Attention Nortonians! All new releases are ready to roll! We are busy pickin' and packin' so get on board with a landslide of new Norton monsters! Pick up two fabulous volumes of Kim Fowley's earliest, wildest and rarest recordings on posh gatefold LP format or CD, three LP's and CD's of early, rare, and unissued Sun Ra vocal group and R&B superbity (plus an astonishing seven inch Sun Ra never ished, spoken word monster with boss sleeve), two esential Flamin Groovies LPs, Andre Williams' amazing and fabulous fiction book SWEETS, seven inchers from Jackie and the Cedrics, the A-Bones, and introducing the Tandoori Knights... and so much more. These babies spell ACTION! As a matter of fact, Patti Smith has already covered The Second Stop Is Jupiter from our Sun Ra series - less than two weeks after the release! Grab 'em all up quick, and see you round town and elsewhere at some of these upcoming blasts! And double click the links for extra added bang-zoom!
Friday Nov 13 Join DJs BILLY MILLER and JOSH STYLES as they pinch hit for the globetrotting Jonathan Toubin spinning a bucketload of frantic 45s for your dancing pleasure! We hope to see all you non-superstitious types at the party, besides, most of the platters will wail in the wee hours of the 14th anyway. Home Sweet Home 131 Chrystie Street, NYC 10PM – 4AM
Saturday Nov 14 ANDRE WILLIAMS: Paperback Writer! If you’re lucky enough to be in the Chicago area, come on over to Phyllis’ Musical Inn at 1800 West Division round about 8 PM when festivities kick in celebrating Andre Williams’ first work of fiction, in paperback- SWEETS! Andre will read, rally, and respond to questions from the peanut gallery, followed by an all-Andre DJ blast with John “Mr Wiggles” Phillips. Pick up the book, get it autographed and shake a tail feather with Andre and fans! See why Nick Tosches says, "Andre Williams is a real, natural-born, blown-in-the-glass writer, the kind they hardly ever make anymore."
Monday Nov 16 ANDY SHERNOFF tells all! Our good pal Dictators whiz kid Andy Shernoff is doing a series of solo shows at the Lakeside Lounge presenting his genius songs in an acoustic setting. Whatever happened to “country rock is on the wane/I don’t want music/I want pain”? Last week’s show was great with Andy dipping deep into his catalog of hits and telling hilarious and heartfelt stories about Andre Williams, Joey Ramone and Nazareth! It’s like Ray Davies with a White Castle slant. Every other Monday night for a spell until the management catches on. Lakeside Lounge, 162 Avenue B, NYC
Thursday Nov 19 REIGNING SOUND/A-BONES Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ A surefire swing ding with the Reigning Sound blowing into town supporting their new In The Red LP LOVE AND CURSES (RS will be at Southpaw on Friday). The A-Bones Norton LP NOT NOW is at number six at WFMU this month – thanks to all the boss jocks for the spins! Maxwell's, 1039 Washington Street, Hoboken NJ A-Bones Myspace!
DIS DONC, OU EST LA BIBLIOTEQUE DEPT. A French review of the A-Bones NOT NOW album as Anglo-sized by Google’s free online translator. Ira’s cover is blown!
"To A-Bones, one connait the classics! Not nothing Miriam Linna the threshing machine, and his singer of husband, Billy Miller, president also in Norton's destinies, quality-label quality of which they will never rent enough. And having respectfully plagiarized the case of the first album US of Yardbirds, it is today in the turn of the Rolling Stones of 65 to be the victims very honoured by a misappropriation also class that visually improves. Musically, this abounds, and far, consequently, of the rockabilly of the beginning, A-Bones re-visits with an infectious delight of the whole sections of the rock of the loving years. Exhume Animals (Outcast), revive Kinks (Stolen Moments), take back Max Lipscomb (Bad Times) and make, generally, fifteen titles of the album a party which does not finish it. « Geraldine ", " the Rooster "or " He Sure Could Hypnotize », are worth displacement in themselves. Their big return after a station wagon of more than 10 years. Shaped by Matt Verta-Ray and helped by the keyboards of Irish Republican Army Kaplan, far here by the indie-rock of Yo La Tengo, " Not Now! " the album improved for the gambille, fraiche beer and dislocations of the hips is. They greet their come-back! (A.F)."
