Hell's Kitchen Radio #465: We Love You EB

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Well my dear friend Eric "EB" Brown passed away on Monday morning. What a dear man he was. Always ready with a smile and a quick retort. I appreciated him in more ways than I can count. I'll miss you, dear friend. My heart goes out to your wonderful wife, Cat, and your entire family. My heart also goes out to our large circle of friends, who have lost countless lives over the past decade. 

Fuck cancer. 

Do you ever think about how you're going to die? I think I'm going to be stabbed to death. Isn't that a lovely thought? I've thought about this more times than I care to admit; almost always when I'm walking in a compromised neighborhood, late at night. "Will I make it out of here alive" is usually the question I ask myself. So far, so good. 

Don't be so nihilistic, Mr. Hell.

I have no death wish. I would love to be happy and healthy deep into my senior years. I want to see my kids grow up, reaching their dreams, or at least finding stability. That would be nice. And there's too much music to enjoy. I need to be spinning records for a few more decades, thank you very much.

But when I think about who we've lost, I fairly confident these very active and creative people also wanted to keep engaging and producing for many more years. They didn't ask for this. And they fought against it, tooth and nail. 

Fuck cancer.

I think about what Jerry Garcia said about how he was going to live this life: "I choose fun". He died young, only 53. And he died with a smile on his face. Of course it was the drugs and diabetes that did him in. Luckily I have no drug addiction, and I'm healthier than I've been in many many years. 

I'm reminded what Miles Davis said about drugs: "When you're rich, cocaine ain't a habit." Thanks Miles. 

This show wasn't meant to turn into a memorial, but many of the songs have that flavor. New music from Eric McFadden, Death Valley Girls, Le Butcherettes, Brigid Dawson, JD Pinkus, Pedro Connect, and red Fang.

Thanks as always for your support. We honestly couldn't do what we do if it wasn't for the monthly dues from our station volunteers, and it's not enough to keep us afloat. We're going to start an online fundraiser soon, letting you know what we need and how much it's going to cost. Anything you can send our way is appreciated. Click on the PayPal link below to help out your favorite San Francisco community radio station.

Enjoy and please share.

Oh, and fuck cancer.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Eagles Over America: ShitKit
Ballad of Dwight Fry: Eric McFadden

Sun Goddess: Earth Wind and Fire (For EB)

Dread Lion: The Upsetters

When I'm Free: Death Valley Girls

Alone and Stoned: King Tuff

Ra Wah Wah: Psychic Ills

Heartbreak Jazz: Brigid Dawson and the Mother's Network

Hummingbird: Bob Seger

Fungus Shui: JD Pinkus
Across the Universe: The Space Lady

The Universe: Le Butcherettes

Pedro: The Toulon - Pedro Connect

Last Of His Kind: Neil Young

Parchman Farm: John Mayall with Eric Clapton

Kicked Out: Dead Moon

Unreal Estate: Red Fang

John Hell's Live Bootleg Bonanza - Monday 6-8PM Pacific - Sex Mob (2011) & TJ Kirk (1995)

 

John Hell's Live Bootleg Bonanza

Monday's 6-8PM Pacific

http://radiovalencia.fm

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How do you feel about Jazz? Not into it? Indifferent? Turned off? Jazzed?! As a genre, Jazz gets pigeonholed into something akin to Classical. And I really think that's because it's no longer the POP music of America. Jazz is the most American music of all. That, and Blues. And maybe Gospel.

If there were no Jazz, there would be no Rock, R&B, Soul, or Funk. And like these genres, Jazz cannot be all thrown into one pile. It's not all about brass instrumentation. And it's not all about free-Jazz stylings like Coltrane and Coleman. 

Jazz has many flavors.

Tonight I feature two groups, both of whom thrive on improvisation and exploration. And both are cover bands! You know how much I love covers.

First up is New York City's own Sex Mob. This quartet, which started out as a part time side project for slide-trumpet player (yes you read that right) Steven Bernstein, has become his major musical vehicle. Surrounded by stellar players Briggan Krause (alto sax), Tony Scherr (bass), and Kenny Wollesen (drums), Sex Mob takes songs you know and "love" to an entirely other level. Good luck figuring out exactly what it is they are covering. Bernstein's banter between songs is hilarious. You really need to see them live to appreciate the onstage antics. I have seen them about a dozen times between 1996 and 2018, all in San Francisco. I'd like to thank KFJC DJ, Andy Cadaver for turning me onto these fellas.

