Take your ears for a gallop beyond the stagnant pond of good taste and into the lush, dewy meadows of Ponytone.

Kenny Rankin - In The Name Of Love (1974)

Raimundo Fagner's fourth album Orós was released in 1977 with arrangements, musical direction, and keyboards by Hermeto Pascoal.

Cinza
Orós
Fofoca

A special prize to any of my thousands of Portuguese, Angolan, or Mozambiquan readers (I have yet to reach the masses in Brazil) who will translate the lyrics of the Pascoal-penned 'Fofoca' for me.

Toda pessoa que mente
Não olha direito na gente
Desconfia de todos
Fingindo estar contente

E quando encontra alguém
De quem fez fofoca também
Muda de assunto na hora
Nem jeito de andar não tem

Inventa sempre uma história
Que não convence a ninguém
Inventa sempre uma história
Que não convence a ninguém

Um dia cai do cavalo
Por que não valé um vintém
A mentira é passageira
E a verdade é de quem tem

Ô ô ô a fofoca acabou
Fica aqui que eu já me vou

Bobby Brown - I'm Bolieve (1982)

Not Whitney's Bobby, but the hippie from California who ad-libbed his songs on street corners around the world, playing about 50 homemade instruments with every finger and toe and possibly even his nose. This selection is from his third lp, Prayers of A One Man Band, sold from his van to my aunt Charlene somewhere in Oregon in the early 80s.

It's been said that three out of every five modern renaissance men were born in Buenos Aires. But that doesn't mean they still live there. In 1968 Juan Carlos Caceres left his home on the southern shore of the Rio de la Plata and moved to Paris to paint, sing, teach art history and can fresh vegetables. He even found time for a little hobby called Malon, a latin-tinged powerhouse comprised predominantly of French musicians. Caceres composed all of the music for their 1972 album El Camino Dale Negro, as well as providing lead vocals and playing more instruments than you can shake a stick at : piano, drums, trombone, trumpet, peruvian flute, zansa, and siku, to name a few. He also took the trash out of the studio on a regular basis.

Dale Negro
Go Home
El Camino
Sabroso

Malon released two more albums in the 1970s. I'm not sure what became of the other members of the band after that, but Caceres continues to play music, lecture, and exhibit his art all over the world. As an expert on the history of Argentinian music, he has recently focused his efforts on exposing the 'real and uncensored' history of tango music. Specifically, the idea that tango originated in the musical traditions of Afro-Argentines but were subsequently written out of its history and folklore.

In The Blue Distance

A mix exceeding the standard cd length by just a nose. Or two. Title courtesy of Mr. Gene Tyranny. Download available after the tracklisting:

NED DOHENY - GET IT UP FOR LOVE (1976) From his third album, released just prior to the onset of a beer belly.





JUDY NYLON - CARLOTTA (1982) First single from the better half of the punk act called Snatch, and the Judy from Brian Eno's 'Back In Judy's Jungle'.


IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY - WHITE BIRD (1969) Debut from the San Francisco band founded by David LaFlamme, who now cameos on sitcoms as 'the pesky restaurant violinist'.




ALICE SMITH - LOVE ENDEAVOR (MAURICE FULTON REMIX) (2006) Maurice toys with the NYC chanteuse known for her 4-octave vocal range, a note or two shy of Minnie & Mariah.



REDEMPTION - A CHANGE WILL COME (1974) From the Salvation Army label's patented series of Jesus-funk.



FLORA PURIM - LIGHT AS A FEATHER (1973) Butterfly dreams from the jazz fusionist with a penchant for cocaine.




PESNYARY- MNIE VIASNOJU PRYSNILASIA (1971) Legendary 9-piece Belarussian band and the darlings of Melodia, the Soviet state-run label.



SYLVIA - GIMME A LITTLE ACTION (1974)
Pillow-talker by day, Godmother of Rap by night.



THE VIBRATIONS - SHAKE IT UP (1974) Written by Bunny Sigler, who was named Bunny as an infant when his mother noticed that he had a fully-grown front tooth.




TIM MAIA - E NECESSARIO (1977) The Godfather of Brazilian Soul. Is there a more honorable distinction on earth?




CIRCLE CITY BAND - MAGIC (1983) This roller rink jam was a top ten hit in Alaska & Indiana and the theme song for the BET cable channel for two whole years.



DEBRA DEJEAN - TIME OF THE SEASON (1981) Memphis secretary who got her big break, got wasted, and vanished into obscurity. Notable for sleeping with Pete from The Pretenders.



STARBUCK - CALL ME (1976) Stylish lads from Atlanta, currently entangled in litigation with Herman Melville and some coffee chain.



ANTONIO ADOLFO -
VERMELHINHO (1979)
From Viralata, released on his very own record label, Artezanal.



J.O.B. ORQUESTRA - GOVINDA (1978) Open The Doors to Your Heart, and learn a few lines from the Brahma Samhita to boot.


