The New York Nobody Sings

B.J. Thomas "Eyes Of A New York Woman" (1968)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:49:00 +0000

A New York love song that managed to reach #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart on 09/14/68.

Lyrics (via Lyrics007.com)

by Mark James

I'll be in New York City
When the lights shine bright tonight
Where my woman waits for me
Arms that hold me tenderly
Lips as sweet as honeycomb
Love that waits for me alone
Deep in the eyes of a New York woman

The eyes of a New York woman
Are eyes that can hold a man
She swept me off of my feet
Made my world seem so complete
I'll never have to look for more
I found what I've been lookin' for
Deep in the eyes of a New York woman

Thought I wasn't ready for the tie that binds
But I lost my heart to her when her eyes met mine
Now I see her differently
I've got to make her mine

So I'll make my home Fun City
And let the lights shine bright on me
East side cafes, West side plays
Uptown, downtown, I'll be there
I'll never have to look for more
I found what I've been lookin' for
Deep in the eyes of a New York woman

The eyes of a New York woman
Are eyes that can hold a man
She swept me off of my feet
Made my world seem so complete
I'll never have to look for more
I found what I've been lookin' for
Deep in the eyes of a New York woman
Deep in the eyes of a New York woman
Deep in the eyes of a New York woman
Deep in the eyes

Of a New York woman
Deep in the eyes of a New York woman

The Dictators "Avenue A" (Live in Cleveland, OH - 04/26/02)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 11:21:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite New York songs ever and I thought it would be a good one to close out the year here at The New York Nobody Sings. The song "Avenue A" originally appeared on the Dics' 2001 release "DFFD". This live version, complete with a scathing intro by H.D.M. about the rapid changes overtaking New York's Lower East Side, was filmed in Cleveland, OH on 04/26/02.

Lyrics: (via Lyricstime.com)

Benny got a new tattoo
Down at the St. Mark's Zoo

He walked down to the park
Drinkin 40's, till it's dark
Talkin to a grey haired man
In a tie-dyed shirt and ragged pants
He said,
That's where the hippies used to play
Down on Avenue A

Susie got a new pair of shoes
Now she don't know what to do

So she's sitting in the Park
Smokin pot till it's dark
Talking to a toothless man
With spiky hair
And leather pants
He said,
I knew Stiv in the day
And that's where the junkies used to play
Down on Avenue A

When every memory is gone
and everything you know is wrong

Takin the edge off on a beautiful day
with a Frappacino and a cr?e brulee
yeah, it's all over when you see a Range Rover
and to my bodega, I say hasta luega

it's not what you do, it's what you say
and it's not who you know, it's who you pay

Down on Avenue A

*From all of us here at The New York Nobody Sings - we'd like to thank all of YOU for reading, listening and commenting in 2011. Have an enjoyable and safe New Years Eve and we'll see you back here in 2012.

Terence Jay "New York Christmas" (2011)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:28:00 +0000

Cover Girls "New York City Christmas" (1998)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:10:00 +0000

The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl "Fairytale Of New York" (1987)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:55:00 +0000

Hey there, this is NYCDreamin. On behalf of all of us here at The New York Nobody Sings, I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy, healthy and prospeous 2012.

The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl
"Fairytale of New York"
(1987)

The Baghdaddios "Christmas At CBGB's"

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:38:00 +0000

This upbeat, sure-to-be-a-classic Christmas song comes to us via the Official CBGB Facebook page earlier this morning, I couldn't resist sharing it here too. Christmas. In New York. At CBGB? Sounds pretty kick ass if you ask me...

And speaking of CBGB and Christmas...have you seen those beautiful, limited edition CBGB photo prints by Joseph Holmes, being offered by 20x200.com? They're the perfect gift idea for the hard-to-buy-for punks on your "naughty but still get a gift" list, but time is running out, Christmas is only a week away! Click HERE for more details.

