William's Song a Day Blog - est. September 2007

From: The Jimmy Castor Bunch ; Year: 1979; Genre: Funk For this Funky Friday I wanted to choose another one from the late-great Jimmy Castor and his band. In this song that is funky soul with a splash of jazz, he seems to be singing about a "beast" whose description sounds a lot like Godzilla, or some similar Kaiju monster, which actually works perfect with such a danceable and funky groove.   Hear Don't Do That! on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Steve Miller Band - Space Cowboy     My song pick 2 years ago today: Nena - Jung Wie Du   My song pick 3 years ago today: Klaatu - The Loneliest of Creatures   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)   My song pick 5 years ago today: Chet Atkins and Merle Travis - Nine Pound Hammer   My song pick 6 years ago today: Blondie - One Way or Another   My song pick 7 years ago today: Faith No More - The Real Thing ...

From: Let It Out ; Year: 1978; Genre: Funk/Soul Here's a light and fun one to get some groove on and bring the workweek to its conclusion from the one and only legend that is Jimmy Castor and his band of renown.   Hear Sweetooth on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Moody Blues - Watching and Waiting   My song pick 2 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Where Did Saturday Go?   My song pick 3 years ago today: Santo & Johnny - Love In Space   My song pick 4 years ago today: Harlequin - Shine On   My song pick 5 years ago today: Tower of Power - It's Not The Crime   My song pick 6 years ago today: The Beatles - The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill My song pick 7 years ago today: Elvis Presley - You'll Never Walk Alone My song pick 8 years ago today: Carmen - Flamenco Fever My song pick 9 years ago today: Ian Anderson - A Change of Horses My song pick 10 years ago today: Wilson Pickett - Hey Joe My song pick 11 years...

From: It's Just Begun ; Year: 1972; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Funk/Classical If I did not know who was playing this song I would swear it was someone like Chicago, Blood, Sweat & Tears, or Lighthouse, but it is, in fact, The Jimmy Castor Bunch. I just love how seamlessly they transition between genres and styles; extremely masterful across the board.   Hear My Brightest Day on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Rush - Garden Road   My song pick 2 years ago today: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - May I Have a Talk With You   My song pick 3 years ago today: ZZ Top - Legs   My song pick 4 years ago today: Primus - Eclectic Electric   My song pick 5 years ago today: Parliament - Trombipulation My song pick 6 years ago today: The Alan Parsons Project - Silence and I My song pick 7 years ago today: Wall of Voodoo - Ring of Fire My song pick 8 years ago today: John Dowland - Time Stands Still My song pick 9 years ago today: Tarot...

From: Phase Two ; Year: 1972; Genre: Funk/Soul I have to say, this track really has something for everybody included. You got the mirth of his noted funk, some Latin-influence dance beats with an amazing groove, and then to top it all off you get some amazing instrumental sections; the guitar really shines here.   Hear Say Leroy (The Creature From The Black Lagoon Is Your Father) on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Lynyrd Skynyrd - You Got That Right   My song pick 2 years ago today: Iron Maiden - Running Free   My song pick 3 years ago today: Jon Oliva's Pain - Festival My song pick 4 years ago today: Eddie Money - Baby Hold On My song pick 5 years ago today: Mr. Big - 1992 My song pick 6 years ago today: Fairport Convention - Dirty Linen My song pick 7 years ago today: Rush - Middletown Dreams My song pick 8 years ago today: Guns N' Roses - Get in the Ring My song pick 9 years ago today: War - Galaxy My song pick 10 ye...

From: Butt of Course... ; Year: 1974; Genre: Funk/Soul Been a real busy last couple of days and am so pleased that it is now Friday! Anyway, this one kind of takes you by surprise when listening to the record being that, for the most part, it is a funny and uplifting disc overall, but this one becomes quite serious subject matter wise; it really shows Jimmy Castor and his Bunch's diverse and masterful musical range.   Hear Hallucinations on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Kinks - Sleepwalker   My song pick 2 years ago today: Carmen - The Horseman   My song pick 3 years ago today: Daniel Lanois - That's The Way It Is   My song pick 4 years ago today: Raspberries - Go All The Way My song pick 5 years ago today: The Thermals - Test Pattern My song pick 6 years ago today: Kool & The Gang - Jungle Boogie My song pick 7 years ago today: The Beatles - For You Blue My song pick 8 years ago today: Boston - I Had a Good Time My...

