In which Ginger Baldy revisits Roy Orbison and Friends at the Black & White Night.

1. I Got A Rocket In My Pocket - Jimmy Lloyd

2. Riding In My Car - NRBQ

3. Thieves - She & Him

4. Train Train - The Count Bishops

5. He Will Break Your Heart - Kane & Abel

6. He Will Break Your Heart - Jerry Butler

7. Too Hurt To Cry, Too Much In Love To Say Goodbye - The Darnells

8. Laughing Boy - Mary Wells

9. Death Letter - The Alexis Korner Skiffle Group (This month’s death song)

10. Jim Dandy - LaVern Baker

11. Oh Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison (This month’s earworm)

12. Miss Chatelaine - k d lang

13. Third Rate Romance - The Amazing Rhythm Aces

14. Go Back - Crabby Appleton

Theme song: Small Town Talk - Bobby Charles

And I know, and you know too That a love like ours is terrible news

Thieves - She & Him (written by Zooey Deschanel from the album "Volume 2" 2010)

This next link is to the terrific TV performance of Son House performing Death Letter Blues on his National Resonator guitar in 1968:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4QamCLNnmE

This half hour program is worth watching in its entirety, but just for Son House’s Death letter Blues, scroll forwards 3 mins 50 seconds.

Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black & White Night

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3C8JueuPAfPhlH1Q2v9DSuUzRPiVS2vJ

This page features videos of individual songs from this not to be missed concert and a 4 minute behind-the-scenes chat with guests. Oh Pretty Woman is included. Check out James Burton’s astonishing guitar solo.

Just Released! It’s the second CD in Ace Records’ series Black America Sings the Beatles - Black America sings Lennon, McCartney & Harrison, and Johnny Corsair is giving it away in his Bright Lights Big City podcast. Go, listen in and win that album. Somebody will win it. It should be you!

https://johnnycorsair9.podbean.com/

This month eight of the twelve tracks on Small Town Talk can be found on our favourite record label, ACE Records:

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/

Any comments, queries about Small Town Talk's podcast can be fired off to:

smalltowntalktalk@gmail.com

Episode 55 Illustration: The magnificent Roy Orbison, inspired by The Black & White Night (see above)

In which Ginger Baldy’s mates, Keith and Matt rescue Small Town Talk’s studio after the storm.

1. Cavern Stomp - The Big Three

2. Some Other Guy - Richie Barrett

3. Don’t Turn Around - The Merseybeats

4. Blue Girl - The Bruisers (This month’s death song)

5. Sorrow - The Merseys

6. Everything’s Alright - The Mojos

7. Maybe - The Chantels

8. Come Softly To Me - Richard Barrett with The Chantels

9. Dancing In The Street - Martha & The Vandellas (This month’s earworm)

10. Slow Down (You’ve Got A Friend) - Hal

11. Poor Boy - The Fabulous Thunderbirds

12. Poor Boy - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

13. Sleeping Pills - Nick Waterhouse

14. Take Your Love And Run - Barbara Lynn

15. She’s A Heartbreaker - Gene Pitney

16. Dixie Women -The Newports

Theme song: Small Town Talk - Bobby Charles

This month, just two lines from Hal’s ‘Slow Down (You’ve Got A Friend)’

You're not alone

We're right by your side

Hal (2004)

Point of interest:

The Chantels were the third US girl group to achieve nationwide success following the Teen Queens and the Bobbettes. Into the charts

If you haven’t already, then check out JD McPherson’s new album, Nite Owls at:

https://www.jdmcpherson.com/

Johnny Corsair is giving away a great prize this month, a brand new Ace CD., ‘Come Together: Black America Sings Lennon & McCartney’. Listen in to Bright Lights Big City and win that album.

https://johnnycorsair9.podbean.com/

This month, ten of the sixteen tracks on Small Town Talk can be found on our favourite record label, ACE Records.

I don’t have it, simply because most of the tracks exist as singles in our vaults, but check out Ace's “Bowie Heard Them Here First” It’s a great piece of research and feat of licensing to get all these tracks compiled:

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/bowie-heard-them-here-first

- and then check out the rest of Ace's catalogue.

Any comments, queries about Small Town Talk's podcast can be fired off to:

smalltowntalktalk@gmail.com

Episode 55 Illustration: What friends are for - Jim Dandy (and Matt) to the Rescue.

