Percy Sledge "Too Many Rivers to Cross (Jimmy Cliff)"

Just got back from a digging mission/helping girlfriend move mission in Richmond, VA. Being that two of my all time favorite record stores are in Richmond it was imperative I did some digging. I came up with the most amount of superb records in the one week I was down there than I have in months. One of the best gems I found is the B-side of the 45 I bring you today, which is Percy Sledge doing a version of Jimmy Cliff's classic "Many River to Cross." Ironically this was the cheapest record I purchase ($1.00) and it is my favorite out of the whole stack I brought back with me. I found it while flipping through some 45's and saw the song title and thought to myself that it couldn't be the same as the Cliff song and then I saw the credit which reads "Jimmy Cliff" and my investigation was finished right then and there. I listened to the entire song on the store's listening turntables. The Jimmy Cliff version is, in my opinion, the best song on theThe Harder They Come soundtrack, which is probably the case because it's more of a soul/gospel song than a reggae song. So we have one of my all time favorite American Soul singers, and more importantly the voice that was responsible for bringing raw unfiltered Black Soul music to White mainstream America (See: "When a Man Loves a Woman") doing a version of a soulful tune written by one of the most prominent Jamaican Reggae musicians who was responsible for bringing Jamaican Reggae and Ska to a larger audience (See; the film and the soundtrack The Harder They Come. You know it has to be good.

P.S. Sorry for the poor picture, my digital camera sucks and the camera on my laptop is actually better (although still shitty)
P.P.S. I know the track is a little noisy but it was only a buck and honestly I would have paid a buck just to know this version existed.

Italian American Soul singer...wut?

As an Italian American I feel proud to share this with you all. I acquired this killer Dean Parrish 45 in a collection of some Northern Soul bonzers I bought. This is by far my favorite out of that lot of records and has gained consistant spins since it found its way into my boxes. Parrish had a couple of minor hits, this probably being the most minor of them all from information I've gathered, but is noted from having his track "I'm on My Way" to be the last record spun at the Wigan Casino.

The track I have up is "Skate PT. 1." First of all the actual label design for Boom might be my favorite of all time, simple and creative. The track itself is a bomb with a heavy beat, a piano track that moves the song along with a comfortable speed and a bass line that absolutely bounces. The call and response part of the song is my favorite along side the drum breaks. I hope you dig this one. If anyone has any other Dean Parrish 45's they'd be willing to part with please get in touch.

Grab Life by the Horns

Isaac Hayes and Dave Porter will forever hold a spot in my heart as one of my all time favorite songwriting teams. They've churned out over 200 singles, some of which were monster hits ("Soul Man," "When Somethings Wrong With My Baby," and "B-A-B-Y" just to name a few). I thought I had heard almost every Stax-era Sam and Dave track until I uncovered this scorcher of a B-side the other day while doing a little local digging. This 45, "Born Again" b/w "Get It," was apparently the last single that Hayes and Porter turned out at the Stax studios. Going out with a bang is an understatement here. The song "Get It" has all the marks of a Hayes and Porter classic (memorable horn melodies, jangley guitar rhythms, hard staccato piano line, and Sam and Dave's trademark howls to top it all off). There are a few things that stood out to me on this track: First is the epic horn break in the middle of the song and the ascending build up that follows, it comes out of nowhere but fits perfectly and Second is the completely fuzzed out solo at the end that had to be the work of Hayes. This kind of guitar work is atypical of Hayes and Porter's Stax era work but it completely and totally rips. The track has so much energy, hope you dig it.

Hank Jacobs - So Far Away/Monkey Hips and Rice

From the crates I bring you this jam. It possesses everything I think epitomizes a perfect rhythm and blues instrumental rager: high energy forward moving beat, an organ that perfectly accents the guitars, absolutely wild piano playing, and of course sparse vocals that are encourage the band to keep it moving. A great track. This is the surprisingly the B-side, that A-side is good but not as good as this one.

Tired of being forced to listen to an egotistical singer impress his pompous idealism on you while his supporting band gets overshadowed? Well fear not because I've created a new series of mixes titled "Satan's Fingers," which are going to be compilations of some of the greatest instrumental songs ever written. Vol. 1 is geared to inspire you to break a bottle over the next hipster's head you come across. Grab your chains, grab your bats, these are-- Satan's Fingers!!!



1. Motorhead - Instro
2. John Cameron - Motorcycle Mayhem
3. Davie Allan and the Arrows - Apache '65
4. Blues Creation - Brain Buster
5. Link Wray - Deuces Wild
6. Mar-Keys - Bo-Time
7. Booker T and the M.G.s - Green Onions
8. Don Julian and the Larks - Just Tryin' To Make It
9. Eddie Kirk - The Hawg, Part One
10. Meat Puppets - Milo, Sorghum and Maize
11. Gollywogs (CCR) - Instrumental, No. 1
12. Infest - Fetch The Pliers
13. The Zakary Thaks - Face to Face
14. Jack Nitzsche - The Lonely Surfer

Satan's Fingers Vol. 1

With A Little Help From My Friends...

No, not The Beatles version or the Joe Cocker version popularized by the television series "The Wonder Years." This is the Steve Cropper version. Cropper, for those who don't know, is one of America's greatest unsung heroes. He's mostly known for his work at the infamous Stax studios and his membership in the Stax house band, Booker T and the M.G.s. Cropper however did have a solo record on the Volt label, Stax's imprint, which came out in 1969. The title of the record and the first song on the A-side is a cover of The Beatles hit song "With A Little Help From My Friends," a masterfully written song composed by Lennon and McCartney together. Cropper's version is all instrumental in which his fuzzed out guitar replaces Ringo's vocals and mimics the vocal melody perfectly, a tragic sounding organ, played by Booker T, underlines Cropper's amazing guitar work, and a distinctive Stax sounding horn section just for a little soulful flavor . This version is by far my favorite out of all the vast renditions of The Beatles classic, mainly because Cropper instills something in this already amazing song that The Beatles could only dream of, pure soul and intense desperation. Surprisingly this song, or any other songs from this record, aren't readily available on youtube so I'm making it available. If anyone wants me to rip the rest of the record just let me know and I'll be happy to do so. I hope you enjoy this version as much as I do.



Steve Cropper - "With a Little Help from My Friends"

Iron horse is life