(Note: this series was originally published elsewhere.)
Something in music: origin
One evening at a hot, trendy L.A. nightclub on a rare solo outing, yours truly found himself standing alone at the bar preparing to review the upcoming act. Before he had taken more than a few notes, however, he was bookended by a pair of vivacious vixens who insisted on engaging your rockin’ writer in cozy conversation. Strangely, the subject of “marriage” arose.
One of the young ladies noted that when a gal is about to get hitched, she needs “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” Your provocative penman was immediately inspired. After all, those very same terms could be applied to music too: “Something old” or classic, “something new” or recently released, “something borrowed”, a cover, and “something blue”, a blues song or a song with “blue” in the title. The rest is history.
‘Something’ in Music 281
Something Old
Our “something old” in this edition is the classic cut “Domino” written and recorded by Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician Van Morrison. It opens his fourth platter, His Band and the Street Choir which hit the record racks in 1970. It was his personal tribute to singer and pianist Fats Domino.
Something New
Our “something new” this time is the new song "Belly of the Beast" written and recorded by Oklahoma's singer/songwriter and musician Mitch Hayes. According to a recent email, Hayes was written while he “was working in the respiratory ward of a hospital during the height of the pandemic.” The tune will be featured on his upcoming album titled Gentle Man which drops on June 9th.
Something Borrowed
Our “something borrowed” this time is the 1955 song “Flip, Flop, Fly”. It was co-written by Charles E. Calhoun and Lou Willie Turner and first recorded by singer Big Joe Turner in 1955. This unique cover version is by the Taos, New Mexico-based band known as The Rifters.
The Rifters are a trio of singer-songwriters and musicians. The roster includes Rod Taylor of the Rounders on guitar, mandolin, and vocals; Jim Bradley on bass and vocals; and Don Richmond on guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, pedal steel guitar, harmonica, accordion, trumpet, and vocals. Check out a review of their most recent release right here.
Something Blue
Finally, our “something blue” this edition is the track “Exotic in Blues” by The Tikiyaki Orchestra. This instrumental first appeared on their 2015 album titled Idol Worship and Other Primitive Pleasures. If you’re in the area and would like to see the act live, you’re in luck. The Tikiyaki Orchestra will be performing live at the art park, Wisdom in Downtown Los Angeles, California at Exoticon. According to a recent e-communique Exoticon is the first 21+ “immersive event [to celebrate] the wild, weird and wonderful world of Exotica.”
It runs June 23rd through the 25th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. The venue includes 360-degree projection and stages in “five temperature-controlled domes.” It will feature auctions of vintage tiki and Exotica items, craft cocktail grottos, displays, historical exhibits, symposiums, themed Exotica burlesque, and Bootleg Batman!, a late-night campy burlesque homage to unlicensed superhero products of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
There will also be food, free rum tastings, themed photo booths, vendor villages, outdoor entertainment, theatrical stage productions, and additional musical entertainment by Creepxotica, The Martini Kings, The Blue Hawaiians, The Hula Girls, The Infernal Order of the Black Flame, Jason Lee & The Dark Entities, Mambo Diabolico, The Hukilau Hotshots, Optiganally Yours, The Ego Plum Laboratory of Electro-Musical Instruments, The Reckless Night Ensemble Plays Raymond Scott, Theremin virtuoso, Thea Triffid, and a Yma Sumac vocalist.
Single-day and weekend tickets are available. For further information visit the official website.
Did we mention your favorite “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”? If not, let us know. Don’t forget to send us your bride photos too!