Hey Kats & Kittens, Friends and Fiend.
TODAY WE HAVE A GUEST VJ!…..
From the heart of TO, ONT… (“Gonna Fly Now” starts)
He’s a Muso Extraordinaire, a Writer, a Poet, a Fashion wearer, a History buff, & an all around Kool Kat…get ready for a Roadtrip History Lesson.
We introduce to seduce …PK! (Patrick King Enterprises, all rights reserved)
Take it away PK!
(applause here)………………(music fades)……………………..ok enough applause.
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PK:
Firstly, I would like to start by thanking Big Daddy Phil for allowing me to take you on a ride on The InCrapid Reporter Files.
Hail Hail All, I’m King on The Road — nice to meet you all. Hope you enjoy this little cruise.
A short journey down the highways and byways of Americana and Canadiana music. During this trip we’re going to hear some music from the less traveled roads, boulevards, backstreets, trails and alleyways.
We may find ourselves fueling up at service stations with: blues, country, acadian, R&B, a little cajun, perhaps a pinch of bluegrass and, if the sun keeps shining, a little zydeco may pop out.
Like every good journey, all one needs is a sharp dart and a map. I’m not talking about the ever popular Dart Sport created by the Dodge Brothers. This is more like the game of darts you played in your rec room when you were a whipper snapper.
Here goes first throw, hit the map hard - bullseye, right in Texas. Buckle your seat belt hot rodders, roll down the windows, turn up the volume, its going to be a choppy ride.
Hope you dig the sites.
When I think of Texas, I think of the wild side of life. So, our first gear-head stop on The Road is Houston, home to the one and only…the legendary LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS - country blues poet and one of the blue's unique pickers. Sam has, in one way or another, impacted every guitarist who picked a guitar. Listen closely and you can hear one of Stevie Ray’s biggest influences…Oh yeah, that’s a young Joan Baez, shy and bashful, sitting and listening to this legend with full grin. Lite’m up Sam.
LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS — “Let’s Pull A Party”
Hail Hail Kitty Kats,
What did ya think of that roadside attraction? That Lightnin’ sure knows how to rip it up. I really should have taken the foot off the gas a little, cause now I gotta pull over and fill up with some rhythm and blues. While we wait for some high octane R&B to fill the tank, let’s shift gears from strings to keys for a few minutes. What better way than some real fuel for the heart. If we’re gonna get outta Houston we need us some KATIE WEBSTER - another Houstonite. Katie had the touch that brought’ em all looking and learning, from BONNIE RAITT to VASTI JACKSON. Here’s Katie showing us how to tickle the ivory with “Two Fisted Mama”.
So, go to the fridge, pop a top, turn it up, grab the cat, the dog, anyone who’ll swing with ya for this jalopy is gonna jump.
KATIE WEBSTER — “Two Fisted Mama”
Woe is me, I hope ya got a good sweat on from that jump. Damn I miss her jump beat. That beat should definitely get us thumpin’ a little further down The Road. Texas ladies sure know how to bump ya up off your feet. The sign ahead reads Dallas, lets hit it. Being only three hours away from Houston and we’re gonna be on the road for a minute, time to turn up the tuner and see what Texas radio has to offer on The Road.
Tuning in to XHRF’s 250,000 watts on the dial, I can hear the stunning fine fine sounds of LOU ANN BARTON. Backed by none other than Texas rockin’ blues troubadours, THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS with Austin’s very own DEREK O’BRIAN on guitar.
Swing Daddy O, Swing.
If this doesn’t break the heels off your shoes, I don’t know what will. This 45 rpm was first built by JIMMY LOGSDON in the late 50s and covered by many many rock & rollers. We gotta hear Jimmy’s dirty little riff right after The Queen, LOU ANN BARTON runs it down The Road at mach speed. Checkout how DEREK & DUKE ROBILLARD sling it out with some amazing guitar riffs.
LOU ANN BARTON - “Rocket In My Pocket”
JIMMY LOGSDON — “Rocket In My Pocket”
Holy moly, that really burned some rubber. Precision R&R.
Although none of these kats are from Texas, we gotta put this speedster in reverse and bring that Rocket In My Pocket back with a version by NRBQ. These crazy Kats put this song in the red right outta the gate. You can smell the oil burn as this quartet blow up. We might need a helmet for these dragsters. This quartet of rockers could get a speeding ticket just idling, so hold on…Oh yeah, if you don’t know who these rock n rollers are, check them out sometime on The Simpsons, they had a guest appearance a handful of years ago.
NRBQ — “I Got A Rocket In My Pocket”
Oh my, I think my heart just blew a gasket. I’m sorry folks, I have to pull over after that blues blaster. That really heated up the V8. Time to cool this hotrod, take a breather, tip a little sip of something cool to simmer down. What’s really gonna cool down this road trip is a little Cajun Texas sound.
HARRY CHOATES may be from Louisiana but he rocked all of his life in Texas, right to the bitter end. Here’s a little number he put down in 1946. This Cajun King was in his late 20’s when he cut this rendition in French. Here is a rare version recorded in English..….look out for the ‘gris gris’ when you hear this tune. Hold on a kitty kats and hound dogs before we hit this platter maybe its time we get outta this horseless carriage and waltz by the side of The Road for a minute. Grab a girl or boy, dog or kat and if ya don’t have either, try a wooden chair.
HARRY CHOATES — “Jole Blon”
That man could bring a tear to your eye with that soulful sound. What’s this I see ahead — Dallas City Line… Come on everyone back in the car. We only have a few minutes left before we hit Deep Ellum. So lets just sit back and cruise into Dallas with this Texas angel, BARBARA LYNN. Performing one of her stunning songs at Dallas’s WFAA Studio on the Music TV show The !!!! Beat.
I have to say, before you listen to this epic song, Miss Lynn is 24 years old, playing a left-handed Telecaster. This girl is fierce, beautiful and did I say fierce? Oh yeah, all live and no nonsense.
BARBARA LYNN — “It’s Better To Have It”
Wasn’t that amazing to hear that tender soulful heart? Ya gotta wonder if Hendrix was watching this amazing girl play. I should also mention the band leader on this gem of a beat was Texas’s own notorious guitar marvel CLARENCE GATEMOUTH BROWN. Well, we’re almost out of gas, and I gotta fill this heap up and find a cool drink.
Thank you again for riding shotgun on this rockin Texas cruise. Big thanks to Big Daddy Phil for allowing me to pull this jalopy outta the garage, tune it up, fill it up and get it on The Road.
Later Gators,
And always remember — don’t play in traffic & stay outta the rhubarb.
Stay Strong.
King.
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From T.I.R.F. Master Control we thank PK for the great, wonderful, compelling tour down south…..stay warm & stay sane.
And to you fellow travelers……
Thanks for listening, until tomorrow.
Peace & Distance.
