Prowlin' WIth Matt The Cat

Surfaris Top Instrumentals; Marvin Phillips Profiled on Cat Fight!

2009-07-10T15:25:00.003-04:00

Surfari's DON'T "Wipe Out"!

"Greatest Surf Instrumental Of All-Time"

Surfaris - "Wipe Out" : 28 Votes

Ventures - "Walk-Don't Run" : 27 Votes

We've got another real close call this week on The Friday Night Cat Fight. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, The Surfaris don't pull off a decisive win as The Ventures are right on their backs as the Prowlers vote for their favorite Surf Instrumental of ALL-Time. The Chantay's "Pipeline" came in third with 12 votes, while Dick Dale & The Del-Tones racked up 10 votes for "Misirlou". Check the "Comments" section by clicking HERE to see what other surf songs the Prowlers voted for.

This week, the Cat Fight breaks new ground as I spend an entire show on the underrated R&B stylings of MARVIN PHILLIPS!

I cover Marvin's entire career from his early days with Richard Lewis and Big Jay McNeely to his breakthrough with Jesse Belvin as Jesse & Marvin (1952) and the formation of Marvin & Johnny. You'll learn which "Johnny" is on which recording and also get to hear some of Marvin's solo material as well as vote for your favorite version of the classic, "Cherry Pie". This format should remind you a lot of how my old "Harlem" show used to sound on XM's 50s Channel, so I hope you enjoy it!

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

Bird's The Word & The Instrumental Side O' Surfin' For July 4th!

2009-07-02T11:20:00.001-04:00

Trashmen: Bird's STILL The WORD!

"Surfin' Bird "

Trashmen : 65 Votes

The Ramones : 6 Votes

The original "Surfin' Bird" is still THE WORD as a great majority of Prowlers voted for The Trashmen last week.

This week, those BITCHIN' surf tunes continue as I feature a full show on SURF INSTRUMENTALS. This time, you'll have the chance to VOTE for your favorite SURF INSTRUMENTS. Choose one of the 9 choices that I have posted OR if your favorite isn't listed, then vote for "OTHER" and list it in the comments section of the page.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July.

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

The Robins Take "White Cliffs", Surf Music: Vocals This Week on FNCF!

2009-06-26T15:05:00.002-04:00

Robins Fly Over White Cliffs Of Dover

"The White Cliffs Of Dover'"

Robins : 55 Votes

Blue Jays : 39 Votes

More Prowlers seemed to prefer the Robin' uptempo take on the WWII classic, "White Cliffs Of Dover" over the Blue Jays mellow version. Since bluebirds are a North American bird and can't fly over the real White Cliffs of Dover in England, maybe Robins can now fly over them?

This week, we get back to our Summer Theme on the FNCF with the first of 2 shows dedicated to Surf Music. This week's show is all about the vocal side of Surf Music, featuring tunes from The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, The Fantastic Baggys and The Honeys as well as a Cat Fight between The Trashmen and The Ramones over the classic, "Surfin' Bird".

These bitchin' tunes are BOSS!

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

Ruby Is Queen & Doo Wop Returns To Cat Fight!

2009-06-12T15:53:00.001-04:00

Ruby Is Queen Of Summer Love!

"My Summer Love '"

Ruby & The Romantics : 66 Votes

The Tymes : 19 Votes

Ruby proves that she is the queen of summer love as she wins the final "Summer Song" Friday Night Cat Fight. It looks like Sam Cooke has pulled ahead with 3 votes over Billy Stewart over "Summertime" from 3 weeks ago. The Marcels are just one vote behind Billy. This is the closest Cat Fight yet and it still rages on.

This week's Friday Night Cat Fight returns to the bread and butter that made my XM programs so successful; Doo wop. I'm featuring an hour of “ultra” rare doo wop records. How rare, you ask? Well, these records are SO RARE that none of them were EVER played on my old radio programs. I intentionally stayed away from the ol' Night Prowl Show favorites. So if you were a big fan of the old show, you'll be hearing a lot of “new” stuff on this week's Cat Fight.

Whether you call this music doo wop or vocal group harmony, you're sure to dig this extra heapin' helpin' of smooth harmony sounds. You will also get to vote on the doo wop classic, “White Cliffs Of Dover.” I'm presenting 2 versions that never got airplay on the old show. So sit back, relax and pretend like it was 2006 and all is well with the world.

