Namesakes #138: The Vibes

George is back, to give me a much needed week off, and today he's the scribe with the Vibes...

My previous contribution to this series, The Swans, led me to investigate bands called The Geese. Whatever the results of those searches were, I have not kept them. And from that, I leapt to today’s choice, but how I got there I just don’t know. And of course I will be sticking to the rules, so no deviations into such horrific territory such as The Vibez or The Vybes. Rules are rules.

(This clearly demonstrates the difference between Maths teachers and English teachers.)

THE VIBES #1

First up, a rock-and-roll single from 1958. 

Vocals are credited to Ronnie Franklin, who a few years later formed a soft-rock band that sold 120 billion records, although I know of no-one who bought any singles or albums by Bread (Ronnie Franklin seems to have been a stage name for David Gates).

(Further research reveals the band also featured Leon Russell and JJ Cale. But I can't find a picture of them anywhere.)

The Vibes - Pretty Baby

THE VIBES #2

So we’re off to a good start. Next, and unsurprisingly given the precedents in this series, a doo-wop band, who also went by the name of The Jayhawks and The Vibrations...

The Vibes - What's Her Name?

THE VIBES #3

Swiss rock next, and a track from a 2013 album “45 minutes to go”...

The Vibes - Scumbags Or Presidents

You can find a lot of their music on bandcamp.

THE VIBES #4

Sorry, I am unable to find any of the three songs made by the Nashville punks who went by the name of The Vibes.

Me neither.

THE VIBES #5

South African vibes next, funky South African vibes, no less.

The Vibes - Celebrate My Love

THE VIBES #6

More doo-wopping, from a band who might also have gone by the name of The Flames...

The Vibes - Tell Me I'm Your Love

THE VIBES #7

Thankfully I can not find the Happy Vibes track by The Vibes from an album called Jazz’ngo vol. 2.

Having read up on that, I think we're all relieved.

THE VIBES #8

A cheery little pop song from 1962 next...

The Vibes - A Killer Came To Town

THE VIBES #9

And from El Salvador, via The Netherlands, some noisy young vibes with a song about Ron’s eyes...

The Vibes - Ojos de Ron

THE VIBES #10

The penultimate Vibes are from Northern Ireland. Possibly the best reggae band from that country, and a song with a very commendable opening line, especially if your first class on a Monday is a disenchanted Year 8 collection of young rowdies (one of whom threatened to stab me in a McDonalds).

The Vibes - Workin'

THE VIBES #11

Saving the best ‘til last, and loud fast garage rock from 1985...

The Vibes - I'm In Pittsburgh (And It's Rainin')

And from the same 12 inch EP (The Inner Wardrobes of Your Mind)...

The Vibes - I Hear Noises

You will of course be familiar with those last two songs, they were much played by John Peel. (I’m In Pittsburgh and It’s Raining was no. 32 in the Festive 50 - a scandal.)

I’m trying to think of a “Rol-ism” to finish: Which band give you good vibes? 

While I'm inclined to agree that George saved the best till last, I'd be doing regular readers of this feature (i.e. Ernie and... erm, George) a disservice if I didn't tack a few more Vibes onto the end of his post... for completeness' sake.

THE VIBES #12

The earliest Vibes I could find - they formed in 1948, originally as The Vibrinaires before shortening that to The Vibes. I can only think that George missed them out because they came from Asbury Park, New Jersey.

The Vibes - Stop Torturing Me

THE VIBES #13

Ohio alt-rockers led by Nathan Corsi, from 2005...

The Vibes - Seventh Son

THE VIBES #14

Some smooth jazz sounds from Italy in 2011 (can't believe George missed these guys!).

The Vibes - Afternoon Without You

THE VIBES #15

And finally (again) some New Zealand rockers from 2020...

The Vibes - Funk Blaster

Thank you to George for his efforts as always. Although we'll miss his regular intense critical evaluations in the comments box this week. Feel free to step up if you have a spare couple of hours...

Snapshots #396: Songs With Rhyming Titles

Jack Black stacks a slack sack pack on his back, and has a pet yak in his shack, with a nick knack, paddy-whack for smack, crack and quack.

Here are some songs that rhyme... but not quite as much as that.

15. Rock on... Are you ready for him?

Rock on, Tommy... Cannon. Are you ready for Freddy?

Freddy Cannon - Tallahassee Lassie

14. I'm the same boy I used to be, just like a peanut farmer.

Jimmy Carter was the Peanut Farmer.

"I'm the same boy I used to be," is a lyric from Valerie by Steve Winwood, which was allegedly written about...

Valerie Carter - Wild Child

13. Just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed...

Lyrics from "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head"...

The Raindrops - Hanky Panky

12. Died in 1966?

Or is that just an urban legend?

Paul McCartney - Temporary Secretary

11. Rita Tushingham's kitchen sink.

Rita Tushingham was in the kitchen sink drama, A Taste Of Honey...

A Taste Of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie

10. Motivational presentation, not for Old Men. 

A motivational presentation could be a TED Talk. 

Ted Nugent--Wango Tango

9. Those McCartney Oiks will spoil everything.

"McCartney Oiks" was an anagram...

Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent

8. Hats off to Bell and Orbit.

Hats off to Larry. Bell and Orbit are both Williams.

Larry Williams - Bony Moronie

7. Useful for painting in Michigan.

Bay City is in Michigan. You use a roller for painting. 

I'm sure at least one of you recognised those legs...

Bay City Rollers - Money Honey 

6. Bluebell is lost in the middle, and don't call me...

Bluebell is lost in the middle. And don't call me Shirley!