From: It's Just Begun ; Year: 1972; Genre: Funk Had this excellent album on the player again and couldn't resist choosing another track off of it. This instrumental funk piece is one that'll really get you up and boogieing for sure with that prominent thumping bass line and those Latin-inspired beats.   Hear Psyche on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Wolfmother - Apple Tree   My song pick 2 years ago today: Led Zeppelin - Achilles Last Stand My song pick 3 years ago today: Toronto - Even the Score   My song pick 4 years ago today: Kreeps - The Dead Sled My song pick 5 years ago today: Steely Dan - My Old School My song pick 6 years ago today: Savatage - Jesus Saves My song pick 7 years ago today: England Dan & John Ford Coley - The Prisoner My song pick 8 years ago today: Wilson Pickett - Funky Way My song pick 9 years ago today: Louis and Bebe Barron - Main Titles (Overture) from Forbidden Planet My song pick 10 years ago...

From: Let It Out ; Year: 1978; Genre: Funk/Disco Needed some more music from Jimmy Castor today on this Funky Friday . This is a very danceable track with a noted disco influence added to his normal funky sound.   Hear Future Place on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Paris - Janie   My song pick 2 years ago today: Rush - The Stars Look Down   My song pick 3 years ago today: Bob Welch - Outskirts My song pick 4 years ago today: Jerry Reed - Take It Easy (In Your Mind) My song pick 5 years ago today: Sammy Hagar - Heavy Metal My song pick 6 years ago today: Return to Forever - Flight of the Newborn My song pick 7 years ago today: Hawkwind - Choose Your Masques My song pick 8 years ago today: Rush - Force Ten My song pick 9 years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - Someday Never Comes My song pick 10 years ago today: Pink Floyd - Time My song pick 11 years ago today: Rammstein - Amerika My song pick 12 years ago to...

From: It's Just Begun ; Year: 1972; Genre: Funk/Psychedelia Still bingeing on Jimmy Castor's music throughout the week; thought I'd make another Funky Friday pick with one of him and his Bunch's songs. Truly this song demands attention when listening to it by the way it's written; it is very difficult to ignore the music when being played. Add to that the distinct sound that comes from the blend of psychedelic rock and hard-hitting funk and you got something profound to enjoy listening to.   Hear L.T.D. (Life, Truth, Death) on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: John Denver - Sweet Surrender   My song pick 2 years ago today: Blind Faith - Sea of Joy   My song pick 3 years ago today: Ultravox - Reap the Wild Wind My song pick 4 years ago today: The Fixx - One Thing Leads to Another My song pick 5 years ago today: Kansas - Miracles Out Of Nowhere My song pick 6 years ago today: Wilson Pickett - I'm a Midnight Mover My song pick 7 years ago...

From: The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon ; Year: 1956; Genre: Doo-Wop/Rock 'n Roll/R&B Last night I was doing a little research on this band an those associated with it and ran into this single off of their only LP record release. The interesting part about I Promise To Remember is that well-known funkmaster Jimmy Castor co-wrote the song and had recorded it with his band Jimmy and the Junior, which can be heard here on YouTube , but the record company for some reason did not like it and passed on it and instead had The Teenagers record a cover of it, which became their third hit single. Jimmy Castor would later re-record it in a funky version with his famous Jimmy Castor Bunch, which can also be found on YouTube . Interestingly enough Jimmy Castor would take over on lead vocals for The Teenagers from the latter 1980s to the 1990s, so it kind of went full-circle. Anyway, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers are probably best-known for their mega-hit Why Do Fools Fall In Love ,...