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

Eddie Is Summertime King, Part 3 This Week!

2009-06-05T15:02:00.001-04:00

Eddie is KING of SUMMER!

"Summertime Blues'"

Eddie Cochran : 84 Votes

Blue Cheer : 5 Votes

The Who : 2 Votes

Eddie Cochran racked up the votes as many suspected that he would. I thought he'd win, but I had no idea that it would be THIS much of a landslide. WOW! Eddie got 93% of the vote and showed the others who has the REAL "Summertime Blues".

The Cat Fight from 2 weeks ago over the tune "Summertime" is still too close to call. At this writing, Sam Cooke has snuck a one vote lead, but it's still anyone's Cat Fight as both Billy Steward and The Marcels are right up there.

I conclude my 3 part series on summer songs with the most eclectic show yet. Where else can you hear the world's greatest Gospel singer singing a secular song right next to Elvis Costello, The Holidays, Fountains Of Wayne and The Videls? Only on the “World Famous” Friday Night Cat Fight!

Plus, listen to and vote for your all-time favorite version of the song “My Summer Love.” It's summertime, summertime, and we're feelin' the burn on the Friday Night Cat Fight Show.

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

Record Review: Bo Diddley

2009-06-05T14:15:00.001-04:00

Bo Diddley - Ride On: The Chess Masters 1960-61

Bo Diddley was a true artist. Maybe not all of his recordings are classic or completely developed, but you can never say that Ellis McDaniel didn't have a vision and didn't work hard to fulfil it. Hip-O Select has put out the third volume in its series of 2 CD sets gathering all of Bo's recordings for Chess' Checker imprint. This one is called "Ride On" and it focuses on the recordings he made in 1960 and '61.

I'll tell you up front that this is not a collection for the casual Bo Diddley fan. Not many of the tunes here fall into the class of "essential" Bo Diddley material, but if you really dig Bo and love music history, then this collection has a lot to offer you. "(Bo Diddley's A) Gunslinger" is the only track on this compilation that made the national charts (Cash Box #34, it didn't make Billboard for some crazy reason). No matter, as there are plenty of blues, doo wop ballads and just plain ol' Bo Diddley craziness to keep your toes tappin' and your ears exlodin'.

Remarkably, all 54 of these songs were recorded in the basement of Bo's home on Rhode Island Ave. in Washington, DC (not too far from where I live now, by the way). He set up his own studio as he was becoming more and more frustrated with the control Chess had over his music, so he left Chicago to record his own way on his own schedule. This was unheard of for any artist at this time, let alone an African-American artist to set up his own facility. The music was laid down on a crude 2 track tape machine, but it sounds amazingly good, considering. He took his great band with him to DC. It featured Bobby Baskerville on bass, Clifton Jones on drums, Jerome Green on maracas and the fantastic and much underrated Peggy Jones on guitar. The legendary Otis Spann even drops in to play piano on a few tracks. Bo is of course the star, but it must be said that on many songs Peggy Jones simply steals the spotlight. She is amazing and can play as well if not better than Bo himself.

Disc one kicks off with a great unreleased burner called "My White Horse", that'll get you in the mood to rock. "Love Me" is a beautiful doo wop ballad that was featured on the LP, "Bo Diddley In The Spotlight". It has one of the sweetest melodies you'll ever hear on a Bo Diddley record. "Love Me" is followed up by one of the strongest cuts on the entire compilation, "Walkin' And Talkin'". Originally this song was edited down for its inclusion on the "Bo Diddley In The Spotlight" LP , but thankfully, we get the unedited version here. If you've never heard Bo Diddley cover Frankie Laine's 1949 classic, "Mule Train", then you're in for a surprise. Four different takes of the song are included here, which ends up being a few takes too much, but it's fascinating to listen to them all for an insight into Bo's recording process. "Say You Will" is a previously unreleased burst of call and response, right out of the church "soul", that reminds me a little of "Shout" by the Isley Brothers.

"Ride On Josephine" begins a string of songs that appeared on Bo's great 1960 LP, "Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger". Some of the songs from that album appeared at the end of the previous 2 disc Bo Diddley compilation that Hip-O Select put out last summer, Road Runner: Chess Masters 1959-1960. It was a superb LP on its own, but the unreleased tracks featured here make it all that much better. The great Billy Stewart, Harvey Fuqua of the Moonglows and Johnny Carter and Nate Nelson of the Flamingos drop in to sing backup vocals on a few tracks, but I'm going to let you discover those yourself.