Wednesday Nov 18 REIGNING SOUND/ALARM CLOCKS Parma’s Newest Hitmakers are back! There’s surely no reason to complain as sixties garage legends the Alarm Clocks share the Beachland stage with AC fanatics the Reigning Sound! Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland, Ohio
FLAMIN GROOVIES ICONIC ALBUMS NOW ON WAX ON NORTON! The Flamin Groovies FLAMINGO and TEENAGE HEAD on blazing vinyl foot longs like they're supposed to be! Dig Roy, Cyril, George, Tim and Danny on two bona fide rock n’ roll masterpieces! Big, bold sound from master tapes, original covers (yes, including the gatefold FLAMINGO!!!) and all the killer tunes that you high flyin’ babies out there demand!
King Khan & BBQ/Tandoori Knights! Be sure to catch Montreal’s answer to Homer and Jethro on their lengthy North American tour plugging their latest wax INVISIBLE GIRL on In The Red Records – they really tore it up here in Brooklyn! Stay tuned for some amazing new songs that BBQ recorded with Bloodshot Bill plus Khan and Bloodshot’s spicy Tandoori Knights album coming soon…all on Norton! (PS Above, that's a pic of Bloodshot Bill as King Khan for Halloween 2009!)
The Tandoori Knights debut single Pretty Please is hotter than a steaming plate of Chicken Vindaloo! As seen on ACCESS BOLLYWOOD, here is the Tandoori Knights new video “Bucketful”… Tandoori Knights Promo Film!
VA VA VA VOOLA! Our pal Jim Marshall (“The Cold Blooded Hound” as the late great Hank Ballard called him) has posted a wiggy trib to our hero, the mighty Esquerita! Dig it and all the cool tales around Hound Town! Hound Blog!
ICHIBAN RADIO! Debbie D. Does Dallas and all points any old which-a-way! With archived WFMU broadcasts of Music To Spazz By, Fool’s Paradise and Downtown Soulville plus pots of good vittles! Dig Debbie D and pals at ICHIBAN RADIO! PONDEROSA STOMP: THE MOVIE! Dig this short film featuring Roy Head, Lil’ Buck and Classie Ballou, packed chock full of reasons to love the Ponderosa Stomp and all it stands for- without it, we’s lost! Support The Stomp! Ponderosa Stomp website!
Meanwhile, backstage at Nortonville... we’ve been digging deep into the bowels of the bat cave, keeping midnight hours to add a massive stash of non-Norton inventory to our website – thanks for your patience- it will be worth the wait!
It was great to meet and greet with everyone at the WFMU Record Fair. Thanks to all for your continued Norton support! On Tuesday November 17-18, the station is holding a fundraiser marathon – do what you can to help them out if you wanna continue to dig all our kindsa sounds. Remember, WFMU stands for We’re Friends of Mr. Uszniewicz! WFMU.org! YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CANNOT HIDE DEPT. We’ve been hauled into various new situations on the internet, most recently, FACEBOOK. Unbeknownst to Billy and myself, a zealous unknown Norton fan from a friendly foreign land has been operating a facebook page for Norton for a couple of years now. Thanks very much to the eager boy who has kindly now allowed us access, so if you really really really can’t phone, teletype, wire, or send a singing telegram, feel free to attempt contact via the smoke and mirrors of Facebook, or the mirage of Myspace or the ballyhoo of Blogspot. To quote the Temps, Great Googamooga/ Can't you hear me talking to you/ Just a Ball Of Confusion...
Now that we've got your attention.... greetings, Nortonians!