Rosebud Social - "New York Days" (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:05:00 +0000

I'm very happy to share something with you this week that you've never heard before. A few days ago an old friend of mine from back in high school - a guy who I'd lost contact with over the years but through the miracle of Facebook, as so often happens these days, have been back in touch with recently - a musician kind of guy, drummer, posted this song on his Facebook page. It's an original song, performed by his long running band Rosebud Social, titled "New York Days." Well, you know right away what I was thinking: "Hmmm, seems perfect for this blog I know about..." So I shot dude a message asking him to tell me a bit about the song and video and to give me a bit of "introductory" who/what/where infomation about the band Rosebud Social and the song "New York Days." In response, I instead heard back from guitarist/vocalist/spokesman, Tom Keteri.

"Rosebud Social has been actively playing since 1992 and the core members (Pat Olds, drums, and Tom Keteri, vocals and guitar) have travelled many miles together, and the band has outlived most of their influences. Joel Moede (bass player of 20 years, stood down in 2010 to have a family) and was replaced by Brian Kislia of "The Swing Dogs," a Minneapolis blues rock band. Brian brings organizationl skills to the band and having been the singer in his band he also opens the door to more vocal range on the back ups. he was the guitar player and songwriter in "The Swing Dogs" so the writing has also been enhanced and we are not such a one trick pony.

Our influences range from old Country to Metal and everywhere in-between, we all have our "favorites" as a band and definately have a "continuity", but we are a mix of Soul Asylum, The Replacments, and most of the "other usual suspects" from the Midwest."

As for the song itself?

"The song was written from the standpoint of never experiencing New York in the "physical sense," it was a dreamt up interpretation of someone from the Midwest moving there and isolating one person (in this case a girl) that you see every day on her schedule among the thousands of people on the street and sort of occupying your day with what you would say and do, had you had the chance to meet her.

The song was written several years ago, in ten or fifteen minutes, before attending a Jayhawks concert on the North Shore of Lake Superior in the dead of winter The isolation of Minnesota's North Shore and the isolation of being amongst so many people in New York (although completly different in fabric) is what we shot for when writing the song. The two situations are so different, but also alike.

The song was written shortly before Ryan Adams released the album "Gold" in 2001, which contains the song "New York, " so there was never a big push on our part to market this song back then because of the similarity of the content. The original song, (that is heard in the video) is the version we will be finally releasing on our new C.D. We always felt it was too good to be a b-side piece, and now with the tradgedy of the events of 9/11 at a respectable distance in the past and no "New York" songs out there at the moment, we feel it is time to finally release it.

The video was produced by Justin Olds and was a pretty accurate interpretation of what we wanted for the song.we are looking forward to working with Justin again in the future as he really captured the feeling of the song."

The new CD Tom mentioned is due out sometime in the first half of 2012. The guys are in the studio today actually, working on this and other original material. I'll have more information on how you can get a copy of the CD as it becomes available over at ThisAintTheSummerOfLove. So here you go...your first listen to "New York Days." The band, again, is called Rosebud Social.

Let's Clean Up The Ghetto

noreply@blogger.com (esquared) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:01:00 +0000

Here's to the weekend.

Let's paint a sign
Everybody can read
Let's get rid of everything
We don't need
The fraternities, sororities,
The douchebags
And the woooo-wooooers, uh huh

[Real lyrics below]

You know, I was in
New York City a few months ago
And the garbage and the
Trash men were on strike
I'm talking about the
Maintenance people for the city

What they were trying to do was
They were trying to get
A little more money
You know, get a little raise in pay
But at that particular time
The city was broke
They were about ready
To declare default

I tell you, the garbage in some places
Was stacked up two, three stories high
At night, heh, boy, at night
It wasn't even safe to
Walk the streets, you see

Cause the rats
The roaches and the water bugs
I mean they were hustling, baby
Trying to get something to eat, see

And let me tell you something
It was stinking
Boy, there was all kind
Of disease in there

You know, but it only brought
To mind the fact that you can
No longer depend on the man downtown
To take care of business like
He's supposed to when he's supposed to

In order for us to get it
Like it's supposed to be
As far as cleanliness
You know, and safety

We gotta get together
And do it for ourselves
That's the only way it's gonna be done
And you know what I'm talking about
Let me tell you what I mean

Well, y'all, get it
You've gotta get it
Get it, you know you get it

Ghetto, talking bout the ghetto
Ghetto is our home
That's where we live
Where we live

Get your paint
Get your hammer, your nails
Get your brooms
Your mop and your pails
We gonna wash it, polish
And make it all clean