The first 20 songs on disc 2 are all previously unreleased in the USA. Many of them are crudely recorded, but you must remember that Bo probably never intended for these songs to be released. I love "Hey, Hey (What Are You Going To Do" and we get two versions of it here (one fast and one slow-er). You can tell that Bo is having a great time recording these raw tunes. There's lots of call and response, nonsense lyrics and tremendous guitar playing by both Bo and Peggy Jones throughout these tracks. Peggy really shines on the instrumentals"Mess Around" and "Doodlin'". If you liked "Say Man" and "Say Man, Back Again", well there's plenty of craziness and bad jokes on "Funny Talk" and "Bring Them Back Alive (Funny Talk)", with Bo playing his partner's voice under the name Frank Jive.

The set is rounded off with several tracks that would appear on the LP, "Bo Diddley Is A Lover." Also included are great photos and wonderfully insightful liner notes by George R. White of York, England. Overall, it's a fantastic set for the Bo Diddley fan, but not a necessity for the casual Bo Diddley collector. After almost 2 years of chart silence, Bo would come raging back in 1962 with "You Can't Judge A Book By It's Cover", but that's a story for another day and a future Hip-O Select Bo Diddley compilation. I'm just going to settle down, put on the great Bo Diddley instrumental, "Shank" and groove!

-Matt The Cat

R.I.P. - Sam Butera Dies At 81

2009-06-05T10:10:00.002-04:00

Sam Butera

1927 - 2009

On Wednesday, June 3rd, the legendary sax man, Sam Butera passed away in Las Vegas.

Anyone who considers Butera "just a sideman" knows nothing about music and showmanship. Sam Butera was an act in himself. He was the "ying" to Louis Prima's "yang". An accomplished saxophone player in his own right, Butera played in bands fronted by Tommy Dorsey and Paul Gayten, just to name a few. As the big bands faded, jump blues became all the rage. Louis Prima was transitioning to a smaller, jumpier combo when he asked fellow New Orleanian Butera to join. Sam dubbed the new band, The Witnesses in 1956 and they played to sold out crowds in Las Vegas for 20 years.

Sam Butera is heard alongside Louis Prima and Keely Smith on most of their great Capitol releases during the 1950s, including "Just A Gigolo - I Ain't Got Nobody", "Oh, Marie", "That Old Black Magic" and "Sing, Sing, Sing" (which Prima wrote). In 1958, Butera put out a solo single with The Witnesses on Capitol called "Bim Bam", which is a song I used to play all the time on the radio. What a jumpin' little record that was.

Here is a clip of Sam Butera playing up to Louis Prima on stage during the classic, "Oh, Marie".

And so as we lose another talented musician, the best we can do is remember them and honor their work and with Sam Butera, we've got plenty to remember him by.

-MTC

R.I.P. - Koko Taylor Dies At 80!

2009-06-03T19:48:00.005-04:00

Koko Taylor

1928 - 2009

It is with a heavy heart that I must report that one of the true "Queens Of The Blues", the great Koko Taylor (born Cora Walton) has passed on at the age of 80. She died the afternoon of June 3rd while recovering from surgery to repair gastrointestinal bleeding.

In 1966, she struck blues gold with the incredible "Wang Dang Doodle", which was released by Chess' Checker imprint and hit a stunning #4 on the R&B charts. Since then, she's toured constantly, helping to keep the classic brassy female blues singing style alive. Though she never had another hit single, she had many successful LPs on both Chess and Alligator labels.

She was born in Memphis on September 28, 1928 and earned her nickname "Koko" over her love for chocolate. Her mother died when she was just ten years old, so Koko and her brothers and sisters had to help their father work the fields to support the family. She started singing in the church and didn't turn professional until after she moved to the South Side of Chicago in 1953. She met Chess Records A&R man, Willie Dixon in 1962 and he signed her to Checker, a Chess subsidiary. Willie sang the harmony on and wrote Koko's 1966 classic "Wang Dang Doodle", which sold over one million copies and hit #4 on the R&B Charts and an impressive #58 on the pop chart.

Koko was nominated for a Grammy Award for her debut album for Alligator records, "I Got What It Takes" in 1975. Her final album, "Old School" was issued by Alligator in 2007.