This show is from 25th Rencontres Internationales D'Jazz, Nevers, France November 10, 2011

Lineage: mp2 (MPEG 1.0 Layer-2; 48,000 Hz Stereo; 320 Kbps) > BeSweet (convert to wav) > Cool Edit Pro 2.1 (amplify, editing, fades, tracking) > TLH (flac8, aligned

Set two features a San Francisco quartet that lived a short and magnificent life: TJ Kirk, featuring Scott Amendola (drums), Will Bernard (Guitar/Slide), John Schott (Guitar), and Charlie Hunter (8-string). They play the songs of Thelonious Monk (T), James Brown (J) and Rahsaan Roland Kirk (Kirk...obviously). I was lucky to see a few of these shows back in the mid-90s and I can attest to the brilliance of the musicianship, as well as the arrangements. 

This show is from Wetlands Preserve, New York, NY September 09, 1995

Lineage: Soundboard > DAT

Honestly, there are nothing but huge smiles on the faces of all of these musicians in each quartet you are going to listen to tonight.

You need to reimagine Jazz, and integrate it into your lives.

Support these bands. Buy their officially released music and merch, and never ever sell live bootlegs. These are for trade only. 

Stick around Monday's 8-10PM Pacific for my weekly music mix, Hell's Kitchen Radio. Lots of new music to share with you every week.

Enjoy and pay it forward.

jh

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Hell's Kitchen Radio #464: You Be The Fish To My Bone

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Fun show, Fun and eclectic setlist. There are times when I blindly choose my records, and play the "how will this sound together" game. It's hit and miss. Tonight was hit! I really had a lot of fun and I think it shows.

Radio Valencia is promoting a lot of co-presents at Bottom of the Hill these days, and Saturday, January 29th is going to be a real winner. Join us for Dr. Madd Vibe, featuring Angelo Moore of Fishbone. Eric McFadden in in support and local rockers Dizzy Twin is opening. I saw Eric and Angelo on Friday night at Ivy Room, and I could not stop dancing and laughing. What an amazing show!!! Tickets are still available.

I'll be you MC for this show, and rumor has it Angelo is hosting a mask making contest! Or something like this. This is a 20+ only show, vaccine proof required, and you MUST keep your mask on throughout the show (other than while you're drinking).

Now, on with the show.

Enjoy and please share.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Bee Karma: WAND
Verwandlung: Embryo

I Ain't Got A Home: Bob Dylan
Bird Animal: King Buzzo with Trevor Dunn
A Change is Gonna Come: The Gits

The N.W.R.A.: The Fall

Inner City Blues: Grover Washington Jr.

Tree Smoke: Kikagaku Moyo

Corpuscle Through Time: Heavy Blanket

The Circle Game: Joni Mitchell (with James Taylor) 

Saviour Machine: Redd Kross

The Anti-Heroine: Towanda

Party At Ground Zero: Fishbone

Bales of Cocaine: Reverend Horton Heat
My Sick Mind: The Roches

Spoonman: Melvins with Matt Cameron

Canerican: Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Down At The Rock Club: Richard Hell and the Voidoids

Moral Majority: Circle Jerks
Bottle Up And Go: John Lee Hooker and Canned Heat

Beautiful Stranger: Kevin Morby

John Hell's Live Bootleg Bonanza - Monday 6-8PM Pacific - Pink Floyd - Various (1967 - 1971)

 

John Hell's Live Bootleg Bonanza

Monday's 6-8PM Pacific

http://radiovalencia.fm

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Can I tell you my love of Pink Floyd? My very first live bootleg was Pink Floyd, June 18, 1975, Boston Garden. That is one tape I still wish I owned, even though I have had a quality Dan Lampinski flac upgrade for over a decade now. 

Like many I was into the Dark Side of the Moon and later releases. I spent many a fine night, tripping the night fantastic listening to Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall. The Final Cut and later releases didn't get a whole lot of listening to, though I did enjoy A Momentary Lapse of Reason, and I saw that tour live in Oakland, in the rain, on a few hits of windowpane, in April 1988. Fun times.