Yes, that's Billy and me with icon Kim Fowley at an undisclosed location and yes, we're thrilled to announce some of the coolest sounds ever set to wax, all from Kim's cranium! Yes! Dig this double dose of his rarest and earliest tracks with ONE MAN'S GARBAGE and its bookend ANOTHER MAN'S GOLD, a killer pair that will whack you upside the noggin in case you've been dozing and have forgotten to write Kim a letter lately. Do it!
We've also got three volumes on LP and CD of Sun Ra's early Chicago-era vocal group recordings, including a mess of unished mayhem and an entire set of Muck Muck Yochanan and other delights. Copious notes from Arkesta trapsman Michael D. Anderson and the Norton crew, fastidious transfers and mastering, and beauteous packages make these an essential trio for all. Dig also a superb seven inch spoken word 45 RPM single of Sun Ra!
Kids, the Tandoori Knights, the hot n' spicy new stars from Canada have joined the roster, too. Pick up their 45, and also the hitbound Jackie & the Cedrics 45 Tall Dark Stranger and the A-Bones historically correct Shallow Grave!
Big, big news is that Norton is home to two of our favorite albums ever by our beloved FLAMIN' GROOVIES! Yes, the bigwigs at Sony/BMG have licensed FLAMINGO and TEENAGE HEAD to Norton for footlong release! Hell has frozen over (what, again)! Check the fans attack circa 1978 kicks at kicksville 66!
So if you're still wedged into your chair, please take a moment to take a sip of that Diet Coke on the coffee table because we have more news! KICKS BOOKS has announced a paperback line with the first one due with our wax stacks! See it at at http://www.kicksbooks.com and check back for the whole ballyhoo, up by Monday Oct 5... it's called SWEETS by Andre Williams and it will blow a hole in your gourd, to put it sedately.
So, now have we left anything out? Halloween shoppers at the WFMU fair, and ye in the hinterlands, ought to pick up goodie bag essentials like the new adhesive back iron-on patches! Yes, we will have an ironing board at the WFMU fair to iron a patch where you need it. We can also iron your hair and unwarp your wax wares. And if you need an official Norton Records bag for ya goodies ("Buy 'Em By The Sack!"), pick up the boss new Norton Records canvas LP totes - two styles so people know who they're dealing with when you ring their doorbell and demand Snickers and Mentos.
GINO OUT • GREAT GAYLORD, MELVIN DAVIS IN Funtastic Dracula Carnival (Benidorm, Spain) Oct 10 Funtastic Festival Website!
Gino Washington has canceled his appearance at the Funtastic Festival. Subbing for Gino will be Fortune Records soul sensation Melvin Davis backed by the Party Stompers. Melvin Davis Myspace!
Super added bonus surprise sensation is the Great Gaylord who will be jet-packed from his posh pad on the East Coast to the posh outer space environs of Funtastic Festival for one show only! "Hello Girls", indeed! Gaylord will be backed by the A-Bones! A-Bones Myspace!
MINUS ONE! BLAST OFF! The A-Bones meet the Fleshtones this Saturday Oct 3 at Union Hall in everso fabulous Brooklyn, moments before blasting off across the pond on a two week pounder in la France and el Spain! The band’s been in racking up plenty air miles, especially with a seven day weekend in frantic and fabulous Japan! Big thanks and lots of L-U-V to friends and fans in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, and especially to our amazing and fantastic hosts Jelly Bean, Jackie T-Bird.. and….of course… Enocky “Thunderbolt” Enomoto!! (Arigatou, Tomodachis!) There’s tons of sharp tour and show footage on youtube from talented shutterbugs, plus longtime photographer pal Jeff Cuyabamba kept a running foto journal! Check out the links and tell us what you thinks!
