SMALL TOWN TALK: Episode 59

In which Ginger Baldy meets a certain girl down in the basement.

 

1.   In The Basement Part 1 - Sugar Pie DeSanto & Etta James

2.   Have Mercy Baby - Billy Ward & The Dominoes (lead vocal Clyde McPhatter)

3.   Marked Deck - Mercy Baby

4.   A Certain Girl - Ernie K-Doe

5.   Heart Full Of Soul - The Yardbirds

6.   Worm And The Rattlesnake - Godley & Creme

7.   Down On Me - Big Brother & The Holding Company

8.   Down On Me - Robert Bradley & Macy Gray

9.   She’s So Tough - Mink DeVille

10. That Makes It Tough (Undubbed) - Buddy Holly

11. Kimbie - Jackson C. Frank

12. Reno - Peter Rowan & Don Edwards     (This month’s death song)

13. Tobacco Road - The Nashville Teens     (This month’s earworm)

14. Yakety Yak - The Coasters

15. Do I Make Myself Clear - Sugar Pie DeSanto & Etta James

 

Theme song: Small Town Talk - Bobby Charles 

I was as jealous as hell 'cause he was just a kid
And he could walk on the waltzers like Jesus did
He said, "You try it," I said, "It's a piece of cake"
But I knew he knew I was a worm not a rattlesnake

Godley & Creme

Worm and the Rattlesnake  from the album Birds Of Prey (1983)

Check out the full lyrics here:

https://genius.com/Godley-and-creme-worm-and-the-rattlesnake-lyrics

 

See how brilliant, sassy and funny Sugar Pie DeSanto was back in Manchester in ‘64:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3E5Rn2cXeo

 

Jackson C. Frank can be found on Wikipedia, but this Guardian article is a good way to start:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jan/09/jackson-c-frank-tragic-tale-forgotten-60s-legend

 

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

https://www.jdmcpherson.com/

The above site also provides The 2025 Tour dates.

Small Town Talk will be JD’s gig at London’s Garage on June 20th.

 

You have to enter Johnny Corsair’s competition. The prize - a brand new Ace CD, “Soul Harmony”. Get over to Bright Lights Big City to see what's new.

https://johnnycorsair9.podbean.com/

 

The brilliant Ace records:  Small Town Talk plays a track from an Ace album every month. Their site is much more than just an online record shop. Go and see:

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

 

Episode 59 illustration: The late great Sugar Pie DeSanto