In which Ginger Baldy suffers the weather in Small Town Talk’s collapsing studio and keeps his big mouth firmly shut.

1. Rockin’ Bones - Ronnie Dawson (The Blond Bomber) 1959

2. Somebody Told You - Irma Thomas 1962

3. Desdemona - John’s Children 1967 (Marc Bolan second vocalist - obviously!)

4. Just A Little Bit - Tiny Topsy 1959

5. Daddy Daddy - Richard Berry 1954

6. Daddy Daddy - Ruth Brown 1952

7. Pneumonia - Joe Tex 1956

8. Come In the Morning - Moby Grape 1967

9. It’s Gonna Work Out Fine - Ike & Tina Turner 1961

10. You’re Losing Me - Barbara Lynn 1968

11. His Last Summer - The Barracudas 1980 (This month’s death song)

12. Suspended Animation - Rachel Sweet 1978

13. It’s Raining - J. D. McPherson 2023 (The Warm Covers vinyl album compiled for Record Store Day)

14. Home Home Home - Pokey LaFarge 2024

15. Devil In His Heart - The Donays 1962

16. I’m Calling You - The Cactus Blossoms 2019

17. Only The Lonely - Roy Orbison 1960 (This month’s earworm)

18. You’ve Got Your Good Thing Down - Sir Douglas Quintet (mid sixties)

19. Choo Choo Ch’Boogie - Louis Jordan 1946

Theme song: Small Town Talk - Bobby Charles

You reach your destination, but alas and alack

You need some compensation to get back in the black

You take a morning paper from the top of the stack

And read the situations from the front to the back

The only job that's open needs a man with a knack

So put it right back in the rack, Jack

From ‘Choo Choo Ch’Boogie’ - Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five - 1946

Written by Denver Darling, Milton Gabler and Vaughn Horton.

Every line of every verse in this clever song ends in a word that rhymes with Jack.

A few notes this episode to compensate for the lack of song introductions.

Track 7: Pneumonia - Joe Tex. On the label the writing credits go to Joe Tex, but this song is clearly a facsimile of Little Willie John’s ‘Fever’, written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell under his songwriting alias of John Davenport.

Track 8: Come In The Morning - written by Bob Mosley and the terrific B side of Hey Grandma (see episode 29) It was one of 5 Moby Grape singles released simultaneously, a move that backfired and contributed to the band’s downfall.

Track 14: Home Home Home - Pokey LaFarge - written and originally recorded by Ken Boothe in 1967 and produced by Clement "Coxone" Dodd. Pokey's version is from his new album "Rhumba Country"

Track 15: Famously recorded by the Beatles on their second album ‘With The Beatles’ and sung by George Harrison. The Donays’ original was the flipside of their only single ‘Bad Boy’ and was never a hit either in the States or the UK. Small Town Talk played Bad Boy in our Two Songs, One Title feature in episode 18, Oct 2021.

Track 16: I’m Calling You - The Cactus Blossoms - for Andrea who cemented the idea of Two Songs, One Title and since she loves the Everlys she will probably like this!

Track 18: You’ve Got Your Good Thing Down - Sir Douglas Quintet. Only released later on several compilation albums, but recorded by producer Huey Meaux, The Crazy Cajun, for Tribe records sometime in the mid sixties. In my book Doug Sahm can do no wrong.

Check out JD McPherson’s new album, Nite Owls at:

https://www.jdmcpherson.com/

He and I play similar old soul and R&B, but Johnny Corsair dares to play contemporary R&B so if you wanna be down with the kids get over to Bright Lights Big City where the lights get brighter every time you click the switch:

https://johnnycorsair9.podbean.com/

Our favourite record label, ACE Records: - and they are British; go check them out, you can find all the above tracks from Richard Berry, Ike & Tina Turner, Barbara Lynn, and The Donays on Ace CD’s

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/

Any comments, queries, complaints, or anything relating to Small Town Talk's podcast can be fired off to:

smalltowntalkrecords@gmail.com

Episode 54 Illustration: Ginger Baldy flits back to the 40's to hear the sound of the Clickety Clack.

In which Ginger Baldy enjoys some Tex-Mex, gets excited about a new release, and looks back at John Mayall.