There aren't many women today who sing in the classic style of Bessie Smith and Big Mama Thornton and we have now lost another. Koko Taylor was certainly a Force Of Nature and will be greatly missed.

Here is a clip of Koko performing her hit, "Wang Dang Doodle" live with Little Walter on harp.

-MTC

A Tie Over "Summertime" AND Summer Songs, Pt. 2!

2009-05-29T15:05:00.002-04:00

It's a TIE!

"Summertime '"

Sam Cooke : 31 Votes

Billy Stewart : 31 Votes

The Marcels : 28 Votes

Big Brother & The Holding Company : 5 Votes

WOW! It's a TIE! Too close to call this week over the Gershwin classic "Summertime." At the time I'm sending this out, both Sam Cooke and Billy Stewart have 31 votes, which The Marcels close behind with 28 solid votes. We'll keep this Cat Fight open to see how it is eventually resolved. What a way to start the summer season.

The Friday Night Cat Fight keeps those summer vibes coming with part 2 of my 3 part series on the summer theme. This week, we hear The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, The Four Buddies and Jonathan Richman just to name a few.

Listen to all three definitive versions of the classic “Summertime Blues” and vote for the one you just can't start your summer without.

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

Mention In NY Daily News

2009-05-26T13:20:00.002-04:00

Cats n' kittens,

I received a very nice mention in today's (5/26/09) New York Daily News. Here is the link to the David Hinckley article on Satellite Radio. He has many good points about why satellite radio is a very good thing, but it would be an even better, "If I were the boss, "High Standards" and Matt the Cat would return tomorrow." Read the whole article here:
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/05/26/2009-05-26_why_satellite_radio_makes_us_beam.html#ixzz0GdOEEsmr&B

James Brown WINS Cat Fight! THis Week, Summer Songs, Pt. 1

2009-05-22T14:38:00.001-04:00

JB Wins!

"Night Train '"

James Brown : 41 Votes

Buddy Morrow : 26 Votes

Jimmy Forrest : 12 Votes

All three versions of the song were great, but the Prowlers chose JB's vocal version of the song over the other two very strong instrumentals. And that wraps up my 3 part series on train songs. Thanks so much for listening and voting for your favorites.

Memorial Day Weekend starts off right as we begin our first part on the “summer song” theme. Other than Christmas, no other part of the year is better represented in song than summertime. You'll hear a great variety of artists and styles this week including Sam Cooke, The Danleers, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince and Roy Orbison.

Listen to the show and vote for your all-time favorite version of the Gershwin classic, “Summertime” and don't miss part 2, coming next week.

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

Elvis Solves Mystery! Train Songs, Part 3 This Week!

2009-05-15T14:13:00.001-04:00

Elvis: Mystery Solved!

"Mystery Train '"

Elvis Presley : 58 Votes

Little Junior's Blue Flames : 18 Votes

Elvis very decisively won The Friday Night Cat Fight with his 1955 interpretation of Junior Parker's "Mystery Train." Little Junior's Blue Flames generated 18 votes for their original version, but it just wasn't enough to beat the future "King."

The Train Songs roll on. This week, I wrap up the train theme with the third and final installment. The show features great train songs by James Carr, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Leadbelly, John Fogerty and Tom Waits.

You'll get the chance to vote for your favorite version of the classic "Night Train". It will be interesting to see who takes home the gold this week. Listen to the show and vote by clicking the link below. Enjoy!

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

Burnettes Roll On...This Week, "Mystery Train" Cat Fight!

2009-05-08T13:04:00.002-04:00

The Burnette's Keep A-Rollin'

"The Train Kept A-Rollin'"

Johnny Burnette Trio : 39 Votes

Tiny Bradshaw : 29 Votes

Aerosmith : 6 Votes

The Yardbirds : 4 Votes

Well, the Burnette brothers have done it again! The Prowlers overwhelmingly voted for the Rock n' Roll Trio's 1956 fuzz tone version of the classic Tiny Bradshaw tune, "The Train Kept A-Rollin'".

This week, the Friday Night Cat Fight Show continues the "train" theme for part 2 of a 3 part series. The Delmore Brothers, Johnny Cash, Paul Butterfield, The Box Tops, Louis Jordan and so many more make the case for the train as metaphor for physical and spiritual movement.