Hey gang! This may have been the fastest summer in history! It’s been a blast, and of course it will need to finish with a rash of full-on smash before we all head back to study hall! Dig in, as we fill you in on goings-on at Norton HQ, with positive predictions on upcoming releases that are sure to initiate raised eyebrows and blood pressure alike! Drum roll, please…
NORTON HOUSE OF WAX PODCAST! Yes, modern conveniences have horned into our transistorized world and this new fangled mode of transport is now blazing a trail across the hemispheres via satellite at this very moment, giving earthlings and space people alike an ample sample of what’s up with the flying saucers launching off the Norton wax pad. Now the uninitiated may grab ahold of loud sound abundance at the flip of a switch, or whatever it is one does to tune into NHOW-- Norton House of Wax! First sesh is up and at ‘em NOW with a nifty blab with Jared Swilley of the Black Lips and vinyl-only Norton smasheroos! Wax ‘em down, you ALL!
It’s sayonara to our hometown pals as the A-Bones jet across the globe to… Japan! If you happen to be the Far East over the next week, check out these big boss shows…
Friday, August 28 Shimokitazawa (Shelter), Tokyo With Firestarter (ex-Teengenerate), Jackie and the Cedrics and Supersnazz
Saturday, August 29 Shinjuku (Loft), Tokyo With the 5.6.7.8’s
Sunday, August 30 Hatagaya (Heavy Sick), Tokyo Norton Records DJ Dance Party with Billy and Miriam plus DJ Daddy-O
Monday, August 31 OYS, Nagoya With Jackie and the Cedrics
Tuesday, September 1 Rock Rider, Osaka With Jackie and the Cedrics
JEFF CUYUBAMBA PHOTOGRAPHY OPENING IN TOKYO – SHAKE SOME ACTION Super suave A-Bones pal Jeff Cuyubamba will have a photo exhibit of his fab rockin’ snaps on the same block as the Tokyo shows. “Little Jeff” has been documenting New York garage bands since the early days of the Dive—this gallery show will be amazing! Presented by Shinjuku Erostika. Check this out! SHAKE SOME ACTION
A-BONES EUROPEAN TOUR The globetrotting continues as the A-Bones set off for Europa, with a Brooklyn pre-tour tag team blast off with loooong-time rockin’ sockin’ pals the FLESHTONES! Come say adios and au revoir at Union Hall, and see you on the other side of the pond!
October 3 (Friday) Union Hall, Brooklyn Pre-tour kick off party with the Fleshtones!
October 7 Le Trabendo, Paris, France October 8 Sonorama Festival, Besancon, France October 9 Four Seasons, Castellon, Spain October 10 Funtastica Festival, Benidorm, Spain October 11 Freak Festival, Cadiz, Spain October 13 Compostela La Nasa, Santiago, Spain October 14 Cocodrilo Negro, Ponferrada, Spain October 15 Estudio 27, Burgos, Spain October 16 Pintalabios Attack Festival, Vitoria Gasteiz, Alava October 17 Gruta 77, Madrid, Spain
Pick up the new album THE A-BONES, NOT NOW! (Norton 345), which has just been declared super-duper by the ultimate tastemaker, Don Bombard! Oops—I mean BOB SHANNON!!! HOLY CANOLE!
"Without a doubt THE release of the year, if not the near-decade!" -Bob Shannon, WCBS-FM Radio New York
The A-Bones even managed to lure elusive R&B legend Dave “Baby” Cortez back onto the Hammond organ to grind out a fresh take of his instro stomper Cat Nip... raunchy originals are filled out with covers of the Animals (orig. by Eddie & Ernie!) and the Clovers, plus Shallow Grave, Andy Shernoff's Bobby Fuller style ode to Charles “Smitty” Schmid, the notorious Pied Piper of Tucson and lots more!
A-BONES ARIZONA RADIO PREMIER! TONITE TUES AUGUST 25! The “A” in A-Bones apparently stands for A-RIZONA, kids! Tune into KXCI for AL PERRY'S CLAMBAKE tonite 6-8 PM Tucson time for a world class premier of the new A-BONES masterpiece featuring two Arizona based tracks—Phoenix duo Eddie & Ernie’s superb “Outcast” get the A-Bones treatment via the Animals, and Tucson’s Smitty is the subject of the distinctively Southwest-flavored “Shallow Grave”, penned by Dictators genius Andy Shernoff!
