Namesakes #133: The Rainmakers

Until today o'clock, I thought a Rainmaker was someone who did a rain dance, or made those funky windy chimey things, with the aim of making it rain. Turns out that's not the case, and the web of lies insists that a Rainmaker is someone who "excels at bringing in new clients or revenue" to a business.

Shows what I know.

Anyway, here are a bunch of bands who claimed to be Rainmakers. I'm, not sure how much moolah any of them brought in though...

THE RAINMAKERS #1

We start today with some doo woppy Rainmakers from 1965...

The Rainmakers - Barbara

THE RAINMAKERS #2

Next, an LA garage band / bunch of bloody hippies* from 1966, originally known as Starbuck & The Rainmakers, though they resurfaced at the end of the decade as Eddie Todd & The Rainmakers...

(*This judgement based solely on the song title below.)

Starbuck & The Rainmakers - Let Your Hair Hang Long

THE RAINMAKERS #3

Far more clean-cut, judging by their photo at least, this lot pitter-pattered down from Noo Joisey in 1967.

The Rainmakers - Jeanie Green Bean

THE RAINMAKERS #4

Yet another 60s garage band, this time from Traverse City, Michigan. They look like they're posing for a horror movie poster... but don't be afraid!

The Rainmakers - Don't Be Afraid

THE RAINMAKERS #5

70s soul, Phillipines-style.

The Rainmakers - Sinta, I Won't Last a Day Without You

THE RAINMAKERS

Funky London-based Rainmakers from 1976 who released a rather literal single called Let It Rain. 

I couldn't find it anywhere on t'web.

However, I did find this from 1976, which I'm shoe-horning in just to irk the purist.

Wellington Womble - Rainmaker

THE RAINMAKERS #6

Hailing from Kansas, my own personal pick of the Rainmakers are predominantly remembered for their UK Top 20 hit of 1987 which added a bit of wop-bop-a-loo-bop back into the charts in the year the 80s started going downhill. Stephen King was a fan, quoting their lyrics in both The Tommyknockers and Gerald's Game. (I'm surprised this didn't push me to investigate them further.)

They were very big in Norway, and active on and off in the 90s and 2010s, though they don't appear to have done anything new since guitarist Steve Phillips died of Covid in 2020.

The Rainmakers - Let My People Go Go

THE RAINMAKERS #7

Clubby antheeeeem from 1995 by the same people who brought you Ooops and the Scumboys.

Rainmakers - Don't You Want My Love

RAINMAKERS #8

Um-chigga, um-chigga, um-chigga dance tune from 1997 by Rainmaking DJs Jordi Slate and Felipe Volumen.

Rainmakers - Urban Break

THE RAINMAKERS #9

Young Aussie Rainmakers from 2009...

The Rainmakers - One Voice

THE RAINMAKERS #10

American indie Rainmakers from 2020...

The Rainmakers - Gangsta Nation

THE REIGNMAKERS #11

Boston twin "battle rappers" whose family apparently "reigns over all bars over bullshit". I hope their raps make more grammatical sense.

The Reignmakers - Eye Of The Storm

THE RAINMAKERS #12

Finally, some rather jazzy Rainmakers from South Africa... sort of.

"The Rainmakers are a prime example of this fruitful exchange between North and South. The bandleader and bassist, Bänz Oester and Javier Vercher on tenor sax, come from Europe; the pianist Afrika Mkhize and drummer Ayanda Sikade count among the continent-hopping talents from South Africa. The four of them form a close-knit, inseparable unit. In other words, we are dealing with a formation in which individual strengths are not showcased in egocentric fashion, but are transformed into a collective energy."

Bänz Öster and the Rainmakers - Jaipur

Lots of songs to make it rain... but which is your Purple Rain... and which just leaves you Crying In The Rain?

Listening Post #29: 2025 is hotting up...

You maniacs! You blew it up! Damn you! Goddamn you all to hell!

Last week, I put forward an early contender for my album of the year, thinking it might be looking like a bit of a quiet one. Then all hell broke lose, firstly with the announcement of a new Pulp album, their first in 24 years...

And hot on their heels, Neil Hannon decided to get out of bed again...

Meanwhile, as he eases slowly into his retirement, some old geezer from New Jersey found SEVEN albums lying around in his attic that have never been released before and decided to put them together as a new box set, Tracks II...

2025, you spoil me.

Snapshots #391: Bad, Wicked & Evil Songs...