Let's wash away all of the sin
Time for a new life to begin
In the ghetto

I said
Clean it up, clean it up
I said we gonna
Clean it up, clean it up

Because the ghetto
I said the ghetto
Ghetto is our home
(That's where we live)

Let's paint a sign
Everybody can read
Let's get rid of everything
We don't need
The pushers, the dealers
The pocketbook snatchers
And thieves, uh huh

Let's make the streets safe
For women to walk
Let's get rid of all the vulgar talk
We gotta do it
In order for us to survive

I said we gotta
(Clean it up, clean it up) do it
We, we got to
(Clean it up, clean it up)
Yeah, hey

Sunny ghetto, oh
(Ghetto, ghetto is our home)
That's where we live from day to day
(That's where we live)

All of you brothers
That live on the main line
You lived in the ghetto
Once upon a time
We need everybody to lend a hand

Now you've helped everybody else
Now's the time for you
To help yourself
We can't depend
Depend on the people downtown
Well, well, get it up, get it up

Clean it up, clean it up
Well, well
Clean it up, clean it up
Hey, hey, hey, hey

Ghetto is our home
Yeah, that's where we live
Where we live, well

I said downtown
(Clean it up, clean it up)
Get it up, get it up
(Come on, y'all)
(Let's clean it up, clean it up)

Get a broom, well
(Come on, y'all)
(Let's clean it up, clean it up)
(Come on, y'all)
(Let's clean it up, clean it up)...

-- Philadelphia International All Stars, Let's Clean Up The Ghetto

"42nd Street" Grand Finale featuring Ruby Keeler, Vocals (1933)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:26:00 +0000

"42nd Street is a 1933 American Warner Bros. musical film directed by Lloyd Bacon with choreography by Busby Berkeley. The songs were written by Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics), and the script was written by Rian James and James Seymour, with Whitney Bolton (uncredited), from the novel by Bradford Ropes." - Wikipedia

Lyrics: (via STLyrics.com)

In the heart of little old New York,
You'll find a thoroughfare.
It's the part of little old New York
That runs into Times Square.
A crazy quilt that "Wall Street Jack" built,
If you've got a little time to spare,
I want to take you there.

Come and meet those dancing feet,
On the avenue I'm taking you to...

Come and meet those dancing feet,
On the avenue I'm taking you to,
Forty-Second Street.
Hear the beat of dancing feet,
It's the song I love the melody of,
Forty-Second Street.

Little "nifties" from the Fifties,
Innocent and sweet;
Sexy ladies from the Eighties,
Who are indiscreet.

They're side by side, they're glorified
Where the underworld can meet the elite,
Forty-Second Street.

Jayne County "Jackie Told Me" (2003)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:15:00 +0000

In keeping with the "Lower Manhattan Drag Scene circa late 60's/early 70's" theme established in our previous post (as tunefully depicted in Lou Reed's smash hit "Walk On The Wild Side"), here we offer up something a bit more rarely heard - a gem written and performed by one of the more outspoken and outrageous participants of said "scene."

Seminal punk forerunner/art rock innovator Jayne County says this song, about her long deceased speed-freak friend, roommate and fellow Max's Kansas City backroom hellraiser Jackie Curtis (also name checked, of course, in Reed's slightly more well known tune), tells a story that "...takes place in the East Village in 1969."

Should have seen 'em go go go

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Broun) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 04:23:00 +0000

Andrea True Connection "New York, You Got Me Dancing" (1977)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:59:00 +0000

Browsing around the net a bit this morning, catching up on some of what I've missed the past several days that I've been on extended Thanksgiving vacation, I spotted news from last week over at Stupefaction that former porn star-turned-disco queen Andrea True passed away earlier this month at 68 years old. I was a bit interested in this this news item as there is somewhat of a small Kiss connection. Current Grand Funk Railroad and former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick played with the Andrea True band for a brief time early in his career back around 1976. Kulick has mentioned his short stint with True's touring band in an interview or two over the years including one in Vintage Guitar magazine from 1996: "I didn’t enjoy the Andrea True gig; we played nice places where she’d had big hits, but we also played Air Force bases. At times it was like Spinal Tap."

