New Yorker writer Ben Greenman's new novel Please Step Back is, in the tradition of Jonathan Lethem's You Don't Love Me Yet or DeLillo's Great Jones Street, a rock n' roll fantasy about a "funk rock" ... Continue reading "The Ben Greenman Swamp Dogg Collabo Is Finally Here" >
Ben Greenman's music-themed novel, Please Step Back is released next week, and I am honored to exclusively offer a song that came about from Greenman's collaboration with funk legend Swamp Dogg. Swamp Dogg : "Please Step Back" [mp3] In his own words, author Ben Greenman describes the genesis of this song: When I was writing my new novel, Please Step Back , which tells the story of a funk-rock star [...]

Swamp Dogg - Sal-A-Faster "SWAMP DOGG STYLE.."
( pic via ) Aretha Franklin - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Live at the Fillmore West)(mp3) ( buy ) "Are we moving in the right direction?" Five minutes later I've decided that the urge to fight my own cynicism regarding hopespeak is a sign I've moved past the awe of the situation, that the greatness of these very actual moments realizes a significant public urge toward positivity and pragmatism, that these things can be done. Obama's November acceptance speech was a great one, contextualizing the election as both evidence of [...]
LOVE FOR SALE Elvis Costello 1981 Available on : Trust (Expanded) Rhino: 2003 [Buy It] LOVE FOR SALE Fine Young Cannibals Available on : Red Hot + Blue Capitol : 1990 [Buy It] DAY TRIPPER The Jimi Hendrix Experience 1967 Available on : BBC Sessions Experience Hendrix : 1998 [Buy It] SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY Donna Summer [...]

Swamp Dogg... I think the man should be famous, but as it stands he´s just one of many obscure southern soul singers. He´s got a great voice, he writes great songs, but hardly anyone knows about it. Is it because Jerry Williams (his real name) was never your average soul man, with his leftist views and often absurd sense of humor? Because he changed record labels so often? Or is it because he´s not what you´d call a modest guy maybe? In his own words: "I was born in Portsmouth, Virginia , July 12, 1942 and was fortunate enough to [...]

Jerry Williams Jr. AKA Swamp Dogg is one of the great weirdos of American music. I'll get more into his records as an artist and producer in another post. In the meantime, here's his take on John Prine's composition "Sam Stone," the tale of a dope addicted Vietnam Vet. It's a great record, one that blurs the lines between Country/Folk and Soul music. It's about the song and the performance which are perfect. [...]
SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND Jimi Hendrix LADY MADONNA Fats Waller Fats is Back Reprise : 1968 [Buy It] OB-LA-DI-OB-LA-DA/WISE MAN (MEDLEY) Desmond Dekker & The Aces Beverly's : 1969 Available on: You Can Get It If You Really Want Trojan : 2005 [Buy It] AND I LOVE HIM Video Esther Phillips And I Love Him [...]
THE LAST LETTER Hank Snow 1951 Available on : The Thesaurus Transcriptions Bear Family : 1991 [Buy It] LETTERS DON'T COUNT The Nazz Nazz Nazz Screen Gems Columbia : 1969 [Buy It] YOUR PICTURE SAYS REMEMBER, THO' YOUR LETTER SAYS FORGET Frederic Rose 1908 Edison Gold Moulded Record I used to send lots of letters. In college, I had a girlfriend who was at another college, and sometimes each [...]