I ain't gonna sit here and front that I know more about Ella Fitzgerald than you do. Yeah, I could look at the wikipedia article and act like I'm quoting Mao straight off the dome. But I ain't gonna.Straight up, I've had a bad day, and for the most part I"m in a foul mood. Or maybe I should say "was" in a bad mood. 6 shots of Jager ,some tube-pulling and a little bit of that funky soul groove has definitely changed my demeanor. And I'm feeling in the mood to write. People frequently ask me why I don't post more frequently,and although I'd like to I always seem to be short on time, and I just gotta be in the mood to sit at a computer and pontificate about music through a keyboard instead of face-to-face with the few people I'll discuss music with in-depth.
So I'ma just gonna toss out a few facts about Ella that you may or may not know....First and foremost- the girls pipes had a 3,yes THREE, octave range. Good luck finding that today in an age where auto-tune , auto-tone or whatever the fuck that travesty is called that makes even the most tone-deaf of singers a marketable product.
Ella was no stranger to the seedy underbelly of life. As a youth she was placed into a NYC reform School for girls, escaped and lived homeless for a period of time, she worked as a look-out for a whorehouse, and as a mafia affiliated numbers runner. Her track record on marriage is about as identifiable as Jimmy Hoffas whereabouts , and although it seems that she was quite the player of men she was also known to be notoriously shy. Later in her career when asked to comment on her shyness she replied " I don't want to say the wrong thing, which I always do. I think I do better when I sing."
Etta's career was long and prosperous, getting her debut at the Apollo Club at age 17. Originally she had planned to dance during her much coveted spot on amateur night, but after having been intimidated by The Edwards Sister she decided to sing in the style of Connie Boswell, an early jazz singer from the early 30's cut in the vein of Louis Armstrong and Mama Smith. The rest of her career is a story for another time, as I could devote an entire blog itself dedicated to the music and life of Ella Fitzgerald. But since our focus at the Funk Road address is ,well, funk I'm gonna stick with that theme for today's post.
Three of today's tracks come off of the 1969 release of cover tunes simply entitled "Ella", while the remaining 2 are taken from the flip-sides of a few of the rare Ella Fitzgerald 45's I've had the pleasure of digging out of a deep , dusty, dirty basement. They are all cover songs, of which 3 were originally recorded by the Beatles. Travesty in the opinion of my muse Michelle,.. " you can't improve on perfection" in a tone reminiscent of Marge Simpson ,is the general reply for any Beatles cover tune I've ever let her hear. But I think that once I get her to understand that a cover isn't an attempt to better the original,but simply an interpretation of something another artist was drawn to and wished to pay tribute to by putting his or her own spin on , I think she'll appreciate the fine art of the cover tune.
Getting her to appreciate Elvis is another story entirely,.Its gonna be a long hard road simply due, not to a lack of an ear for good music, but the Elvis loving upbringing of a southern baptist bulldog- appearing mother with the demeanor of a jackal with ill fitting dentures and a good case of painful rectal itch. The woman does have an incredible selection of Elvis 45's though., including a rare blue vinyl of Elvis' Blue Christmas
Mother-in-laws, Mold, and Mildew aside , cellar digging is my favorite digging. After looking through the usual crap at yard sales I always ask if they've got any other records.. to which on occasion the reply is " well we got these old little records down there in the cellar but you probably wouldn't want them.They're blah, blah, blah....... and in my head , as I'm hearing this, I'm trying to maintain my cool , but I'm really about to explode with excitement. So I usually say that I'd like to take a look at them..,. and then innocently ask "well how many do ya think you got, and how much do ya think you'd want for all of them?" Sometimes ..... rarely, but sometimes I hit upon the jackpot mother score of 45's and occasionally LP's that belonged to someones father or grandfather,...... and If I'm lucky enough to be in a predominantly Afro-American neighborhood usually then its usually jazz, and the best soul, r&B , and funk that can be found.
On this particular day, I'd hit the mother load of goodness. The ole' man , who at first was a bit skeptical of the fat white kid wanting to buy all of his vinyl, saw that I, like him, had a supreme love for each and every note contained on those records and wasn't just another smart-ass collector looking to make a buck on eBay . The deal worked out between me and the old head is just that. I'm not gonna talk numbers but the man treated me like his son. And for that, I'll never sell any of the records I bought from him. As I loaded the last of those boxes in my car, I'll never forget the look in his eye. It was the look of a man who'd just lost his dog, and sent his only son off to college at the same time. it was a look that tore me apart. And although he'd said that it had been years since he'd listened to any of those records I knew that I was leaving with a piece of that mans life. I'm still in the youth of my life compared to that man, but I know I've got memories attached to particular songs, or even albums that are an emotional part of my life . I can only imagine the memories he had attached to those records. You can see by the wear on some of them that he played some more than others. You can tell a lot about a man by the records he played the most out of that collection. this guy was either quite the player with the ladies, or he was always longing for the emotion in those certain records I affectionately call " Panty-Droppers" ....... Al Green, Marvin Gaye,Teddy Pendergrass.... I'm pretty sure the old man saw more ass than a bicycle seat in his day, he still seemed to be a charmer in my opinion. he made a profound effect on me,. and hell, I'm a straight man.
So lets get down to business..... MUSIC is why we're all here. Some funky ass Ella Fitzgerald .......
Listen -
Knock On Wood - This is Memphis-Stax soul at its best. Originally penned by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper this tune has been covered by just about everyone but a blanket on a summer day. Its a good'un!
Listen-
Sunshine of your Love - Ella does Cream.....nuff said. BIG horns!
Listen-
Savoy Truffle - White album era Beatles.....written by George about Eric Claptons sweet tooth for chocolates......"You'll have to have them all pulled out after the Savoy Truffle" is in reference to tooth decay from over-imbibing in sweets...
Listen -
Got to get you into my Life - A McCartney/Lennon song from Revolver which was not, in fact written about a person, but actually about Marijuana . Recorded at that time in a style intentionally similar to the Stax soul records of its time its only appropriate that someone like Ella eventually cover it.
Listen -
Hey Jude - Wow! Written by Paul on his way to visit Cynthia and son Julian Lennon after Cynthias separation from John when she'd found out he was cheating with Yoko Ono. Apparently this song caused quite a bit of confusion amongst numerous people throughout the Beatles organization and extended family that thought the song was written about them. And it is said that the recording of this song caused a tiff between George and Paul during its recording....Paul McCartney was staunch in his feelings about the production of the song and was "oblivious to anyone else's feelings in the studio," and that he was driven to make the best possible record, at almost any cost."
So thanks again for braving the snow and ice and coming on a ride down the Funk Road. As usual I'm gonna promise to post more, but i know by now that its just the buzz talking. and the more I hone my writing blade the more it becomes easy to realize why so many great writers were drunks. Much like how having a few drinks lets you speak more openly to your significant other, or gives you the courage to talk to that girl you're usually afraid to speak to,.... the words seem to type themselves after a few nugs to head and a few drinks. My real love and passion for music, vinyl, and a love of being a crate digging audio archeologist seems to flow exactly the way it needs too........So until next time- in the words of Don Cornelius......." I wish you Peace, Love , and SOUL!!!!!!!!!!!!
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