Back in the 80s, I was promoter of rock/funk/punk/go-go beat (a regional Wash D.C. music), very early hip-hop with Jamaican Toasters/ska/reggae/alt country in of all places, Richmond, VA, the Capital of the Confederacy.
Some of my fave bands came from the Eastern Seaboard college towns, Dave Matthews up in Charlottesville, Cracker from Richmond, anything put out by Don Dixon in Greenville, NC, Athens, GA, Key West.
But the hardest bands to route where acts from other countries. Hunters and Collectors from Australia were some of the wittiest, funniest guys and yet their music was strong, angry, and like Midnight Oil (from Australia) these guys were behind reparitions for Australia’s Indigenous people whose lands were destroyed by fences, huge mining grounds, and the usual.
These guys were true.
Hunters & Collectors - “Back on the Breadline” (recorded 1988)
Hunters & Collectors - Back On The Breadline (Official Video) - YouTube
Stand in line
With your empty cup you’re still waiting
For the future of all your living hope
Wait for the incoming call
Your desperation
Where does it lead to false riches?
And the little girl’s greed, your still young
Oh, but you’ve tasted it all
Is that you?
You used to be so proud
Is that you?
Looking so hungry is that you?
Standing at the back of the breadline
The back of the breadline
The back of the breadline
Meet you where the daydreamers stand
Standing at the back of the breadline
You used to be
So careless and sure of your possessions
A moment before you got too restless
Got up and walked out the door
Don’t look to me
Look to the west the sun is setting
You’ve been second-guessed but there’s a future?
Bottom line is what you must believe in
Is that you?
You used to be so proud
Is that you?
Looking so hungry is that you?
Standing in the back of the breadline
The back of the breadline
The back of the breadline
Meet you where the daydreamers stand
Standing at the back of the breadline
Is that you?
You used to be so proud
Is that you?
Looking so hungry is that you?
Don’t look to me is that you?
You used to be free
Is that you?
Standing at the back of the breadline
Stand in line
With your empty cup you’re still waiting
For the future of all your living hope
Oh, but you’ve tasted it all
The back of the breadline
The back of the breadline
Meet you where the daydreamers stand
Standing at the back of the breadline
Stand in line
With your empty cup you’re still waiting
For the future of all your living hope
Wait for the incoming call
Your desperation
Where does it lead to false riches?
And the little girl’s greed, your still young
Oh, but you’ve tasted it all
Is that you?
You used to be so proud
Is that you?
Looking so hungry is that you?
Standing at the back of the breadline
The back of the breadline
The back of the breadline
Meet you where the daydreamers stand
Standing at the back of the breadline
You used to be
So careless and sure of your possessions
A moment before you got too restless
Got up and walked out the door
The reason I am posting this song is pay attention to the horn players here, where in the mix, the highs come through loud and clear with little bass underneath.
I noticed the horns on a song I had never heard until about an hour ago by an Irish artist from the 90s: Elenaor McEvoy - “Precious Little” (recorded in 1996)
More about her later, but I absolutely cannot wait to get into my time machine, travel backwards to the mid-90s and find out what this gal is all about. I’ll bet Elenaor has band mates who listened to Hunters & Collectors in the 80s.
Elenaor McEvoy - “Precious Little” (released in 1996)
Shake your beads out,
One by one
And call me Magdalene
It won’t grieve me
I understand
Where it is you’re coming from
Draw a curtain
Close your eyes
When history’s pages fail you.
I will not open up those history books
That’s not for me to do.
Precious little in your life
Is yours by right
And won without a fight
Precious little in your life
Is yours by right
And won without a fight.
Shadows call me,
In the wind
Some don’t go away
Angels guide me
From the clouds
In everything I do and say
Shake your beads out
Kneeling down
It will not pass me by
Two people coming from a different place
Maybe neither one is right.
Repeat CHORUS
Shake your beads out
Join your hands
That still won’t make you right
Those so-called sinners that you’re praying for
Are standing by your side
Repeat CHORUS
Repeat CHORUS
And now one from the Aughts to clear out some of this nausea from the time release pump shooting chemo every ten minutes or so. Actually, it’s at variable times. Weird to have this thing here at home, cutting out some of the day visits down at Genesis. I’m two thumbs up on this idea.
I learned about this band during their first album release way back when from a country band after work one night, over at the band house. Cranked up that first album. Played all the way through, back to back.
I said, "Come On, " and took them back over to the bar where there was a usual after-hours party. And I announced to the hangers-on, "Ladies and Gentlemen, ___________ here just laid this album on me at the band house. It’s not country. It is definitely Alternative Rock/Americana. And I played the first song. The owner comes over, “Turn that up louder.”
So around 5:30 AM the KWPD comes and says, "Rock, Rock, can you turn this down, we’re getting complaints from neighbors. This particular bar was the most soundproof bar on property and we pegged the needles into the red on Kings of Leon. About 30 people. All ages. That’s the kind of magic the bars no longer have.
Just the spooky opening notes from the guitars, the laser snap of the snare (you almost hearing the drumstick cutting through the air before hitting the skin) and then that cracked way back of a Kentucky mountain holler making my skin crawl on the lead singer’s first note, Jayzus!
It was like that with Hendrix and me. Guns and Roses and me. Rolling Stones and me. Audioslave and Me. Chrissy Hynde and me. James Brown and me. You toss an album on and within just seconds you know, “Oh yeah, we’re are going to go on a trip for sure.”
2>Kings of Leon - “Closer”
Kings of Leon - “Crawl” (and one of my most Shazammed songs by young people in the clubs I worked. These are my fave Kings of Leon lyrics, which is saying something because I have such respect for their lyrics.)