Anyway, more to the point here. While reading Ms. True's obituary, I noticed mention of her big hit song "More, More, More." Almost everyone knows that one of course. But, also mentioned was another song that I'd never heard before that apparently also did very well for her on the Disco Charts called "New York, You Got Me Dancing." Penned by Disco/Dance innovator and mastermind Gregg Diamond, this track comes from True's second album "White Witch." The song eventually reached #4 on the Disco charts early in 1977. Featuring shout-outs to such legendary 70's era New York City dance haunts as 12 West and Regine's...it seemed only fitting to include this funky little momento from the disco craze here at The New York Nobody Sings.

Lyrics (via LyricsTrue.net)

Baby, baby with your hard luck story
You need a place to show to win
You'd still be waiting for me at the airport
while my ship was coming in
And N.Y. you're taking me dancing....

So "don't you beware, don't you beware"
Keep on dancing
"Don't you beware, don't you beware"
Keep on dancing
"Don't you beware, don't you beware"
Keep on dancing
"Don't you beware, don't you beware"
Keep on dancing

N.Y., N.Y., you keep me dancing, dancing
N.Y., N.Y., you keep me dancing, dancing

I'm so glad I saw your ad on every avenue
I'm so glad I saw your ad "in every place we drove"
It's a town so nice, they had to name it twice - N.Y., N.Y.
It's so hot, so hot, like an old soft shoe

"Don't you beware, don't you beware"
Keep on dancing
"Don't you beware, don't you beware"
Keep on dancing
"Don't you beware, don't you beware"
Keep on dancing
"Don't you beware, don't you beware"
Keep on dancing

N.Y., N.Y., you got me dancing, dancing
N.Y., N.Y., you got me dancing, dancing
N.Y., N.Y., you got me dancing, dancing

Dancing the night away
Oh what a joy at the Barefoot Boy
"Night Trouble Lane's" the place to be
At 12 West the sound's the best
I guess you can come in your jeans
But I still prefer..getting dressed up
But I still prefer getting dressed up for Regine's

"Don't you beware, don't you beware"
Keep on dancing
"Don't you beware, don't you beware"
Keep on dancing
"Don't you beware, don't you beware"
Keep on dancing
"Don't you beware, don't you beware"
Keep on dancing

N.Y., N.Y., you got me dancing, dancing

Charles Mingus - Nostalgia In Times Square

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Broun) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:40:00 +0000

Avett Brothers - I And Love And You

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Broun) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:42:00 +0000

Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.
Are you aware the shape I’m in?
My hands they shake, my head it spins.
Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.

olympia

noreply@blogger.com (holly) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:59:00 +0000

The song’s title “Olympia”, by Rancid, refers to Olympia, WA, but it is a classic New York Song. The song is all about F-ing NYC. Yes, he wants to go home, but in the mean time he is in NYC playing pinball with Puerto Rican girls. Where else can you do that? The beautiful melody gets a bit lost in the delivery and production, but underneath it all, what a gem. Sing it yourself, acoustic, “NEW YORK CITY!!!!” Sing it out! What a joyous exclamation! Yes, yes yes. Why do you wish you were back in your hometown when you LOVE it so much in NY? And while you are doing your accoustic version please leave out the little riff that is lifted, probably unintentionally, from the ace hardware jingle… “ace is the place for with the helpful hardware man.” Even still, a gem.

Hangin out with Lars down on 6th street

He knew that I was in trouble

I was feeling much like the Devil

There was something burning deep inside of me

Ran into three puerto ricans

These girls took us to the funhouse

Where we played a lonely pinball machine

Hangin on the corner of 52nd and Broadway

Cars passin by, but none of them seem to go my way

New York City, well I wish I was on the highway

Back to Olympia

I'm having a hard time understanding

It gets all too demanding

She's all gone and I'm stranded

Something's burning deep inside of me

All I know it's 4 o'clock and

She aint never showed up and

I've watched a thousand people go home from work

Hangin on the corner of 52nd and Broadway

Cars passin by, but none of them seem to go my way

New York City, well I wish I was on the highway

Back to Olympia

How many times will it take me

Before I go crazy

Before I lose everything

Something's burning deep inside of me

Ran in to three puerto ricans

These girls took us to the funhouse

I don't wanna be alone again

Hangin on the corner of 52nd and Broadway

Cars passin by, but none of them seem to go my way

New York City, well I wish I was on the highway

Back to Olympia

Sick Of It All "District" (2000)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 04:39:00 +0000

An eleven year old song and video by the Queens, NYC, NY based Hardcore outfit Sick Of It All that is maybe not so much a song about New York City itself as it is that of an incredibly prescient description/depiction of an event/movement currently taking place in NYC and in most other larger cities around the country.