AND, voice your choice for either Little Junior Parker's original or Elvis Presley's cover of the classic "Mystery Train" on this week's Cat Fight competition.

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

The Friday Night Cat Fight is listed in the iTunes Podcast Directory. Click this link to automatically open iTunes and go right to the Cat Fight Podcast.

Thanks for continuing to spread the word about The Friday Night Cat Fight as it is getting bigger and bigger every week.

Burnette Wins "Bertha Lou", This Week: Train Songs!

2009-05-01T16:23:00.009-04:00

Dorsey Gets "Bertha Lou"

"Bertha Lou "

Dorsey Burnette : 58 Votes

Clint Miller : 32 Votes

Both Dorsey and Clint rocked the hell outta "Bertha Lou", but the Prowlers have chosen Dorsey's original version of the song as their favorite!

This week's Friday Night Cat Fight focuses on one of the most popular song themes, TRAIN SONGS! This show is only part one of a multi-part series on TRAIN SONGS and features great tunes from Johnny Cash, The Cardinals, Tom Waits, Rufus Thomas, Al Green and many more.

I also trace the history of the rock n' roll classic, “The Train Kept A-Rollin',” which was written by and originally recorded by Tiny Bradshaw in 1951. Tiny's up against some of the greatest guitar solos in history as The Johnny Burnette Rock n' Roll Trio (guitar: Paul Burlison), The Yardbirds (guitar: Jeff Beck) and Aerosmith (guitar: Joe Perry) all have a crack at it.

Click the link below to hear this week's Cat Fight Show!

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

Led Zeppelin Take Cat Fight, This Week Rockabilly In Spotlight!

2009-04-24T15:10:00.001-04:00

Led Zep Takes Cat Fight

"Whole Lotta Love "

Led Zeppelin : 42 Votes

Muddy Waters "You Need Love" : 30 Votes

Small Faces "You Need Loving" : 15 Votes

Led Zeppelin made "Whole Lotta Love" their own in 1969, but they didn't do it without inspiration from both Muddy Waters and The Small Faces. I hope you dug that little history of a rock n' roll classic?

This week's Cat Fight Show is entirely based on Rockabilly Music and girls' names. Dig on the show and then vote for either Dorsey Burnette OR Clint Miller over the classic "Bertha Lou." Get the interesting story behind that tune and many others now on The Friday Night Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

WWII Vet Visits DC Memorial, Shares Great Stories...

2009-04-23T16:22:00.001-04:00

I had a wonderful experience today. My wife Kelly's grandfather, James Gleason visited Washington, DC to see the memorial that was erected to honor those, like himself, who fought in WWII. A great not-for-profit organization called Honor Flight flies veterans, free of charge, to DC, so that they may get the opportunity to see the great memorials that stand in their honor.

I brought along an audio recorder so that I could get a few great stories out of Grampa. Below is a link to that conversation.
GrampaVisitsDC.mp3

I've only known Grampa for a few short years, but I have learned so much from him. Pictures of today's event will follow soon, but I wanted to get this audio up right away.

Thanks for coming to visit YOUR memorial, Grampa.

Love,

MTC

Buddy Johnson Knocks It Out Of The Park - Led Zep In New Cat Fight!

2009-04-17T12:53:00.003-04:00

Buddy Johnson Knocks It Out!

"Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball "

Buddy Johnson : 44 Votes

Count Basie : 39 Votes

We had a great competition over the past two weeks between two heavy weights: Buddy Johnson and Count Basie. In the end though, Buddy's R&B hit version of "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball" beat out Basie's non-hit. What a great start to what is already shaping up to be an interesting baseball season.

This week, we trace the history and evolution of the Led Zeppelin classic, "Whole Lotta Love". It should come as no surprise that Zeppelin found a lot of inspiration in American blues as they are nothing more than a hard rockin' blues band. Dig the show and vote for the version of the song you dig the most. I've also included a doo wop version of "Whole Lotta Love" in the mix, just to keep things interesting.

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

Record Review: Muddy Waters Live!

2009-04-15T14:34:00.002-04:00

Muddy Waters – Authorized Bootleg: Live at the Fillmore Auditorium – San Francisco Nov 04-06, 1966

While the other major labels have all but abandoned releasing new back catalog titles, Universal Music continues to surprise with new releases of old music that surpass general expectations. Recently, I was shocked that Universal would even consider releasing a five CD box set of Little Walter's historic Chess Recordings, but it appears that the label knows what they have and they're not afraid to reissue it. Good news for blues fans, indeed.