A-BONES WITH CYRIL JORDAN AND ROY LONEY, MAXWELL’S
THE A-BONES WITH BLOODSHOT BILL AND RUSSELL QUAN, WOOLY WEEKEND, MONTREAL
NORTON SIGNS THE TANDOORI KNIGHTS!
http://www.myspace.com/tandooriknights When the A-Bones trekked to Canada recently to appear on the Wooly Weekend festival, a fabulous event that was truly as hairy as its nomer, little did we know what all would transpire! During a short stray from the Festival site, we checked out top faves the Black Lips, shakin’ it down with King Khan and BBQ’s phenomenal All Mighty Defenders. Unreal! On top of it all, top ranking Bloodshot Bill joined the A-Bones onstage at Wooly Weekend. And yes, the plot thickens. Soon after our return to NYC, we received ready to roll recordings from a newly hatched act known as TANDOORI KNIGHTS, formed by the magic match of King Khan and Bloodshot Bill, suggesting prompt release on Norton. We heard, we saw, we bit hard. Welcome to the able stable of Norton Records, once again, KK & BB!
GINO WASHINGTON NEWS!!! The ARE YOU READY?!!!! Jumpin’ Gino is back! Detroit soul legend Gino Washington is on the move, backed by the Party Stompers (featuring Norton stalwarts Mike Hurtt and Jeff Meier). October shows include the Funtastic Dracula Festival in Benidom, Spain on October 10 and, by invitation of the mighty Black Lips, the Vice Festival in Portland, Oregon on October 17 (w/Roky Erickson, Black Lips, Dirtbombs and more). In a recent interview with THE DETROIT NEWS, John Fogerty was asked about records that inspired him. “Gino Is A Coward by Gino Washington,” Fogerty says with a sigh. “One of the most incredible records ever made. It was only on the charts in two places, San Francisco and Detroit. I grew up loving that record.” Fogerty also pointed out Susie Q by Norton star Dale Hawkins."That was one of those records that's still with me," Fogerty said. The first time he heard it, he was sitting alone in his mother's car."The song came on the radio and I just went nuts, it sounded so primal," he says. "I started pounding on the metal dashboard, so it sounded like a great big drum. It just shot through me. I adored (Susie-Q guitarist) James Burton." Dig Gino’s two monstrous Norton platters OUT OF THIS WORLD and LOVE BANDIT and see what all the commotion is about!!
OCTOBER NORTON RELEASES!!! HOLD ONTO YOUR MAD HAT, MOMS!
WATCH OUT FOR MUCK MUCK! Norton recently took a rocket ride into the vaults of El Saturn Research and arrived back on Earth with a motherlode of unissued early R&B, doo wop, soul and general weirdness featuring Sun Ra and his Arkestra backing a variety of artists. This series consists of two albums of “Doo Wop from Saturn and Beyond” entitled INTERPLANETARY MELODIES and THE SECOND STOP IS JUPITER plus a set of totally twisted sides called ROCKET SHIP ROCK featuring Yochanan “The Outer Space Vocalist” (with his demented Saturn 45 Muck Muck/Hot Skillet Mama) and his way out friends backed by Sun Ra and his Arkestra! Atomic outer space genius from yet another Norton turban headed star!
