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"it's almost 12 o'clock
this crying, this crying I've just got to stop" The great Tom Waits, doing it like only Tom Waits can.
Lonnie Johnson lends his full, smooth voice and workmanlike guitar to this New Year's blues number
Nat was born like this, he had no choice, he was born with
the gift of a golden voice. So why the hell's he all alone, on New Year's Eve? Maybe it's cause he thinks "the gay ones don their silly paper hats and blow their stupid little horns". I mean, what a party pooper! C'mon, Nat, liven up! Just when you thought it couldn't get any weirder... Now, I wonder, was it Jo Ann's idea to say "bay-bay" instead of
"baby"? Or was that the producer's suggestion? Well, anyway, the label was called "Gone", so... there you go. The one and only Spike Jones!
"Did you, did you... have a ball, New Year's Eve?" This
time it's the Heartbeats that are inquiring as to your holiday enjoyment. The world's most famous palindrome band has a New Year's song. Here it is.
on to Songs About the New Year page two
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Sometimes I think Blind Lemon Jefferson had a song
about everything you could think of. Here's his musical celebration of New Years, 1929. Otis and Carla! What a fabulous duet: those harmonies are soooo good!
And once again, it's Lonnie Johnson, singing in the same key with essentially the same vocal phrasing and very similar guitar work, but this time his blues is a happy one! He's back from the war, it's New Year's and he's with his baby! "It seems like a long, long time, since I been fightin' the Japs cross the deep blue sea."
Fabulous trumpet on this track, and Dinah's vocal performance is warm and pleasing as always. Funny lyrics, too! "Here's my resolution baby, I'm cutting' out from you."
Some rocking blues from Lightning: just as raw as it's
s'posed to be. Johnny's gal just doesn't think he really means it when he tells her he's gonna give up drinking whiskey and running around on her. Well, we'll see, I guess.
Like a lot of Bing's stuff, this one's kinda... musty. Still, there's something you gotta love about his delivery. At least a little.
More doo-wop. The slower kind, from the DelVues: "Did you
have a ball on New Year's Eve?" OK, first of all... "The Qualities". I mean, is that not the best band name ever ever ever? And apparently the great Sun Ra had something to do with this, which makes it all the more fantastic.
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