Their latest blues release comes out on Universal's Geffen imprint and features a slew of incredible concerts from the “King Of Chicago Blues”, Muddy Waters. These shows were recorded at Billy Graham's Fillmore West Auditorium in San Francisco from November 4 th – 6 th , 1966 and they find the 51 year old Muddy in top form. Since many of these songs are repeated several times over the course of the three-night stand and many of them also feature drawn out jams with Muddy's incredible band, I would not recommend this album to the casual Muddy Waters fan. However, if you're like me and consider any live recording by one of America 's great bluesmen that was recorded before 1970 to be like finding buried treasure, then this is the live Muddy album for you.

The set begins with a nice, heavy groove in the form of “Forty Days And Forty Nights”, then moves into the signature “(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man”. His band features George Smith blowin' a mean harp and Luther “Guitar Jr.” Johnson offering up some tasty licks. When I interviewed Luther Johnson in 1996, we talked about his time playing in Muddy Waters' band. He shared a story about how he used to watch the bald spot move on the back of Muddy's head whenever he played “Rock Me”. I, of course, could think of nothing but that story as I listened to the two great versions of “Rock Me” included on this live set. The band is rounded out with Sammy Lawhorn on guitar, Mac Arnold on bass and Francis Clay on drums. The band sounds loose and relaxed, but they never miss a beat. If it's possible for a band to be both loose and tight at the same time, then these guys have got their bases covered. Their eight minute jam on “She Moves Me” from the November 5 th date will blow your mind.

Muddy sounds powerful, playful and full of life and seeing that he's actually 19 years into his career at this point, it's not that surprising. All these versions of his classic songs from “Baby Please Don't Go” to “Honey Bee” to “Long Distance Call” are great, but the feel is very much the same on this entire disc. That's completely understandable since the surroundings and musicians didn't change at all over these three live dates. However, I found that it was better to break up listening to this CD with other cuts, as it does tend to drag a little bit from song to song.

Think of “Authorized Bootleg” as a historical document of what it would have been like to hear the great Muddy Waters at the top of his game, but at the end of his golden period. There would be other high points in the future, but this CD will now stand as one of Muddy's greatest live performances.

You can find this CD at Amazon.com and other fine retailers.

-MTC

The Annual Baseball Show!

2009-04-03T16:00:00.002-04:00

The Annual

Baseball Show

This year, my annual Baseball Show makes it to the web in the form of a Friday Night Cat Fight. I've extended the show this year to include almost every cool baseball song in history, spanning many genres. Plus, I've added some great historical footage and interviews to make this week's Cat Fight a must for any fan of Baseball or American History in general. This Cat Fight Show will air for the next 2 weeks, so vote early and vote often over the tune, "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball". Buddy Johnson's swinging band will be taking on the great Count Basie. Enjoy the show, VOTE and get out there and PLAY BALL!

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

The Tams Win Cat Fight!

2009-04-03T15:56:00.001-04:00

The Tams Are Victors

"What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am "

The Tams : 80 Votes

Bill Deal & The Rhondels : 25 Votes

Bill Deal & The Rhondels livened up the pace a little and added some hot horns, BUT the Prowlers preferred the original of "What Kind Of Fool" by The Tams. The original versions seemed to have the edge most of the time here on the Friday Night Cat Fight.

The Ronettes Are Queens Of The Cat Fight!

2009-03-27T14:33:00.002-04:00

The Ronettes Are Queen

"Walking In The Rain "

Ronettes : 72 Votes

Jay & The Americans : 35 Votes

The Ronettes reigned supreme last week while they were "Walking In The Rain" and gathering over 60% of the vote.

This week, as we leave March behind and start looking to the future (April), I thought I'd do a themed show on "fools" for April Fools Day, which is Wednesday. This week's Cat Fight is between The Tams and Bill Deal And The Rhondels over "What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am". So...who's the bigger fool? Vote now!

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

Boston Radio Legend Larry Glick, R.I.P.