1. You Mostest Girl - Bobby Lee Trammell

2. Shirley Lee - Ricky Nelson

3. Who Will The Next Fool Be - Charlie Rich

4. Laredo Rose - Texas Tornados

5. Looking Back - Clarence “Frogman” Henry

6. Looking Back - John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

7. Gangster Of Love - Johnny Guitar Watson

8. Mary Lou - Young Jessie & The Cadets

9. I Wish You Would - J. D. McPherson

10. I Was Fooled - Billy Boy Arnold

11. O Death - Ralph Stanley (This month’s death song)

12. Hard Time Killing Floor - Chris Thomas King

13. Judy In Disguise (With Glasses) - John Fred & His Playboy Band (This month’s earworm)

14. Forty Days - Ronnie Hawkins

Theme song: Small Town Talk - Bobby Charles

A MILLION DOLLAR REWARD FOR ME

IN EACH AND EVERY STATE

SHERIFF SAY “IS YOUR NAME JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON?”

IN A VERY DEEP VOICE,

AND I SAY “YES, BROTHER SHERIFF

AND THAT’S YOUR WIFE ON THE BACK OF MY HORSE”

Gangster Of love - Johnny “Guitar” Watson: 1957

The Doug Sahm article can be found at: https://www.mojo4music.com/magazine/latest-issues/mojo-370-september-2024-nick-cave/

Check out JD McPherson’s Nite Owls at:

https://www.jdmcpherson.com/

It’s always there, so go get it; it’s our sister show, Johnny Corsair’s Bright Lights Big City - and this month there’s a super Ace CD “This is Goldwax 1964-1968” to be won, 28 tracks including James Carr with the best deep soul song ever made.

https://johnnycorsair9.podbean.com/

And on the subject of ACE Records: go check them out, you can find all the above tracks from Young Jessie, Johnny Guitar Watson, Clarence Frogman Henry, John Fred and Ronnie Hawkins on Ace CD’s

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/

Any comments, queries about Small town talk's podcast can be fired off to:

smalltowntalktalk@gmail.com

Episode 53 Illustration: Flaco Jimenez, one of the nicest guys you can ever meet.

In which Ginger Baldy gets Real Real Gone and remembers a man who never ever did what he should.

1. Ride Jockey Ride - The Lamplighters

2. My Gal’s A Jockey - Big Joe Turner

3. Real Real Gone - Van Morrison

4. Good Golly Miss Molly - Little Richard

5. Chain Gang - Bobby Scott

6. Chain Gang - Sam Cooke

7. Ella Speed - Leadbelly (This month’s death song)

8. He’s A Rebel - The Crystals (The Blossoms)

9. Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals

10. Chicken Payback - The Bees (This month’s earworm)

11. Magazine Lady - “Spider” John Koerner & Willie Murphy

12. You Can’t Stop Love - Popa Chubby

13. Black Magic Woman - Fleetwood Mac

14. All Your Love ( I Was Missing) - Otis Rush

15. Time After Time - Miles Davis

Theme song: Small Town Talk - Bobby Charles

"HE’S A REBEL AND HE’LL NEVER BE ANY GOOD HE’S A REBEL BECAUSE HE NEVER EVER DOES WHAT HE SHOULD BUT JUST BECAUSE HE DOESN’T DO WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES THAT’S NO REASON WHY WE CAN’T SHARE OUR LOVE

Written by Gene Pitney, produced by Phil Spector & credited to The Crystals but recorded by The Blossoms with Darlene Love on lead vocals.

The true story of the murder of Ella Speed (track 7) can be found at:

https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=3584.0

Small Town Talk’s sister show, Johnny Corsair’s Bright Lights Big City, can be found burning ever so brightly over at:

https://johnnycorsair9.podbean.com/

The Lamplighters compilation "Loving Rocking Thrilling" (track 1) can be found at the finest record company there is:

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/

Any comments, queries about Small Town Talk's podcast can be fired off to:

smalltowntalktalk@gmail.com

Episode 52 Illustration: Tom Absolom’s excellent “Real Real Gone”

In which Ginger Baldy goes to the cinema to catch a slice of America.