For some reason, these words kept coming into my head this week: Evil, Bad, Wicked, Sinful, Wrong, Corrupt, Fiendish, Dark, Despicable, Terrible, Horrible, Awful, No, Good, Repulsive. I've no idea why. But I figured I'd find some appropriate tunes to go along with them...

15. Jagged rocks.

Reef: "a ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea."

Reef - Repulsive

14. CMKT4.

Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV, aka...

Frank Black - Horrible Day

13. When a pidgin grows up, it'll make a lovely bunch...

Languages that starts as pidgin develop into creole. Add a lovely bunch of coconuts...

Kid Creole & The Coconuts - I'm Corrupt

12. They're so out of control, they could break both your arms.

Wild Swans - Dark Times

11. A dedicated trumpet player meets the builder of Brookside close.

Roy Castle knew a thing or two about playing his trumpet with dedication. The creator of Brookside was Phil Redmond.

Roy Redmond - Ain't That Terrible

10. Often encountered during a cholera epidemic.

Often encountered during a cHOLEra epidemic.

Hole - Awful

9. Call the orthodhauntist.

Spooky Tooth - Evil Woman

Yes, I know that the Orange Dictator isn't a woman. But I wanted to get Spooky Tooth in here somehow!

8. I let Weepy scramble my brain.

"I let Weepy" was an anagram...

Pete Wylie - Sinful

7. Your closest advisers. 

Inner Circle - Bad Boys

6. You could have chosen conkers, chestnuts or pine cones... what made you choose acorns? 

Why oak?

Wye Oak - Despicable Animal

5. Turner's furniture shop.

They took their name from the slogan on the store above, in Hull.

Everything But The Girl - Wrong

4. Money talks... on this safari.

Money talks, but it don't sing and dance and it don't walk, according to Neil in Forever In Blue Jeans. Add a bit of a Swinging Safari...

Swinging Blue Jeans - You're No Good

3. Curse Flanders!

Damn Ned!

The Damned - Grimly Fiendish

2. Never meant to make your daughter cry...

That's a lyric from Ms. Jackson by Outkast.

Janet Jackson - Nasty

1. Martin, you Yellow git! You're fired!

I sack Chris (Martin)... or to put it another way... Chris: I sack!

Chris Isaak - Wicked Game

Some less evil Snapshots next weekend...

Saturday Snapshots #391

The good news is, there will be no further tariffs imposed on Snapshots guesses this weekend - so feel free to identify the artists below and work out what might connect their songs, safe in the knowledge you'll only be paying a 10% guess fee. Unless you're in China...

15. Jagged rocks.

14. CMKT4.

13. When a pidgin grows up, it'll make a lovely bunch...

12. They're so out of control, they could break both your arms.

11. A dedicated trumpet player meets the builder of Brookside close.

10. Often encountered during a cholera epidemic.

9. Call the orthodhauntist.

8. I let Weepy scramble my brain.

7. Your closest advisers. 

6. You could have chosen conkers, chestnuts or pine cones... what made you choose acorns? 

5. Turner's furniture shop.

4. Money talks... on this safari.

3. Curse Flanders!

2. Never meant to make your daughter cry...

1. Martin, you Yellow git! You're fired!*

Be cool - the answers will be here tomorrow morning. Tariff free!

(*This clue is not a reference to our wonderful blogging pal, Martin. It's another one.)

The My Top Ten Mailbag #3: Bowled Over

It ain't Over till it's Over, as that famous cricketer Lennie Kravitz once remarked.

Jim from Dubai writes...

Hello Rol,

I hope all is well.

Was reading your great article on songs about Cricket. I thought I would share with you a song I only came across recently which is about Cricket. It is from the early 90s, I had never heard of it before but it has instantly become one of the best songs I have heard recently.

I don't know much about them but I do know I love the song. A bit of easy listening Indie pop with a bit of Bossa Nova thrown in, great singer and some famous cricketer names thrown in, what more do you need?

I give you The Cavaliers - The Beautiful Game.

Thank you, Jim. Further research reveals this is actually from 1986. It appears to be the only release by The Cavaliers (and that name will definitely be investigated further on a future edition of Namesakes), although the also released music under the names Cagliostra and Perspico Acumine (Holdings).

Lovely stuff...

Listening Post #28: An Early Contender

Of course, it's way too early to start talking Album of the Year predictions, and considering how well his solo LPs have done in my countdown over the past decade or so, this is probably an obvious call... but... damn if that new Craig Finn album isn't excellent work.

