 1960s. His recording of Kim Fowley’s “The Trip” backed by The Challengers is now canonical via Pebbles and other compilations. “Down Whittier Blvd” is yet another dose of his excellent outsider boho proto-rap poetry backed by Thee Midniters. It’s also the closer of his East L.A.-centric compilation Godfrey Presents: 16 Successful Sounds. If anybody out there knows Godfrey, please let him know we want to hear him do this one!

You're listening to my daily addition to the New York Night Train Party Platter playlist. Each track here is recorded directly from my original 45s (no bootlegs, reproductions, etc) to give you an idea of what the real deal authentic vinyl sounds like. COME BACK EVERY DAY FOR A NEW FIX! Because the records pass so quickly at my dance parties, this channel is an attempt to stop and focus on one record at a time in hopes to personally learn more about each one and at the same time turn you on to the artists, tracks, labels, etc. I'm just hipping myself to a lot of these records for the first time as well - so you can view this as our journey to learning more about cool old records together! But mostly I hope this music moves you as much as it moves me.

Get your enjoys,
Jonathan Toubin
Soul Proprietor, New York Night Train

https://www.youtube.com/JonathanToubin
https://www.facebook.com/newyorknight...
https://twitter.com/jonathantoubin
https://instagram.com/jonathantoubin/

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School of Life Monday Eastern vs. Western Philosophy

Eastern philosophy is a great deal more popular than its Western counterpart. That’s not because Western philosophy has nothing valuable to teach us - but because of the dispiriting, abstract way it has to date been presented to us by Western educational elites.

“The Seventeen Traditions: Patriotism”

4 this holiday weekend...

The life of a rock, animated

My FLAG photographs from Tuesday afternoon

Here's a few of the FILM photographs I made the other day when FLAG was in town.

(former member of BLACK FLAG) FLAG played here in NYC Tuesday ... Their current band photo was so weak, earlier in the year I volunteered to make a new one for them the next time we could all get together... I used half a roll of Tri-X (B&W) film, I think we got some good ones, including these.

Btw. They killed it on stage just a couple hours later, played all my favorite BLACK FLAG songs 👊🏾 💚 🤘🏼fucking great gig...

(I haven't made a band photo in many years, and certainly don't miss it, but we had a good time).