1. Much Later - Jackie Brenston with Ike Turner’s Kings Of Rhythm

2. Rocket “88” - Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats (Ike Turner’s Kings Of Rhythm)

3. Cadillac Boogie - Jimmy Liggins & His Drops Of Joy

4. Going Back To New Orleans - Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers

5. New Orleans - Elvis Presley

6. New Orleans - The Staple Singers

7. New Orleans - Gwen Johnson

8. I Got A Woman - Ray Charles

9. Down In The Willow Garden - The Everly Brothers (This month’s death song)

10. Omaha - Moby Grape

11. Sister Andre - Pokey LaFarge

12. (It’s A) Wonderful World - Sam Cooke (This month’s earworm)

13. America - Simon & Garfunkel

14. Big Mamou Daddy - Carmen Taylor

15. Big Mamou - The Amos Garrett, Doug Sahm, Gene Taylor Band

Theme song: Small Town Talk - Bobby Charles

WHY’D YOU GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME IN BIG MAMOU

WHY’D YOU GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME SO SAD AND BLUE

OH AH AH CHERIE-O

COME ON LIVE WITH ME IN BIG MAMOU

Big Mamou - Doug Sahm, Amos Garrett & Gene Taylor with Queen Ida. (1987)

One of my all-time musical heroes, Texan Doug Sahm spent two years living in Canada, starting in 1985, where he met roots guitarist Amos Garrett and keyboard player Gene Taylor. Together they released the award winning 1987 “roots” album, “Return of The Formerly Brothers”, the title jokingly referring to the fact that they were often billed as formerly of one band or another. Track 15, “Big Mamou” is taken from that album.

Last chance to get James Hunter tickets! He’s at Margate’s Funk N Soul weekender on Friday 12th July and Birmingham’s Mostly Jazz Funk & Festival on 14th.

Small Town Talk will be at The Jazz Cafe to see James on July the 16th. and there are still a few tickets left, see you there.

A week later he’s back in the US, continuing his American tour. If you are anywhere near Norwich, NY you can see him FREE in Norwich’s NBT Bank Summer Concert on July 25th. Check his whole US tour, and all the above at:

https://www.jameshuntermusic.com/

And released yesterday, episode 39 of Johnny Corsair’s Bright Lights Big City podcast. I had a listen this morning, some great soul and R&B - just love the Big Walter and his Thunderbirds original of “Pack Fair And Square."

Johnny’s giving away a great prize this month - A brand new Ace CD, "This is Fame 1964 -1968." Check it out at:

https://johnnycorsair9.podbean.com/

And on STT, five tracks this month from five different ACE Records - Not just the best reissue record label, but I think, the very best record company in the world. Check out their excellent website:

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/

And to win the vinyl of Nick Waterhouse’s “The Fooler” (It's brand new, unopened but not sealed because it's a SIGNED copy) email me with your answer to:

smalltowntalkrecords@gmail.com

Episode 51 Illustration: Ginger Baldy paints a clip from a favourite film; “Who is this & which movie?” It's a further clue to winning the above LP.

In which, by the glow of the turntable light on Stanyan Street, Ginger Baldy and Nick Waterhouse play TB Sheets on heavy repeat.

1. Drivin’ Wheel - The Butterfield Blues Band (From “The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw” - 1967)

2. Stanyan Street - Nick Waterhouse (From “Never Twice” - 2016)

3. TB Sheets - Van Morrison (From “Blowin’ Your Mind” - 1967 & “TB Sheets” - 1973)

4. Born To Be With You - Dion (From “Born To Be With You” - 1975)

5. Evil, Mean And Nasty - Swamp Mama Johnson (From “Wetlands” - 1995)

6. Backwoods Girl - Sir Douglas Quintet (From “Together After 5” -1975)

Theme song: Small Town Talk - Bobby Charles (1972)

PLAYING TB SHEETS ON HEAVY REPEAT AND THE MEDICINE KEEPS ME VOID RUNNIN’ HOME IN THE RAIN, HALF OUTTA MY MIND, WITH MY FRIEND GEORGIE BOY

Stanyan Street - Nick Waterhouse (From “Never Twice” - 2016)

TB Sheets:

It’s not clear whether Van Morrison’s song, TB Sheets is in any way autobiographical. Morrison has always been incredibly private and has never revealed the song’s origins. The liner notes to the Bang label’s later compilation “TB Sheets” which included TB Sheets, infers that the song was personal, stating that Morrison broke down in tears after the take and the session was abruptly finished.