SUN RA – INTERPLANETARY MELODIES (Norton 352) COSMIC RAYS – Daddy’s Gonna Tell You No Lit/Dreaming*/Bye Bye/Honey*/Somebody’s In Love*/Summertime/ NU SOUNDS – Spaceship Lullaby*/I’m Through With You*/Black Sky And Blue Moon*/Africa/Dabba Dabba Dabba Du Day*/QUALITIES - It’s Christmas Time/If I Only Hadn’t Sunned*/ JUANITA ROGERS – A Love Letter Full Of Promises*/Teenagers Letter Of Promise/CRYSTALS – Honey In The Bee Box*/SUN RA – Tony’s Wife* (* = previously unissued)
SUN RA – THE SECOND STOP IS JUPITER (Norton 353) COSMIC RAYS – Somebody’s In Love/Daddy’s Gonna Tell You No Lie*/Dreaming/There’s A Small Hotel*/The Second Stop Is Jupiter*/NU SOUNDS – Spaceship Lullaby*/Honeysuckle Rose*/Baby Won’t You Please Be Mine*/Black Sky And Blue Moon*/Dreams Come True*/Africa*/QUALITIES - Happy New Year To You/ She’s My Moonglow*/JUANITA ROGERS – I’m So Glad You Love Me*/I’m So Glad You Love Me/CRYSTALS – Little Sally Walker*/SUN RA – Stuff Like That There* (* = previously unissued)
ROCKET SHIP ROCK (354) YOCHANAN - Muck Muck/Hot Skillet Mama/Rocket Ship Rock*/Is That True?*/Hot Skillet Mama (alt. take)*/Muck Muck (alt. take)*/The Sun Man Speaks/Message To Earthman #1/Message To Earthman #2/LITTLE MAC - Tell Her To Come On Home/LACY GIBSON - I'm Gonna Unmask The Batman/EBAH - I'm Gonna Unmask The Batman*/DON (DINO) DEAN - The Space Stroll
ONE MAN’S GARBAGE IS ANOTHER MAN’S GOLD! Norton presents a Golden Decade (1959-69) of Kim Fowley’s elusive, previously properly unheralded mega genius escapades that reinforce the fact that Kim is… GODHEAD! Posh gatefold LPs feature extensive liner notes from Mr. Fowley, presented in his own inimitable MEGA GENIUS steeltrap-memory way. Stand now and salute the man, and each of these great records which blast right today as they did back when the chicken was the egg!
KIM FOWLEY – ONE MAN’S GARBAGE (Norton 355) BRUCE AND JERRY – I Saw Her First/PATTERNS – Late Late Show/U.S. ROCKETS – Bodacious/RITUALS – This Is Paradise/DONNIE AND THE OUTCASTS – Big Fat Alaskan/RENEGADES – Charge/PLAYERS – The Rebel/KIM AND THE SKIPPERS – Daybreaker/MO AND JO – The Yo Yo Song/JOHNNY C AND THE BLAZES - Inferno/KIM FOWLEY – Music Is The Magic/BLUE BELLS - Moccasin/ALTHEA AND THE MEMORIES – Dedication Time/KIM FOWLEY – Underground Lady/KIM FOWLEY AND MARS BONFIRE – Surf Pigs*/ALTHEA AND THE MEMORIES - Worst Record Ever Made (* = previously unissued)
KIM FOWLEY – ANOTHER MAN’S GOLD (Norton 356) RENEGADES - Geronimo/KIM FOWLEY – Big Sur, Bear Mountain, Ciro’s, Flip Side Protest Song/GAMBLERS – Teen Machine/VAQUEROS – Vaquero Beat/PLAYERS – Memories Of A High School Bride/ASTON MARTIN AND THE MOON DISCS - Fallout/COVER GIRLS – Gone But Not Forgotten/DAYWINS - Heartbeat/RITUALS – Surfers Rule/BONNIE AND THE TREASURES – Eleventh Commandment Of Love*/RENEGADES – Ghost Train*/ HOLLYWOOD ARGYLES – Long Hair, Unsquare Dude Called Jack/DONNIE AND THE OUTCASTS – Bounty Hunter/ALTHEA AND THE MEMORIES – Daddy Said/U.S. ROCKETS – March Of The Siamese Children/RITUALS – Gone (* = previously unissued)
NEW 45 RPM RECORDS ENROUTE! Seven inchers, all with boss sleeves, naturally!