From: Let It Out ; Year: 1978; Genre: Funk/Disco/Space Rock This one's sure to put a smile on your face whilst boogieing down with all the science fiction/space references along with some Bertha Butt Boogies in there for fun.    Hear Bertha Butt Encounters Vadar on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Waylander - A Path Well Trodden   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Grateful Dead - Born Crosseyed My song pick 3 years ago today: Iron Maiden - Purgatory My song pick 4 years ago today: Vicki Sue Robinson - Turn the Beat Around My song pick 5 years ago today: Judas Priest - Battle Hymn/One Shot at Glory My song pick 6 years ago today: Yes - Tempus Fugit My song pick 7 years ago today: Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven - Heebie Jeebies My song pick 8 years ago today: Van Halen - Dance the Night Away My song pick 9 years ago today: Jethro Tull - The Whistler My song pick 10 years ago today: Maurice Ravel - M.19 - Pavane for a Dead...

From: Amazon (Single) ; Year: 1984; Genre: Funk/Electronica It's kind of interesting hearing Jimmy Castor in the mid-'80s electronic glory; it still has the fun funkiness that he's known for and very much a delight to listen to. Hear Amazon on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: April Wine - Enough is Enough My song pick 2 years ago today: Faith No More - Falling to Pieces My song pick 3 years ago today: The Presidents of the United States of America - Peaches My song pick 4 years ago today: The Rolling Stones - Midnight Rambler My song pick 5 years ago today: The Five Stairsteps - O-o-o Child My song pick 6 years ago today: The Delgados - Mr. Blue Sky My song pick 7 years ago today: Muse - Citizen Erased My song pick 8 years ago today: The Darkness - Is It Just Me My song pick 9 years ago today: Blind Willie Johnson - Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground My song pick 10 years ago today: Devo - Come Back Jonee My song pick 11 years...

From: Phase Two ; Year: 1972; Genre: Funk/Comedy Thought I'd do another Funky Friday pick today; had a couple in mind, but the late-great Jimmy Castor and his band have been on my mind off and on for the last month or so. Anyway, Luther the Anthropoid (Ape Man) was another in the style of his epic hit Troglodyte (Cave Man) ; both are quite similar musically and thematically, but just about as much fun to listen to. Hear Luther the Anthropoid (Ape Man) on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Pallas - Falling Down My song pick two years ago today: Gordon Lightfoot - Carefree Highway My song pick three years ago today: Molly Hatchet - Whiskey Man My song pick four years ago today: Alphaville - Forever Young My song pick five years ago today: Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls My song pick six years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) My song pick seven years ago today: Iron Maiden - Flight of Icarus My ...

From: It's Just Begun ; Year: 1972; Genre: Funk/Soul Funky Friday again and I thought I'd revisit one of my favourite funkmasters today. This is some amazing funk as always from Jimmy Castor; that rhythm section can sure put out that bump in spades. Hear You Better Be Good (Or the Devil Gon; Getcha) on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Yes - No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed My song pick two years ago today: Weather Report - Havona My song pick three years ago today: Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention - Who Are the Brain Police? My song pick four years ago today: Johann Strauss II - Op. 314 - An Der Schönen Blauen Donau , or ( The Blue Danube Waltz ) My song pick five years ago today: The Walter Murphy Band - A Fifth of Beethoven My song pick six years ago today: Béla Fleck & the Flecktones - A Celtic Medley: Meridian/Traveling Light/Salamander's Reel My song pick seven years ago today: Finntroll - Trollhammeren My son...

From: . ..Butt of Course ; Year: 1974; Genre: Funk/Soul Today is my 66th straight, in my uninterrupted steak of making Funky Friday picks. While this one's not as epic as some of his other tracks, it's still a good one and I like it. Funk is definitely a musical form for those who like to have fun and smile and Jimmy Castor and his band definitely delivered on a regular basis. Hear E-Man Boogie on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Yes - The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be My song pick two years ago today: Soundgarden - Non-State Actor My song pick three years ago today: The Mushroom Tabernacle Choir - 12 Drugs of Christmas My song pick four years ago today: David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes My song pick five years ago today: Ian Anderson - In the Moneylender's Temple My song pick six years ago today: Dobie Grey - Drift Away My song pick seven years ago today: Lobo - Gypsy and the Midnight Ghost