Lyrics (Via)

Purge the district
Scrub it hard
Time to clean up our own backyard.
People standing in the way
Are on the list of people getting paid.
Not just the common thug
Also those up above
Making laws and deciding how the districts run into the ground.
Now the choice is up to us
Between the crooked and corrupt.
Whose made fewer bloody deals
Chose the lesser of two evils.
Soul turns to evil quick
Without love or discipline.
Poison for the destitute
Is also in the silver spoon.
The rain is coming down
But the drugs are dollar signs.
Pads the pockets of the bent
And we cant pay the rent.
Someday a real rain is gonna come
Someday a real rain is gonna come
Someday a real rain is gonna come
Someday a real rain is gonna come
And clean up the mess.

cigarettes and violets

noreply@blogger.com (holly) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:30:00 +0000

I met my first boyfriend, Jesse, at Black Flag and the Angelic Upstarts at the Left Bank in Mount Vernon.

At the time there were just a handful of kids on the New York hardcore scene. We were all part of the birth of the movement. You’d see the same faces at every show, I remember like it was yesterday, winners, losers, pioneers, you know who you are, burned into my brain forever: Bobby Steele in his leopard print spandex pants and pony sneakers; his girlfriend Lizette, one side of her head shaved, the rest of her long smooth golden hair the same; Nick Marden in a red plaid kilt and black eyeliner on one eye; Rob with a hard high Mohawk shaved into sections; Matt Zombie, still called Mattie Misfit back then, in a misfits shirt and motorcycle boots all baby faced and brooklyn accented, without the toll of years of hard living yet; Steve Poss; Ira and Robin, telling us about whips and the things people do; Leon and Claudette, skinny bald loudmouths hugging and jumping all over the place in dark plaid trench coats and combat boots; Wishnea; Stephan; Angelica with her spiked platinum hair and porcelain skin, arms around Natz with his dirty pants hanging off his hips, way low; Harley; Jimmy; Anthony; Patrick (RIP); Yana; Polly; Rizzo….

I could go on and on, forgive me if I am leaving you out, all you pretty things. We were all dying to have fun, dying to get out of the house, dying to have something to do. Taking trains out of NYC when there were no shows on the lower east side, to get to shows in Long Island or Mt Vernon, or New Jersey, we’d go anywhere in the tri state area. But I digress…

Black Flag played in Mt Vernon that tour, the Sunday night of Memorial Day Weekend. I had had a premonition about the show. I knew I needed to be there and I didn’t have to get up on Monday to attend 10^th grade at Cardinal Spellman High in the Bronx. It was destiny. My sister Karen and her boyfriend Kenny took me to the show. Kenny had a cool muscle car that I didn’t fully appreciate at the time. It was here that I met Jesse Malin, a kid from Queens who had a band called Heart Attack. He was with his friend Danny, from Long Island and I was with my pal Irene from the Bronx.

The bands hadn’t gone on yet. Jesse, Danny, Irene and me were all taking and getting to know each other. Then the Upstarts came on the guys went upfront to watch. Irene and I were there to see Black Flag and in the meantime we were mesmerized with our surroundings. My tiny life had blown open. It struck me so deep, the magical energy of newness and power and fun.

After a song or two, Danny circled back over and asked me if I wanted to go outside after the Upstarts set. I said sure, not really knowing that the question was loaded. Then a song later Jesse came over and asked me if I wanted to go outside right then and there. I again said sure, why not, not knowing that “to go outside” meant any thing. To them it was code for, wow I really do not know how to say this, every expression seems so square. To go outside: make out, fool around, engage in some sexual activity, be alone together, see how far it might go... hmmmmm.