2009-03-27T11:34:00.002-04:00

Boston Radio Legend

Larry Glick

Dies at 87

I am shocked and saddened to hear the news today, that one of my radio idols had died. Larry Glick, who graced the Boston AM radio airwaves for over 25 years passed away Thursday after receiving open heart surgery in Boca Raton, FL. He was 87 years old. I've always been a night owl and Larry Glick was a night owl's best friend. Most of his shows aired in the wee small hours of the morning over clear channel powerhouse, WBZ-AM 1030 and WHDH-AM 850, up until he retired from radio in 1992. I used to stay up and listen to Larry on headphones while my younger brother, Mark, slept in a twin bed just a few feet from me. Sometimes, I would laugh out loud and that was OK, because as we always said in my family, "Mark could sleep through a nuclear blast".

Larry's late night talk show hit all 38 states of WBZ's clear channel signal from the late 1960s to 1987. He then moved to WHDH from 1987 until he retired to Florida in 1992. In Boca Raton, he was a greeter at the local Legal Seafood restaurant. I know this is true, because from my studio up in the XM satellite one night, I phoned that Legal Seafood and they confirmed that Larry Glick did indeed work there.

When Larry would take a phone call on the air, the caller would always ask, "Hey Larry, how ya doin'?" and Larry would always, say, "Lemme check" and then he'd whistle. Whenever a caller started mumbling nonsense or the call was dragging, Larry would "shoot them off the air" with the sound effect of a gun going off. It was always very funny, because as a listener, you'd find yourself anticipating the gunshot.

Larry Glick was a HUGE influence on me, because of his rapport with his radio audience. We called ourselves Glicknicks and we all felt like one giant family. Of course he had his regular callers. No radio show is complete without its regular "drunk" call (ie The Real George on The Night Prowl Show) and Larry had quite the cast of goofy regulars. I couldn't wait to get to bed, strap on my big ol' Radio Shack headphones and listen to The Larry Glick Show. I really feel like the Night Prowl Show achieved the same kind of "family" feeling that I got while listening to Larry Glick and that's how I knew that MY radio program was a success.

A few years ago, I was walking with Cross Country Kelly through the narrow cobblestone streets of Boston, from Faneuil Hall to the Waterfront. I wanted to show her the famous statue of Christopher Columbus that stands in Columbus Park. Etched on the bottom of that statue are a few names of famous Italians. At the bottom of that list is "Lorenzo Glickiano", a Jewish radio host who was accepted by every community in Boston as one of their own.

Larry was also very famous for his hypnosis act. He would put on shows at various local venues, hypnotizing audience members with great success. As I'd listen to him talk about his act AND sometimes hypnotize people on the air, I'd think about how much I'd like Larry to hypnotize me. Unfortunately, I never made it to one of his hypnosis events. He used to give away "Glick University" T-shirts while on WBZ and later on WHDH. I won a T-shirt by calling in one night and correctly identifying The Capitols as the group who sang the classic soul record "Cool Jerk". That was the only time I ever called or spoke to the great Larry Glick. He used to say, "now keep it clean", whenever he'd give a T-shirt away and I still have my "Glick University" shirt and it is still relatively clean.

Batista's Hole In The Wall Italian Restaurant in Las Vegas used to advertise quite frequently on Larry Glick's program. Occasionally, Larry would have Batista on the air and they always made the food sound so good. I've been to vegas FOUR times, but have never been by Batista's. Kelly and I are headed to Vegas in a few weeks and I hope to finally be able to try out this restaurant that Larry Glick loved so much.

So, although many of you Prowlers have never heard of Larry Glick, I felt this piece was necessary to print, because if there was no Larry Glick on MY radio, there may not have been any ME on YOUR radio. He was a first class broadcaster in ever sense of the word and to an industry that is increasingly blind to what makes radio great, I'm sure his death will generally be ignored. But to millions who tuned him in across the country on WBZ's clear channel signal, you know what we're missing. Larry Glick connected with his audience in a way that fully utilized this very person medium of radio. A day doesn't go by where I don't think about and appreciate what Larry Glick means to me and my radio career. Thank you, Larry and goodnight.

Please check out Larry Glick on the following links.

Here is Larry doing a TV commercial with WBZ morning man, Dave Maynard

Steve Cichon's Larry Glick Page With Pics and Sounds

-Matt The Cat

3/27/09

Mr. Excitement Wins Cat Fight!