I kept getting pulled towards the pre-DSotM-era Floyd. Once I saw Live at Pompeii I was hooked. I was probably 18 or 19 when I saw it the first time, and just knew that tunes like Careful With That Axe, Eugene and especially Echoes, really did me in. I had to have more. I also dove head first into Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and fell deeply in love with Syd Barrett, going so far to purchase his two officially released solo effort, Madcap Laughs and Barrett. I was working a Tower Records in San Mateo when the Barrett solo compilation Opal was released. Such a fabulous collection. 

I gobbled up every book about the book I could find. I think "Bricks in the Wall" continues to be my favorite read about them. I recently purchased a used version of the Glenn Povey book, "In the Flesh", which I quickly took a highlighter to. There are a few shows I still need acquire.

Speaking of shows, tonight I have a mix of live Pink Floyd to share with you. I'm starting out with two tracks featuring Syd, Scream Thy Last Scream, recorded August 7, 1967, and Vegetable Man, recorded October 9, 10, or 11, 1967. 

Lineage: "What Syd Wants" - Harvested Records (HRV CDR 032) - dat(master)>eac>flac

Following these two treats I have three tracks from the Piper Club, Rome, Italy "First European International Pop Festival", 6th May 1968. This is just five months after Syd left (got kicked out? Was left on the side of the road?) and David Gilmore joined. Their covering three Syd-era songs, but they sound good and fresh with the addition of Gilmore.

Astronomy Domine
Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun
Interstellar Overdrive

Lineage: 'Old Symphonies' - Godfather Records (G.R.) 125 - Silver CD > FLAC

This is followed by three tracks from the Paris Theatre, London, 16th July, 1970. The material is taken from 2005 BBC-FM re-broadcasts and appears here in the best ever sound quality.
Embryo
Green Is The Colour
Careful With That Axe, Eugene
Atom Heart Mother (orchestra versions) 

Lineage: 'Old Symphonies' - Godfather Records (G.R.) 125 - Silver CD > FLAC

The last show I have to share is from Paris Cinema, London, England, 30th September, 1971 (my 1st birthday!!!) I have chosen two of the most brilliant tracks from this show:
Fat Old Sun
Echoes

Lineage: Meddled - Harvested CDR 001

Eleven tracks, two hours, pure bliss. 

Support these bands. Buy their officially released music and merch, and never ever sell live bootlegs. These are for trade only. 

Stick around Monday's 8-10PM Pacific for my weekly music mix, Hell's Kitchen Radio. Lots of new music to share with you every week.

Enjoy and pay it forward.

jh

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Hell's Kitchen Radio #463: Chip Off The Hell Block

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Nothing brings me greater joy than to share my love of music and radio with my wonderful daughter, Lauson. She's my dream girl, literally. She came to me in a dream a few years before she was conceived and told me her name. She even spelled it for me. It was a seven year old version of her, all with the curly hair she was graced with. I woke up, looked at her mother and said "we're going to have a daughter named Lauson. L.A.U.S.O.N.". She replied "we're having kids?". We chose not to know the sex of the baby before she was born, but I already knew it was Lauson headed our way.

Lauson first joined me on Radio Valencia when she was 10 years old, ten years ago! I think this was Lauson's 15th time on with me. Links to her previous episodes are below. I've marked all of her song choices. It's really interesting to see where my influence started and where hers took off. She's got an excellent ear for many genres. I couldn't be more proud. How is she a senior in high school already? 

Do I dream of her walking into her college radio station and blowing them all away? Of course I do. I also refuse to live vicariously through my children. She does have a pretty good airname though. And really, can you imagine what her peers would think when they hear she's been involved in community radio since she was 7? HA! Ok ok ok, I'll stop now.

Want more from the Spawn of Hell?

First show in 2012
Second show in 2014
Third show also in 2014
Fourth show in spring of 2015
Fifth show in the summer of 2015
Sixth show in summer 2016 along with Saucy!
Seventh show was also during summer 2016
Eight show was December 2016
Ninth show was July 2017
Tenth show was in August 2017
Eleventh show was July 2018
Twelfth show was April 2019
Lucky Thirteen was April 2020

Fourteenth Show from July 2021

Enjoy.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Dholak Gheet: The Family of Apostolic
Somebody To Love: Kalyanji Anandji
Cold Sweat: Bernard Purdie

Why? (The King of Love is Dead): Nina Simone
River Deep Mountain High: Ike and Tina - L