In any case, I did and we did and we wound up together for close to 5 years. The relationship then continued in one form or another to the present. While no longer romantic, our relationship evolved over the years to business partners and creators of the GREENDOORNYC parties, with bands on the same bill, Fur and D Generation, playing great clubs like CBGBs and Coney Island High, songwriting partners at times, and basically family at this point. This Memorial Day will be the 30^th anniversary of that show, our 30^th anniversary of a New York rock and roll friendship

Anyway, we wrote this song at my NYC 4^th floor walk up apartment on B and 13^th street. Jesse recorded it for his first solo album, The Fine art of Self Destruction, produced by the talented Ryan Adams. To me it is a definitive New York song, if I do say so myself. Every blue moon I will go see Jesse play and he will do this song and I watch the kids in the audience mouth every word and I am reminded how much I love it, how mush I love writing, how much I love music, how much I love words, how much I love people. And hoiw lucky I am to get to write songs and see other artists bring them to life. It’s my fav. Its about those messed up people or places you love. Only in New York, my friends….

You smell like cigarettes and violets 

You invite me in but won't tell me your name 

Your hands held all the aces 

Kings and queens but still you lost the game

Messed up like a sunset, too close to be a star 

Messed up like an actor that got stuck doing porn 

Messed up skipping dinner and living on popcorn 

Messed up like a song  

Right turn in the wrong lane 

A quick fix but all your love's in vain 

Best schools worst grades 

Sold out but baby forgot to get paid 

Messed up like the father who couldn't see the son 

Messed up like an outlaw who blamed it on the gun 

Messed up like an in-law who did what one might 

We're messed up here tonight  

Well there's cops and shoppers on the hunt 

I'm writing in a restaurant 

A stranger taking orders asked me what I want 

Told the secrets of the hope 

You tied the knot I bought the rope, it seems 

Messed up like a martyr, straight or on the rocks 

Messed up like my mother,  crazy like a fox 

Messed up like the sunlight,  too early in my eyes 

Messed up like a prizefight, at least you could've tried 

Messed up like the system, you used to call a sin 

Messed up like an earthquake, you couldn't keep it in 

Messed up like a birthday I can't recall the date 

But you still love to hate

Jackie Leven - Snow In Central Park

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Broun) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:34:00 +0000

In memory of Jackie Leven (Doll By Doll).

Laura Kennedy (Bush Tetras) RIP

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Broun) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Laura Kennedy RIP

Billy Joel - "New York State Of Mind" (1976)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 13:54:00 +0000

Here I go, breaking the "...blindingly obvious numbers are excluded" rule once again. So what else is new? And with a Billy Joel tune at that! Jeeez, I'm really on a roll here!

Anyway, no matter what you may think of Billy Joel's music in general, you just can't deny that this is one of the all time great love songs to New York City. I feel to exclude it from our litle collection here would be an absolute oversight on our part and might even be construed by some as a conspiracy of some sort against Mr. Joel and his middle-of-the-road lounge music...

The Trammps - The Night The Lights Went Out

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Broun) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:59:00 +0000

The Trammps commemorate the 1977 blackout in New York. Where were you?:

"I remember on the 13th of July
The only light was the light up in the sky
New York had a black-out for 25 hours or more
And nobody really knows the reason why..."

Hat tip to History Is Made At Night.

Pro-Pain "The Stench Of Piss" (1992)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:22:00 +0000

Pro-Pain is a New York-based hardcore band formed in 1991 by vocalist and bass guitarist Gary Meskil and drummer Dan Richardson, both former members of Crumbsuckers. Their debut album "Foul Taste of Freedom" was released in 1992, after which the band signed to Roadrunner Records, who reissued the album the following year. (Wikipedia)

Our New York Nobody Sings song choice this week is a catchy little ditty from Pro-Pain's 1992 debut album. The song is titled "The Stench Of Piss." With a subtle title like that one can assume the song is not gonna be a love song about New York City; in fact this song seems to describe a frustration and disgust with the sights, smells and activities of the late 80's/early 90's homeless populations that clustered around places such as Penn Station and the Port Authority bus terminal.