THE A-BONES – SHALLOW GRAVE/ROCKIN’ SATELLITE (45-151) A-Bones deliver Andy Shernoff's Bobby Fuller style ode to Charles “Smitty” Schmid, the notorious Pied Piper of Tucson!
JACKIE AND THE CEDRICS – TALL DARK STRANGER/RIP IT OUT/SS 396 (45-152) Tokyo’s Tycoons of Teen take sake soaked stabs at the Buck Owens and Paul Revere and the Raiders songbooks and blast through a tsunami paced instro for good measure!
SUN RA – I AM STRANGE/I AM AN INSTRUMENT (45-153) Unissued sixties spoken word mysticism from Saturn, with otherworldly instrumentation. Absolutely brain bending and everso essential!
THE TANDOORI KNIGHTS – PRETTY PLEASE/BUCKETFUL (45-154) Unbelievable Hindu A Boo Boo rock n’roll from King Khan and Bloodshot Bill! Hotter than a bucket of chicken vindaloo!
NOVEMBER VINYL RELEASES! Heart be still! Footlong waxen slabs arrive soon! Full yammer forthcoming when leaves of brown come tumbling down!
FLAMIN GROOVIES - FLAMINGO (2021) Yes, on vinyl! Yes from mastertapes! Yes, via Norton! Yes, yes, yeah! FLAMIN GROOVIES – TEENAGE HEAD (2031) Ditto! Ditto! And ditto! You hope, you wish, you pray, and thirty years later, presto-zesto!
ROLLING STONES COVERS SPLIT SINGLE SERIES… UPDATE! We’ve issued nineteen nervous breakdowns in this popular seven inch series so far – that’s 38 Rolling Stones songs covered by today’s biggest hitmakers! We’ll soon be rolling out a few more – stay tuned for details! A special EP of Stones songs sung in Spanish (featuring Davila 666 and Luis and the Wildfires) entitled THEIR HISPANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST is also in the works. Listen for the second installment of Miriam’s Norton House Of Wax podcast featuring all Norton Stones covers…and if that’s not enough, Mick stops by the Norton House Of Wax to talk about the series! Don’t miss it!
NORTON INKS THE LONESOME DRIFTER! Norton has just pacted a deal with legendary Ram Records prexy Margaret Lewis to issue a sixteen song vinyl roundup on Tommy Johnson, the legendary Lonesome Drifter. His 1958 single Eager Boy stands as one of the most sought after rockabilly records of all time. The Drifter’s haunting vocals and stark instrumentation make him one of the truly unique figures in rockabilly and hillbilly music. This is some real chilling stuff. For fans of Hasil’s MOON OVER MADISON and Charlie Feathers’ UH HUH HONEY albums.
WOLFE CITY MADNESS We’re still putting this baby together. A full platter of atomic rockabilly and hillbilly insanity from this tiny Wolf-Tex label, revered for the monster bopper How Much Do You Miss Me by Harold Montgomery. Assembled by Wolf-Tex expert Mack Stevens. I wonder who the #2 expert is?
KING USZNIEWICZ & THE USZNIEWICZTONES MEET THE SOUTH BAY SURFERS A three chord duke out starring the only bands that matter. Does it get any better than this? We think not! King U fan club prexies Pope & Battles have been thrashing about in their cages for more King U and we have finally exacted more plums from kielbasi-soaked tapes (stored in rotting old pizza boxes!) which are perfectly matched by the left coast U-Tones, believe it or not! This tag team cannot be missed!
ANDRE WILLIAMS : PAPERBACK WRITER! No one tells a story like Andre Williams— finally, a collectors edition paperback showcasing his debut as fiction writer nonpareil is eminent! ANDRE WILLIAMS’ SWEETS is scheduled for fall release from Nortonville… stay tuned!