The news that Craig had drafted in Adam Granduciel of The War On Drugs for production duties didn't exactly light a fire under me, since I'm generally underwhelmed by TWOD's output. But when I think about it, I do often like the sound that band makes... it's just the songs themselves don't seem to say very much. Craig Finn, on the other hand, is a master of making every word count, so his superb storytelling lyrics set to the 70s/80s Laurel Canyon sound Granduciel specialises in is the perfect combination. 

Talking up his latest record, Finn name-drops Randy Newman, Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon (also John Prine, who doesn't musically with the others, but lyrically... yeah), so I'm in hog heaven here.

Attention, anyone thinking of releasing any new music that might be of interest to me for the rest of this year: the bar's been set pretty high now, guys. Go big or go home.

Luke and Leanna 

Don't have any children 

They said they didn't want them 

But lately she's thinking 

What's the point of this whole thing? 

Go to work for the weekend 

Wake up early on Monday 

Start it over again 

And again 

And again 

The My Top Ten Mailbag #2: Another Innings

Regarding our recent focus on Cricketing songs, The Blogfather himself, JC, writes...

Hi Rol,

You might already know this, but just in case.

Cricket Wife by Pet Shop Boys - a hard to find track, only released via the hardback book Annually 2011.

I'll throw in the re-recorded West End Girls as a bonus. 

Enjoy!!!!

The Pet Shop Boys - Cricket Wife

The Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls (New Lockdown Version)

Excellent stuff - thank you, JC. I see these also appeared as the concluding chapter of your long-running examination of all the Pet Shop Boys singles... I must have missed that post. That's an LBW for me.

Meanwhile, Our Man In Portugal writes...

I suppose this one was too obvious?

King Short Shirt - Vivian Richards

Only to those in the know, George.

Is that the end of our cricketing tunes? Let's ask Roy...

Namesakes #132: Automatic

These bands might not be hydromatic... they might not be systematic... but they're all definitely Automatic!

THE AUTOMATIC #1

We kick off in 1983 with a Californian (?) group convinced they would by THE Automatic. They had the look. They had the sound. I'm guessing they didn't have the sales. Fate is fickle.

The Automatic - Like Lovers Do 

AUTOMATIC #2

Next, some Automatic Aussies who got together in high school as The Spinouts before maturing into Automatic, releasing their debut album in '94.

Automatic - Sister K

AUTOMATIC #3

Swedish synth-poppers Jonas Göransson and Peter Nyborg, formerly known as Dead Eyes Open, who released one album as Automatic in 1997. It all sounds very 1983 to me though.

Automatic - Thank God It's Friday

AUTOMATIC #4

Also in '97, we find this Kentucky hardcore band made up of former members of Mouthpiece, Endpoint, The Enkindels and By The Grace Of God.

Their sound is described as "melodic and catchy, highly reminiscent of Dag Nasty", if that helps.

Automatic - Crossing Kill Creek

AUTOMATIC #5

1997 was clearly a big year for calling your band Automatic. We now find ourselves in the toon of Newcastle, with a noisy lot who appear to have recorded their video at the changing room of the local swimming baths. 

Automatic - Red Eyes On

AUTOMATIC #6

Housey Euro-dance gubbins from 2001 by Florent Enfer aka Doctor Flow aka Automatic. Be glad I chose the track below rather than his 1993 recording Blonde Angel, which is nearly 10 minutes long. He was probably just using up the end of the reel.

Automatic - Gimme Your Love

AUTOMATIC #7

Indonesian melodic punk band. I'm thinking "melodic" has a slightly different meaning in Indonesia.

Automatic - Iressita Sialan

THE AUTOMATIC #8

Another definitive 'The' bunch, these Welsh indie-types made a big splash with their single Monster in 2006... and never really bettered it. I bet they had fun making the video though...  

The Automatic - Monster

AuToMatiC #9

Italian indie rockers from 2010 whose shift key is malfunctioning. They sound a bit Vampire Weekendy to me.

AuToMatiC - All is false

AUTOMATIC #10

Milwaukee hip hop crew in 2012...

Automatic feat. Elle Raspberry - Move

AUTOMATIC #11

Finally today, some vaguely goth alt-rockers from LA who arrived on the scene in 2017 and took their name from a song by The Go-Gos. 

Automatic - Too Much Money

There were also quite a lot of bands calling themselves The Automatics, but I'm saving them for a future edition. I bet you can hardly wait.

Which of today's offering is your Automatic Lover?