Burning Sensations

12″ Mini LP, Capitol, 1983

Back in the heady days of MV3 – this was before cable was available everywhere – the video for the lead track here, “Belly of the Whale,” got a lot of play. One fateful day many years later, I picked this record up and recognized that title – which I had completely forgotten had ever existed – so I bought it. I couldn’t tell you what the other three songs sound like, which may be an indicator of why you’ve never heard of this band, though they’re also responsible for the version of “Pablo Picasso” on the Repo Man soundtrack.

The Blues Brothers Original Soundtrack Recording

12″ LP, Atlantic, 1980

The tunes on this platter don’t appear in the same order as in the movie, but it does kick off with “She Caught the Katy,” which is all right. Man, have I seen this cinematic musical variety show a whole lotta times. The OST isn’t as “good,” but the musicians assembled here are kinda the embodiment of the sentiment behind the horrible Righteous Brothers song “Rock and Roll Heaven,” for whatever that’s worth. The version here of the “Rawhide” theme (“The old favorite – Rowdy Yates”) betters that of the Dead Kennedys.

AC/DC “Who Made Who” b/w “Guns For Hire (Live Version)”

45 rpm 7″, Atlantic, 1986

People probably don’t think of AC/DC as a singles band, but they had a pretty good run of it. “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “Back in Black,” “Moneytalks” … these were all, like, top-40 songs when such a thing existed, and “Let’s Get it Up” just missed. The theme from S. King’s Maximum Overdrive movie, this one sorta came out of nowhere during the group’s fallow period between Fly on the Wall and Blow Up Your Video, and kinda revived its flagging career. Then the machines took over and crushed humanity. R.I.P. (rock in peace), Bill Robinson.

 

Blue Swede “Hooked On A Feeling” b/w “Gotta Have Your Love”

7″, EMI, 1973

Well, lookit that, they made a damned record of this. I thought it was just a Hollywood movie soundtrack.

Ookachocka!

Seriously though, if you’re ‘hooked’ on a feeling that you’re in love with her, dude, you should probably check yourself. I’m guessing this is your only record ’cause you lost everything in a paternity suit or some such.

Yma Sumac “Voice of the Xtabay”

10″, Capitol Records, mid-to-late ’50s. Yma Sumac was an actress hired by Hollywood to portray a singing Peruvian Sun Goddess. She did a bang-up job. This is probably her best record, I sold the other ones I had.  Actress or not, she has something like  a 5 or 6 octive range, like an opera singer. Something to behold. Good for late nights & early mornings!