2009-03-20T17:31:00.002-04:00

Mr. Excitement The Most Exciting "Danny Boy"

"Danny Boy "
Jackie Wilson : 74 Votes
Patti LaBelle: 27 Votes

Patti put forth a great and unique effort on her 1964 version of the Irish Classic, "Danny Boy", but the Prowlers overwhelmingly chose "Mr. Excitement" Jackie Wilson for his 1965 mind-blowing vocal acrobatics.

Today marks the first day of Spring. Now, I don't know about you, but this has been a long winter for me and I'm happy to see and feel the seasons change. This week's Cat Fight Show is all about the changing of the season. And since April Showers do bring May Flowers, I thought a song about "Walking In The Rain" would be an appropriate Cat Fight for this week. So go listen to the show and then decide whether you dig The Ronettes or Jay and The American version of that hit tune?

Friday Night Cat Fight On The Web!

Record Review: Little Walter Box Set

2009-03-18T15:59:00.004-04:00

Little Walter - The Complete Chess Masters (1950-1967)

Hip-O Select has done it again! Here is another box set that will surely satisfy the blues lover in all of us. This week, Hip-O Select released "Little Walter - The Complete Chess Masters (1950-1967). Click that link for a complete track listing. It's available at the Hip-O Select website and also on Amazon.com.

Even though Marion "Little Walter" Jacobs joined Muddy Waters live band in 1947, the Chess Brothers didn't let him begin recording with Muddy until the October 23, 1950 session. This set begins with that very session and a fantastic blues harp instrumental complete with Muddy's yeps called, "Evans Shuffle". Muddy wrote it and it was released as a Muddy Waters single by Chess, but it was pure Little Walter.

Walter scored his own session on May 12, 1952. With Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Little Walter blew one of the most infamous and infectious harp solos of all time when they cut "Juke". It was one of the biggest selling R&B hits of 1952 and it became Chess Records best seller up until rock n' roll blew up a few years later. This set includes the alternate version of "Juke", which is a completely different take on that amazing riff. It's definitely worth hearing both versions of this classic tune back to back.

It's hard to imagine disciples like Mick Jagger and Magic Dick blowing a blues harmonica if it hadn't been for Little Walter's ground-breaking phrasing and sound. He took a beat-up microphone, amplified it through a cheap PA amplifier and created a distorted, but powerful sound. On his records, the harp is not an after-thought, it's as up-front and important as a blues guitar. But Walter was more than just a great harmonica player, he could also sing with a great deal of feeling. Included in this 5 CD box set, are all of his 14 top 10 R&B hits, including his 2 #1's "Juke" and "My Babe". I love his vocal style on "Blues With A Feeling", "Hate To See You Go"(which also features Bo Diddley on guitar), "Too Late", "Mellow Down Easy" and "Boom Boom Out Go The Lights."

You will find all of the great Little Walter instrumentals that I used to play nightly on "The Night Prowl Show" as well as weekly on "Harlem". Songs like "Roller Coaster", "Fast Boogie" and "Off The Wall" bring back fond memories of giving Little Walter the radio exposure that he'd been missing for a generation.

Walter's 1963 classic, "Dead Presidents" never made the charts, but it came back again in 1972 when it was covered by The J. Geils Band (featuring Magic Dick, a great blues harp player in his own right). Little Walter's influence is still felt today whenever a young blues player picks up a harmonica and pairs it with a bullet mic and heavy reverb. I think Tony Glover, Scott Dirks and Ward Gaines put it best in this set's liner notes when they say, "In blues harmonica, there have been many great players, but only two distinct eras: pre-Little Walter and post-Little Walter." Yes, he was THAT good and THAT influential and FINALLY we have a box set that proves this beyond refute.

Donnie Owens Wins Cat Fight By Only 4 Votes!

2009-03-13T15:13:00.002-04:00

Owens Over Jack!

"Need You "

Donnie Owens : 50 Votes
Johnny Jack : 46 Votes

This week, The Prowlers picked the original 1958 version of "Need You", which just barely won over Johnny Jack's great 1962 rendition. Jack gave a strong showing for a song that mainly a hit in the Pittsburgh area.

Today is Friday, the 13th, so I got to thinking about bad luck and good luck. And since Tuesday is St. Patty's Day, the "luck of the Irish" will soon be upon us. So the show this week is all about good and bad luck with the Cat Fight taking on the traditional Irish tune, "Danny Boy". Voice your choice and vote for either the amazing voice of Patti LaBelle or the "excitement" of vocal styling with Jackie Wilson.

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