However, it is worth noting that while recording “Blowin’ Your Mind”, Morrison fell out big time with Bang records owner Bert Berns over his contract, and as a result, the record was compiled and released without Morrison's consent, and that includes the liner notes.

Later that same year, Berns, whose heart had been damaged from rheumatic fever contracted as a child, died from heart failure at the age of 38, and his wife Ilene Berns, who took over Bang, initially blamed his death on stress cause by the arguments with Morrison. Van Morrison claimed he never received any royalties for Brown Eyed Girl.

As a result, when Morrison moved to Warner Brothers he was left with extremely unpalatable contractual commitments to Bang, which he honoured by a whole series of recordings that were intended to be of absolutely no financial use to the Bang label.

Swamp Mama Johnson were:

Drums / Backing Vocals - Kim Carson

Tenor Sax - Tracy Ferrara

Bass - Patty Mey / then from 1999, Leah Hinchcliff

Guitar - Laurie Miller

Lisa Mills - Lead Vocals & Harmonica

The Excellent Tracy Ferrara is a private music instructor, currently gigging with three bands and owns her own company Saxbombs Productions, out of Seattle.

Leah Hinchcliffe, plays in a number of bands around the Northwest US and teaches Bass:

https://www.leahhinchcliff.com/

Vocalist Lisa Mills died in a motorcycle accident in 2012.

You can find other Swamp Mama Johnson tracks in episodes 6, 23 & 34 of Small Town Talk.

Anybody listening to Small town Talk in the USA, check out James Hunter, Britain’s finest Soul singer.

He’s touring the States all year. For those in Blighty however, there are four UK gigs in the first half of July. Tickets still available:

https://www.jameshuntermusic.com/

Not just the best reissue record label, but the very best record company in the world:

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/

And the man who knows where it’s at - and where it’s been! The incomparable Johnny Corsair with our sister show Bright Lights Big City:

https://johnnycorsair9.podbean.com/

And to get further information and musings on this podcast or my music collection, email me at:

smalltowntalkrecords@gmail.com

Episode 50 Illustration: The long songs show symbol. It’s my old Revox showing it’s age

In which Ginger Baldy remembers the magnificent Moby Grape and observes the fall of The Great Joe Bob - He was the pride of the backfield, ah, the hero of his day.

1. Travelin’ Band - Creedence Clearwater Revival

2. Watch Your Step - Bobby Parker

3. Watch Your Step - Ted Hawkins

4. I Can’t Stand It - Spencer Davis Group

5. Howlin’ For My Baby - Howlin’ Wolf

6. Can’t Be So Bad - Moby Grape

7. Someday - Moby Grape

8. Buzz Buzz Buzz - Doug Sahm

9. The Great Joe Bob - Terry Allen

10. Mama Didn’t Raise No Fools - Sugar Pie DeSanto

11. Mama - Roy Orbison

12. Over You - Aaron Neville (This month’s death song)

13. Rock The Bop - Brenda Lee

14. I’m Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee) - Marshall Crenshaw

15. Wooly Bully - Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs (This month’s earworm)

16. Brown Skin Girl - Leon Bridges

Theme song: Small Town Talk - Bobby Charles (1972)

AND THEN HE GOT SUSPENDED AH, FOR ACTING OBSCENE ROUND THE CUM LAUDE, CUM LAUDE DAUGHTER OF THE DEAN

The Great Joe Bob (A Regional Tragedy) - Terry Allen 1979

Go see Rich Hall, the man’s a genius. The UK tour can be found all over the web, including here:

https://www.uktw.co.uk/Tour/Comedy/Rich-Hall-Shot-From-Cannons/T64672227/

Any body listening to Small Town Talk in the USA, check out James Hunter, Britain’s finest Soul singer. He’s touring the States all year.

For those in the UK, find those four gigs in the first half of July. Tickets still available:

https://www.jameshuntermusic.com/

Not just the best reissue record label, but the very best record company in the world:

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/

After warming your ears here at Small Town Talk, get yourself over to our sister show, Johnny Corsair’s podcast, Bright Lights Big City. I’ve published early this month, so I don’t know what fab prizes he’s giving away. Go and find out at:

https://johnnycorsair9.podbean.com/

And to get further information and musings on this podcast or my music collection, email me at:

smalltowntalkrecords@gmail.com

Episode 50 Illustration: Ginger Baldy reflects on Moby Grape, the band that blew it all away.