The Sky Is Crying: Sonny Boy Williamson

Lady Grinning Soul: David Bowie - L

Wake Up Alone: Amy Winehouse - L

Listening to Music: A Child's Garden of Grass

Basically Frightened: Col. Bruce Hampton and Animal Rescue Unit

Be Ever Wonderful: Ted Taylor - L
Duckworth: Kendrick Lamar - L

Run Run Run: White Fence

Late Nights and Heartbreak: Hannah Williams and the Affirmations - L

Savoy Truffle: The Beatles - L

Hypocrisy: Millie Jackson

I Gotta Find Peace of Mind: Lauren Hill - L

Whisper to Me: Cecile Campbell

High and Lonesome: Robert Plant and Alison Krause

Working for the Knife: Mitzky - L

When I Paint My Masterpiece: The Band

We Gotta Get Outta This Place: The Animals

What A Wonderful World: Louis Armstrong

Hell's Kitchen Radio #462: Never Draw Attention To The Mistakes

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Way back in my college radio days (even before that when I was taking announcing classes at College of San Mateo (CSM), from KKHI announcer, and father of the deepest radio voice I have ever heard, Daniel Odom), I was told to never draw attention to the mistakes. No one really ever pays attention, and if one makes mention of it, then the listener is apt to start to judge the announcer and hence, the station itself. 

I took that to heart.

Once at KFJC, when I was know at the Reverend Dah Wave, I couldn't help but trip over my inexperienced tongue from time to time; especially in the middle of the night, where the new DJs are expected to host shows for six months before moving onto a non-graveyard shift. Those graves were used to learn more about the vast musical library KFJC has, and learn my voice.

Mistakes were made.

I started taking the approach of drawing attention to them if the moment warranted it. More often than not the moment did not warrant it. I'm pretty deft when it comes to reading and enunciation. My dear friend Amacker "Rocket J. Squirrel" Bullwinkle, who hosted Friday's 6-10am would often co-host our transition when I came on for the 10-2pm Jazz/Soul/Funk show I hosted "Temple of the Bird". She would throw a PSA at me (that's public service announcement to those who do not know), testing to see how well I could read it live on air, without a pre-read. You cannot fool good Reverend.

As for the moments where I slipped up in a miserable manner, often not taking the time to thoroughly check the music I had just played to back announce properly, I would run a lot of names and titles together, and forget something vital, leading a handful of "ums" and "ahs". I would then purposely stumble and bumble in an even more animated way, to show that I am above nothing. 

Monday night was a lot like this. Our new studio has a lot of needs, including a new turntable and a new router. And my beloved 5TB WD hard drive is starting to crap out. I purchased a 12TB backup this week, and am backing everything up as I write. Back it up, folks.

Monday night my hard drive crapped out a few times, and only when I was about to move into a song. And the server was being a real bore. And the damnable turntable was mocking me! This led to more than one mic break being something akin to a disaster movie, sans the soundtrack; which is sad, because I have an impressive soundtrack collection.

We got the server working, I have a new hard drive, and my fingers are crossed someone got turntable one working properly, leading up to my next show, this Monday 8-10PM PST, featuring the return of my delightful daughter, Little Lauson Hell to the Radio Valencia studio.

Tune in and find out.

Enjoy and go back up your files.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Some Velvet Morning: Vanilla Fudge

Beautiful Strangers: Kevin Morby
No Place To Fall: Townes Van Zandt
Frankie and Albert: Taj Mahal

Cat Black: Ty Segall
Mr. Charlie: Lightnin' Hopkins
I Want It: Thee Headcoatees
Rocket Reducers #62: Melvins

Venus in Furs: Velvet Underground
Why Are We Waiting/Create the Visitor: Negativland

Somewhere To Go: Brownout
Darkest Light: Lafayette Afro Rock Band
Wesley's Theory: Kendrick Lamar

Can't Help Thinking About Me: David Bowie
Mogho Naba (King of Kings): The Pyramids
50 Year Old Man: The Fall

Halloween: Siouxsie and the Banshees

John Hell's Live Bootleg Bonanza - Monday 6-8PM Pacific - White Stripes (2004) and David Bowie (1990)

 

John Hell's Live Bootleg Bonanza

Monday's 6-8PM Pacific

http://radiovalencia.fm

DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW RIGHT HERE!!!