Shirley Ellis - The Name Game

Rol!
Rol, Rol bo-bo-bol
Bo-na-na, fanna fo-fol!
Fee-fi-mo-mol!
Rol!

5. The stone at the heart of the flesh.

Peach Pit - Alrighty Aphrodite 

4. 'Cause, I gotta have... Benny.

"'Cause, I gotta have... Faith." And Benny Hill.

Faith Hill - This Kiss

3. Keeping up with The Joneses.

The Smiths - Still Ill 

Or you could have had...

The Smiths - Frankly, Mr Shankly

I didn't realise you wrote such bloody awful poetry.

2. A Snapshots essential!

Your snapshots won't be any good without Focus.

Focus - Hocus Pocus

1. Inverted woes.

That was an anagram!

Stevie Wonder - Master Blaster

Castaway Potshots returns next week...

Saturday Snapshots #396

Was Liam Neeson ever that young?

Were any of us?

Sorry, that's irrelevant to the business of the day.

Fifteen musical acts to identify... then consider how their songs might be linked.

15. Rock on... Are you ready for him?

14. I'm the same boy I used to be, just like a peanut farmer.

13. Just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed...

12. Died in 1966?

11. Rita Tushingham's kitchen sink.

10. Motivational presentation, not for Old Men. 

9. Those McCartney Oiks will spoil everything.

8. Hats off to Bell and Orbit.

7. Useful for painting in Michigan.

6. Bluebell is lost in the middle, and don't call me...

5. The stone at the heart of the flesh.

4. 'Cause, I gotta have... Benny.

3. Keeping up with The Joneses.

2. A Snapshots essential!

1. Inverted woes.

If it's Taken you too long to get them all... you'll get Absolution tomorrow morning.

Emergency Questions #4: Throwing In The Towel

Another query to help start conversation, courtesy of Richard Herring's essential book, Emergency Questions...

Do you have a favourite towel? What is your best story about it?

While I'm not sure that I have any stories about towels, I do have very definite opinions about what makes a good towel... and it's not a new, fluffy one. 

I'm firmly with Larry David when it comes to towels...

"Towels are better when they're washed over and over again, like a pair of jeans, they dry you a lot better."

Never has a truer word been spoken in jest.

Here are some songs about towels...

The Associates - Straw Towels

I bet they're nice, rough towels that dry you properly.

SLAVES - This Is You Throwing In The Towel

Mom Jeans - I Left My Towel At My Friend's House And Then They Moved, Pt. 1

The Wldlfe - Towel 

Are you with me (and Larry) on the benefits of a nice rough towel? Or do you buy new towels every 6 months because you like them fluffy as heck but don't care whether you're actually dry or not?

Any other towel-related opinions and anecdotes will be gratefully received...

Listening Post #30: Dear Stephen

You're still my bad habit

My dark little secret

My illicit unseen drug

My secret hidden love

There's a track on the new Manic Street Preachers album about Morrissey.

Dear Stephen, please come back to us

I believe in repentance and forgiveness

It's so easy to hate, it takes guts to be kind

To paraphrase one of your heartbreak lines

Songwriter Nicky Wire has gone to great pains in interviews to state that the song has nothing to do with Morrissey's controversial public persona these days, his nasty opinions that have driven away so many long-term fans.

I'm still ill, I'm cursed to stay

Under your spell for all my days

I'm still a prisoner to you and Larkin

Even as your history darkens

Wire claims, “The only moral judgement on this album tends to be about me...”

“The song is about many things and it’s multi-layered. It’s about me critically looking at my own reliance on the past – about why those years were so scorched onto me. It goes for a lot of people, to be honest, but being between 12 and 18, I don’t think I’ve ever shaken them off for the imprint they’ve had on my aesthetic appreciation of music, literature and film. It’s an investigation of that.

“The idea that I had this postcard off Morrissey as well that said, ‘Get well soon’ and I kept it, it was quite a worthless thing that I imbue with so much meaning. It’s about so many different things but mainly about not being able to get out of that, and the amazing comfort and joy it brings. It’s a love letter to my former self as much as it is everything else.”

Which is all very well, and I can see why Wire might want to tow this particular line in the press (particularly the NME), but it's blatantly obvious that there's another meaning to these lyrics, a meaning that goes beyond Wire's past and one that will touch the heart of lapsed Morrissey fans everywhere. Maybe not those who have cut him off completely, but those for whom his work meant so much in our earlier lives, that however we might want to hate the singer, we cannot hate the songs. I'm thinking of myself, of Martin, and of JC particularly here. 

The passing of time and all of its sickening crimes

Is making me sad again

But don't forget the songs that made you cry

And the songs that saved your life

Yes, you're older now and you're a clever swine

But they were the only ones who ever stood by you

The Smiths - Rubber Ring

Earlier on in my blogging career, I spent many hours trying to defend Morrissey's slow descent into fascism as a mis-reading of his intentions. I was wrong, and I've got to own that now. But I still can't let those songs go, those songs that meant so much to me, that spoke to me like nobody else's ever have...

Morrissey - I Have Forgiven Jesus

Yes, Nicky, songs are about many things and [they're] multi-layered. But this one is clearly saying what so many old Morrissey fans are thinking. Although the very fact that you steal a line from I Know It's Over suggests you know it's all just wishful thinking... too late, was the cry.

The Smiths - I Know It's Over

Still - thank you for writing it.

I've been the boy with the thorn in his side

I want you vivid in your prime

Dear Stephen, please come back to us

I believe in repentance and forgiveness

It's so easy to hate, it takes guts to be kind

To paraphrase one of your heartbreak lines