Meanwhile Back In Bucovina...

Last week I played a song called BUCOVINA by Shantel from the album Putamayo Presents Gypsy Groove. I thought I was familiar with the melody from a dubbed up version by Adrian Sherwood. I scoured my record collection, but couldn’t find it because it doesn't exist.

Loyal listener Pinwheel Herman revealed in the comments of last week’s blog-post that the dub version in question is actually WILMOT by the Sabres of Paradise, and intriguingly, it has calypso origins. The title refers to calypsonian Wilmoth Houdini, who wrote and recorded many songs in his career.

This afternoon I played UNCLE JO' GIMMIE MO' off of Wilmoth Houdini: Poor But Ambitious - Calypso Classics From Trinidad, not realising he’s got another song with the same melody called BLACK BUT SWEET. I don’t know which one came first. In Uncle Jo' Gimmie Mo' the acoustic guitar and fiddle trade the melody back and forth, while in Black But Sweet it's the horns. The horns!

Houdini versioned himself in the 1930s, long before Sabres of Paradise (1994) or Shantel (2003).

The Snark playlist for TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2010.

(Artist/SONG/Album, etc.)

The Sabres Of Paradise -- WILMOT -- Wilmot E.P. (1994, Warp Records)

Wilmoth Houdini -- UNCLE JO' GIMMIE MO'! -- Poor But Ambitious (1993, Arhoolie)

Fitz & The Tantrums -- DEAR MR. PRESIDENT -- Pickin' Up The Pieces (2010, Dangerbird)

Dead Kennedys -- STRAIGHT As -- Can You Hear Me? Music From The Deaf Club (1980, TVC Records)

Mad Man Jaga -- HANKURI -- Nigeria Afrobeat Special: The New Explosive Sound of 1970s Nigeria (2010, Soundway)

Jen Lane -- THE LONELY CRICKET -- For The Night (2010, Jen Lane)

J.C. Brooks & The Uptown Sound -- BALTIMORE IS THE NEW BROOKLYN -- Mojo Presents Heavy Soul (2010, Mojo)

Bishop Morocco -- LAST YEAR'S DISCO GUITARS -- Bishop Morocco (2010, Hand-Drawn Dracula)

Hot Panda -- CLEVER FOX -- How Come I'm Dead? (2010, Mint)

Ska Cubano -- SOY CAMPESINO -- ¡Ay Caramba! (2006, Cumbancha)

Dry Heaves -- FACTORY PUNISHMENT -- Shoot Yourself (no date, 2000?, Rave Up Records) [orig. recorded 1980-81]

The Buchanan Brothers -- HIGH TEMPERED MAMA -- The History of Country & Western Music, Volume 15 (2008, Phantom Sound & Vision) [orig. 1948, RCA Victor]

Roots Manuva vs. Wrongtom -- WORL' A MINE -- Duppy Writer (2010, Big Dada)

The Once -- MAID ON THE SHORE -- Once (2010, Borealis) 

The Golden Dogs -- CHEAP UMBRELLAS -- Coat Of Arms (2010, Nevado)

Dungen -- MARKEN LAG STILLA -- Skit I Allt (2010, Kemado)

Dubmatix, feat. Ammoye -- LOCK DOWN -- System Shakedown (2010, 7 Arts Entertainment)

Cecil Lloyd Group -- SOMETIMES I'M HAPPY -- I Cover The Waterfront (1962, Port-O-Jam)

Fyfe Dangerfield -- WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM -- Fly Yellow Moon (2010, Softlad Records)

The Books -- A COLD FREEZIN' NIGHT -- The Way Out (2010, Temporary Residence)

Thanks for listening!