Lyrics (via stLyrics.com)

look, there's hard luck willie
he begs for bucks sometimes
he ain't never bothered nobody
and nobody bothered to hand him a dime
he don't wanna work
cause he looks like a bum and he stinks like a turk
but he'll survive, they say, to urinate where you eat someday

leave this life behind you honey and don't you ever come back
these streets are paved with violence,
broken dreams, and vials of crack
so sick of living in a city where ignorance is truly bliss
mass transit, penn station, ass rancid
with the sentch of piss

why do they call him willie?
and what will he do for money?
will he sell his ass and get cash for sex?
what will he think of next?
got a couple of johns on file
he was willing to serve with a smile
so he sold himself for the price of a fix
and the next day willie called in sick

leave this life behind you honey and don't you ever come back
these streets are paved with violence,
broken dreams, and vials of crack
so sick of living in a city where ignorance is truly bliss
bus terminal, port authority, portapotty
with the stench of piss

they cry as they lie in their filth, i call it a crime
so drunk they can drown in their puke, of bile and wine
defecation in general can heat seal your nose with a kiss
so don't bother holding your breath - inhale some of this

Bob Dylan "Talkin' New York" (Live at Gerde's Folk City, NYC, NY - April 1962)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 10:19:00 +0000

From Wikipedia:"Talkin' New York is the second song on Bob Dylan's eponymous first album. It describes his feelings on arriving in New York, his time playing coffee houses in Greenwich Village and his life up to getting a record deal. The lyrics express the difficulty he had finding gigs as a result of his unique sound: "You sound like a hillbilly; We want folk singers here."

G.G. Allin And The Jabbers "New York City Tonight" (1982)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 13:02:00 +0000

Thanks to our friend MJG196 over at ThereIsASiteThatNeverGoesOut for suggesting this early, pre-pee/poop/blood/puke era G.G. Allin and the Jabbers ode to raising hell amidst the creatures of the New York City night time circa 1982.

Gerry Cott "Alphabet Town" (1984)

noreply@blogger.com (NYCDreamin) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 11:30:00 +0000

*An edited version of this post was originally published as "NYC Images as Album/CD Cover Art #38" at ThisAintTheSummerOfLove.

(Image via: NYCDreamin Archives)

Artist: Gerry Cott
Title: "Alphabet Town" b/w "That Girl Friday" (7" Picture Sleeve)
Released: 1984

I spotted this cool looking 7" in the "Recent Arrivals" bin at Cheapo Records in Minneapolis a few weeks ago and immediately paid the $1.00 asking price and then mentally scheduled to post it here at a later date, that being today. Having never heard of Gerry Cott* or his song "Alphabet Town" and, additionally, having no turntable to play the 7" when I got home, I was really hoping the song had been uploaded to Youtube.

Much to my horror...it had been:

*So apparently this Gerry Cott guy was a co-founder of the Boomtown Rats. I was blissfully unaware of that fact until right now. And, amazingly, according to the Gerry Cott Wikipedia page, "Alphabet Town" hit the Canadian charts, peaking at #90 during a 9 week run in the fall of '84." I'm surprised it did that well. The story outlined in the song seems to consist of the premise of some random skeezy guy who is trying to score some dope from one of his equally skeezy suppliers "way down in Alphabet Town," something that, according to all accounts, wasn't too hard to accomplish in rather short order back in 1984.

Lyrics (printed on the back of the picture sleeve.)

*Chorus
Way down way down in Alphabet Town
Theres a deal gone down today
Theres a deal gone down in Alphabet Town
And the wolves came out to play

Now they call him the Captain
Hes such a bullet proof guy
Hes been shot five times
but he'll never say die

He wears a stone in his left ear
He wears a skull in his tie
You might think of takin him
But you better not try

*Chorus

The Captains girl his sugar pink blonde
Who goes by the name of Snowdrop
Well she sits in the car and waits for her man
and watches the fuzz at the bustop

Then along comes Sweet as he's known on the street
Witha look in his eye that leaves no doubt
That the C and the D's comin another deal's gone down
Ten thousand voices all shout...

*Chorus

With your World War III
And your ABC
And your C and D
Well you don't fool me

*Chorus

Uh say there what happening...You dont?
Well you better get out of my face
Cause somethin's going down and I want to get me some

*Chorus