From: E-Man Groovin' ; Year: 1976; Genre: Funk/R&B Today is both Halloween and a Funky Friday, so I get to combine a couple of things, and not only that, I'm making a double pick today as well. So this is both my 59th and 60th straight Funky Friday pick in a row! Anyway, this is a Halloween song done done in the comically funky way only Jimmy Castor could deliver, proving that vampires and monsters love to get their groove on too. Have a safe and fun time out there to-night! Hear Dracula Parts 1 and 2 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt Kickers - The Monster Mash My song pick two years ago today: Kreeps - Dead Men Walking My song pick three years ago today: Dick Dale - Riders In the Sky My song pick four years ago today: Andrew Gold - Spooky, Scary Skeletons My song pick five years ago today: Rammstein - Mein Teil My song pick six years ago today: Rush - Witch Hunt My song pick seven years ago ...

From: It's Just Begun ; Year: 1972; Genre: Funk I've made it 30 Funky Fridays straight and I couldn't think of a better funky artist to pick one from than the late-great Jimmy Castor and his Bunch. While he's mostly known for his comedy tracks featuring cave men , he had a lot of other great songs out there; this is some really great hard-hitting '70s Funk. Hear It's Just Begun on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Marillion - Script for a Jester's Tear My song pick two years ago today: Carmen - Purple Flowers My song pick three years ago today: Rammstein - Keine Lust My song pick four years ago today: Big Brother and the Holding Company (Janis Joplin) - Piece Of My Heart My song pick five years ago today: Nightwish - The Kinslayer My song pick six years ago today: Boz Scaggs - Lido Shuffle

From: It's Just Begun ; Year: 1972; Genre: Funk/Comedy I had no song in mind for today and for no reason whatsoever this hilarious and funky track started to play in my mind. I thought that I might've already picked it; I checked and surprisingly I hadn't, so I figured that I would go ahead and make it my song for today. And since it's a Friday and all and this is a funky track I guess I should make it a "Funky Friday" pick. I've loved this song ever since I first heard samples from it on my dad's old Convention '72 record. Luckily he also had Troglodyte (Cave Man) on a 45 rpm record, so I was able to hear the original source of those snippets; suffice it to say over the years we all but wore that record out. Hear Troglodyte (Cave Man) on YouTube. Here is a live performance circa '73 on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Stahlhammer - Eisbär My song pick two years ago today: The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer in the City ...

1678 The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Space Age From: E-Man Groovin' , Year: 1976 Genre: Funk/Disco Yesterday I was going through a bunch of Jimmy Castor's music and discovered that he passed away a couple of months ago from heart failure. I was intending on picking one of his songs for a 'Funky Friday' pick anyway, but after hearing about his death I would've chosen one anyway. It seems as if I'm making more and more of these memorial picks lately; I hope that this doesn't become a trend. Anyway, this track was one of his hits from the mid-late '70s and is a rather nice piece of Disco-Funk. Hear Space Age on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Bass Extremes - Mocha Soca My song pick two years ago today: Rush - Fly By Night My song pick three years ago today: Jon Hendricks - I'll Bet You Thought I'd Never Find You My song pick four years ago today: Tom Petty - Free Fallin' +

1414 The Jimmy Castor Bunch - E-Man Groovin' From: E-Man Groovin' , Year 1976 Genre: Funk I'm quickly getting a my song pick in on this super busy Friday. I figured I'd make this a " Funky Friday " selection with this track from the incomparable Jimmy Castor Bunch. Apparently all of the video with the songs have been removed from YouTube, sorry. My song pick a year ago today: Led Zeppelin - D'yer Mak'er My song pick two years ago today: Arthur Smith - Guitar Boogie My song pick three years ago today: Band of Horses - Ode To LRC +

1005 The Jimmy Castor Bunch - The Bertha Butt Boogie Doing a Funky Friday pick today. This rather funky novelty tune is kind of a continuation of The Jimmy Castor Bunch's Troglodyte (Cave Man) track, which can be found here on YouTube ; although this song has more of a traditional song structure to it. If you have heard Troglodyte before you should know what to expect from this one. Here is the studio version on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Steely Dan - Hey Nineteen My song pick two year ago today: Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Serenade To A Cuckoo +