FLOWERS - FOR REAL (1976) Mysterious band fronted by Richard E. Flowers Jr., who sued LA's Regal Biltmore Hotel in 2001. Damn it, I said extra pillows!



BILLY MARTIN & THE SOUL JETS - I TURN YOU ON (1972) Studied at the Manhattan Conservatory and clearly learned something.



CHICO MAGNETIC BAND - WE ALL COME AND GO (1970) Lyonese psychedelia with a scratch & sniff album cover.



ASHA & INCREDIBLE BEATBOX BAND - APACHE (2006) Asha, Kei and K-Moon take a stab at the Jerry Lordan classic. But can it possibly compete with the Tennessee Farm Band version?



MILTON HENRY & LEE SCRATCH PERRY - SWEET TASTE OF MEMORY (1977) Scratchie invites King Melodius onto the Black Ark.



PRAM - MOTHER OF PEARL (2000) The 7th album from Pram, or as they're known in America, The Stroller UK.



ARCHIE WHITEWATER - CROSS COUNTRY (1970) Recently pilfered by some chancer named Common.



"BLUE" GENE TYRANNY - NEXT TIME MIGHT BE YOUR TIME (1977) From Out of the Blue, the debut from the prolific avant garde keyboardist. Vocals by Patrice Manget.


EDDIE FISHER - MY MAMMY (1968) Eddie's loving tribute to Al Jolson. He even donned blackface in the recording studio, which may have been the cause for his 9th divorce.



CARL SHERLOCK HOLMES INVESTIGATION - CLOSE TO YOU (1975) Native of Willow Grove, PA, along with the first female president of the NAACP and one of the stars of Jackass.



MS. TYREE "SUGAR" JONES - IF YOU FEEL IT (1970) An esteemed alumnus of Ed McCoy's Big Mack Finishing School.




BEMBEYA JAZZ NATIONAL - PETIT SEKOU (1972) Classic Guinean groove recorded before vocalist Aboubacar Camara's fatal car crash en route to a concert in Dakar.

DOWNLOAD THIS MIX

In the coming days Vidal Bassoon will go over many of these artists with a fine-tooth comb, including Archie Whitewater, J.O.B. Orquestra, Blue Gene Tyranny, Ned Doheny, Afra & Incredible Beatbox Band, Redemption, Tim Maia, and others...

The Romero Family

The Romero Family (from left to right: Al, Mary Lou, Cherise, Alfredo, Maxine, Bill, and Flavia) recorded this regional hit back in 1983 at the Rendezvous Studios in Honolulu, and although David Geffen offered to fly the entire family out to Los Angeles to record a follow up, they chose instead to ride off into the Oahu sunset. Lord knows why. But they make it very clear in "I Believe In God" that they don't approve of superstars, organic food, or foreign cars -- so perhaps they just couldn't handle their burgeoning celebrity status and the lifestyle it demanded. Last month I ran into Alfredo Romero, covered in tattoos, pedaling leis in front of the Opportunity Village charity shop on West Oakey Blvd. in Las Vegas.

Kanaka Wai Wai
I Believe In God
Worry No More

Battle of the Brothers

vs.

This month's Battle of the Brothers pits the Hürel Brothers from Turkey against The Pyle Brothers from Evansville, Indiana.

Back in the mid-70's, Nate, Joe, and Mike Pyle were a vibrant young group of Gospel believing Christians who had a very unique and versatile ministry. Not only did the Lord use their singing talents to reach souls, but God also involved the entire Pyle clan in skits and puppet shows that delighted audiences in 22 states.

Meanwhile, nearly 5200 miles away in a swirl of hashish smoke, Onur, Feridun, and Haldun Hürel were staging a coup against the reigning emperor of Turkish psych, Erkin Koray. But it was merely a stepping stone to their ultimate goal: a victory against the Pyle Brothers so they could seize their collection of puppets. And if they couldn't do it with their double-necked saz/guitars and passionate vocals, then by God they'd do it with their stylish threads!

3 Hur-El - Doner Dunya
3 Hur-El - Omur Biter Yol Bitmez
(from the lp Hurel Arsivi released on Diskotur in 1976)




The Pyle Brothers - Don't Go To Heaven Alone
The Pyle Brothers - It's A Song The Angels Cannot Sing

(from the lp Don't Go To Heaven Alone, released on Pinebrook in 1975)

Kindly cast your vote in the comments section.

Chantal Goya

After starring in Masculin, Feminin and enjoying a successful career as a ye-ye girl, Chantal Goya was offered $50,000 to appear in Playboy. But Chantal had a slightly different kind of photo spread in mind:

And while her two-decade stint as the Mary Poppins of France is fascinating, for now let's reminisce about her ye-ye days.

C'est Bien Bernard
Oh Raconte Moi
Tant De Joies
Dans La Nuit (a cover of Twinkle's Golden Lights)