Honestly, this is all about Bowie. It was his birthday on January 8th, and January 10th is the date of passing back in 2016. That year suuuuuuuucked. Then again, everything has sucked since Bowie died. Maybe he knew something we didn't?

I played a live Bowie show from 1973 just about a year ago, on February 1, 2021.  I wanted to share something more current, though this one is 32 years old. ugh. I was 20 in 1990, so excuse me if this feels like yesterday. Since this set from the Sound and Vision tour is only an hour, I knew I had to find a quality opener you would root for. 

I give you The White Stripes from August 29, 2004 from the Carling Festival in Leeds, England. If you're a fan of Meg and Jack then you're going to love this set. the FM recording is clear and loud! And Jack is as ego-driven as ever. Quality White Stripes bootlegs are not easy to come by. I don't think they ever recorded their own shows very often, so much of what's out there is audience recordings. This FM is hot to the touch. This show is between the "Elephant" and "Get Behind Me Satan" releases, and has songs from throughout their early discography. 

Lineage: FM-sourced: Lineage unknown but sounds like a low generation

As for our headliner tonight I give you the one and only Starman himself, Mr Space Oddity, The Hero of our show, David Bowie. 

The Sound and Vision tour in 1990 was billed as a greatest hits tour, allowing Bowie to play all these great songs and then retire them from live performance. This show from September 29, 1990 (one day before I turned 20) is the last show of the tour, performed at the Derby Festival, Estadio River Plate, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

What I remember best about this tour is the 1-900 number that was offered so fans could call in and request the setlist. Wikipedia actually has a really good page dedicated to this tour. 

The quality of this FM recording is excellent. Bowie recorded a number of shows on this tour, but not the August 29th one for some reason. That's why I have chosen to share it with you tonight. 

Lineage: FM broadcast (low generation)

For Jerry Garcia, who was born on August 1st, and died on August 9th, we have the Days Between; eight days of celebration. For Bowie, we only have from January 8th to January 10th. I really want to make this one count. 

There's a special surprise at the very end of the the show. I know you're going to love it.

Support these bands. Buy their officially released music and merch, and never ever sell live bootlegs. These are for trade only. 

Stick around Monday's 8-10PM Pacific for my weekly music mix, Hell's Kitchen Radio. Lots of new music to share with you every week.

Enjoy and pay it forward.

jh

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John Hell's Live Bootleg Bonanza - Monday 6-8PM Pacific - NYE with Blues Brothers (1978) & Hendrix/Band of Gypsies (1969)

 

John Hell's Live Bootleg Bonanza

Monday's 6-8PM Pacific

http://radiovalencia.fm

DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW RIGHT HERE!!!

Another year has come and gone. And what have we to show for it? A few new masks, a few new variants? Some new vocabulary...like "variants". How did you spend this past year? What are you looking forward to in the next year? The midterm elections? Woo hoo! ugh.

Let's step back to two classic New Years Eve shows that deserve your ears. 

Starting off is an excellent, albeit too short lived blues band: The Blues Brothers, featuring "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, aka: John Belushi and Dan Ackroid of the Not Read For Primetime Players, from the original cast of Saturday Night Live. I have serious history with this band. My dad bought their debut LP, "Briefcase Full of Blues" when it came out in 1978, and I quickly absconded with it. It is one of the few records that I have literally played to its demise. I replaced it a few years back, but lovingly kept the original. I should frame that in 2022. 

It was the Blues Brothers that started my on my love affair with cover tunes, and digging for the originals. This show is from December 31, 1978 at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, opening for the Grateful Dead at the closing of Winterland. It was a legendary night all around. This recording is an excellent Betty Board, recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson. It is so much fun. Research this band to get to know more about how they came to be. 

Lineage: Master SBD Reel > Beta tape > Beta VCR > PCM

The headliner tonight is the one and only Jimi Hendrix with the Band of Gypsies, recorded live December 31, 1969 at the fabled Fillmore East, in New York City. This is the second set from that night, and you can now find this officially released, and you should go grab it. It consists of four sets spread across two nights: December 31st, and January 1st, featuring Hendrix on guitar and vocals, Billy Cox on bass, Buddy Miles on drums and vocals. This is going to take you somewhere you prefer to be.

Lineage: Soundboard

Stick around Monday's 8-10PM Pacific for my weekly music mix, Hell's Kitchen Radio. Lots of new music to share with you every week.

Enjoy and pay it forward.

jh

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