BROOKLYN SOUL FESTIVAL! The Bell House, 149 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718) 643-6510 http://myspace.com/digdeepernyc The Subway Soul Club is joining forces with Dig Deeper and Eli "Paperboy" Reed to promote soul legends from around the country, rarely seen individually, never before on the same bill together! Free big record show on Saturday morning thru early evening before Saturday night's show! Tickets: $15 advance ($20 at door if not sold out) Day 1 - http://tinyurl.com/soul-day1 Day 2 - http://tinyurl.com/soul-day2 $25 special advance 2-day pass (limited quantity) http://tinyurl.com/soul-2day-pass
August 28 Friday 8PM-4AM Barbara Lynn, Roscoe Robinson, Hermon Hitson August 29 Saturday 8PM-4AM Otis Clay, Maxine Brown, The Sweet Divines
Saturday Record Show @ Soul Fest! Come early on Saturday – 11AM– PM, vinyl record fair, vendors from around the world – no cover! Visit the Norton Records table and boss record mongers from all over the world!
Saturday August 29 RUMBLERS KUSTOM KILLS CAR SHOW (under the BQE starting at Union) Stop by on your way to the Bell House. Really wild customs on display. Hot dogs, Hell's Angels, records and loud mufflers! Be sure to dig Billy's cousin Steve's cherry '39 Ford Coupe.
September 19 Saturday ALLENTOWN 45/78 RECORD EXPO Records and butt cracks as far as the eye can see! (Billy said that!) What could be more fun? Stop by the Norton table and pick up some flipped sides! For directions and a photo of Vince Brnicevic wondering if he should buy a 45 that he probably already owns, go to http://www.surroundsoundproductions.com/
September 27 Sunday BROOKLYN RECORD RIOT The riot is back on at the Warsaw! Vinyl, pierogis, vinyl, kielbasa! Always a great time! Tons of wax! See you at the Norton tables! Note new hours: 12-8PM Warsaw 261 Driggs Ave. in Williamsburg
October 23-25 WFMU RECORD FAIR The East Coast’s biggest event of the year! Come say howdy to the Norton crew! Bring your King Uszniewicz want list! Come see Matt Dillon shop for records! Come see Ozy call Matt Dillon “Luke Perry”! Support the Number One station in the nation! And don’t forget – THE BIRD IS THE WORD!!! Yes, the Trashmen will be blastin’ away Saturday night at Maxwell’s! A PAPAPAPAPAPA…. http://www.wfmu.org/recfair/
COMINGS AND GOINGS …. The Norton family wishes all the best to our adopted delinquent son Josh Styles on his September 12 wedding to the lovely Sophie. Josh beats tubs for the sensational Stalkers, and brainwashes minions at smashedblocked… birthday wishes to two friends from Atlanta… the Mighty Hannibal who celebrated his 70th in style, tearing it up at a Highline Ballroom birthday bash with a wild finale featuring King Khan duetting on I’m Coming Home, backed by the excellent Sweet Divines, and Jared Swilley of the Black Lips, who celebrated a fraction of Han’s years, but with equal abandon, onstage in Toronto! Bithdays greets to two of our favorite superstars ever, Georgia lads, both! Must be the water… with sadness, we send sincere condolences to the family and friends of NYC DJ Carlos Alvarez on his passing last week… we will never forget this enthusiastic, fabulous young man with an obsession for great music, records, and dancing… it's also with great sadness that we report the August 2 passing of Sun Records giant Billy Lee Riley. If you haven't done so yet, spend some racket time with Red Hot, Rock With Me Baby, I Want You Baby, Flyin' Saucer Rock And Roll or Sonny Burgess' Thunderbird which is propelled by Billy Lee's insane harmonica wail! Such an underrated artist-- his Norton single She's My Baby offers nothing short of an A-Bomb level kaboom... RIP, BLR!
PS Check out my side-blog KICKSVILLE66. So far it's been mostly traumatic teen tussles of the 70s persuasion that will take me down a few notches more with the lifestylists of today, but that in itself is a relief. Rest assured that Kicksville is about to take off into yammers about obsessions with 1)drummers, 3)non vivants, 4)paperback scribblers, and 5)ad infinitum. That should cover it when day is done. M-L
