Hell's Kitchen Radio #306: Are You Fella's OK?

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It's been a few weeks since I've had guests in the studio, and countless months since a live performance. So tonight I think I hit a home run. RonKat Spearman of Katdelic and formerly of George Clinton's P-Funk graced the studio with vocalist Leslie and guitarist Sasha in tow. I've seen RonKat a number of times, solo and sharing a stage with our mutual friend and regular Hell's Kitchen guest, Eric McFadden, but I have never had the pleasure of hosting him on the air, until tonight.

RonKat has a deep musical history, which he shares with us during the show, including his father taking him around to many musical competitions in Michigan, where little RonKat would blow the room away. He is a left handed guitar player, and plays a right handed guitar like Hendrix did. Unlike Hendrix however, his guitar is still strung the way a a right handed guitar would be strung! That means for RonKat the high E string is on the top instead of the bottom. I would not have believed it had I not seen and heard it with my own two eyes and ears.

Most of the first hour consists of interview and live performance. You are going to want to crank this up and put on your dancing shoes! RonKat shares some hilarious stories about his time in P-Funk, including the night George Clinton introduced him to Prince! You want to hear this story.

Katdelic is appearing Friday, June 7th at the Boom Boom Room on Fillmore around 11PM, and this Sunday, June 11th, at the 40th annual Haight Ashbury Street Fair, on the Love Stage around 3PM.

GO SEE THIS BAND!!!

The second hour I just had to continue in the funk vein. See the playlist below for your funky edification.

Enjoy.

jh

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

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Common People: William Shatner
Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him: Betty Davis

Beautiful: Katdelic (live in the studio)

Stay on the Up: Katdelic

Katdelic performs live in the Radio Valencia studio

I Call My Baby Pussycat: Parliament
Give It Up Or Turn It Loose: James Brown
Kung Fu: Curtis Mayfield

Just Kissed My Baby: The Meters
Darkest Light: Lafayette Afro Rock Band
The Hands of Time: Perfect Circle

Home Affairs: Osibisa

RonKat tells the story that when 'Pops' is in the house, regardless of the band on the stage, he has carte blanche to join in. Here he is joining KatDelic on stage at the Boom Boom Room back in 2011. Who knows, maybe he'll join in on June 9th.

Hell's Kitchen Radio #284: No One Ever Listens

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Thanks for tuning in every Monday night at 8. I never mention this on the blog, but it's always fun to chat folks up during my show, so please if you're listening take a second to say hi on the Radio Valencia Chatterbox, or if you're a FB friend, then on there.

Another show, another tribute. What's up with this friggin' year? I have done more tributes in this single solitary year than in my first 25+ years in radio, combined! Greg Lake of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer fame passed from cancer at the age of 69 last weekend. Best known for his days as bassist/vocalist for ELP, he was also a co-founder of the seminal prog-rock band King Crimson, where he performed on the first record and toured for their first two LPs before going on to start ELP alongside the late great Keith Emerson, who died in March of this year, and Carl Palmer who still has a few weeks left before something horrible happens to him. ugh

Much of the first hour is actually down right danceable. There are some seriously funky-ass tracks in here. Do me a favor and get your groove on until it's too late.

The second hour features a dive into my live music vault. And what a vault it is. You know, when I started doing the community radio thing a while back I committed to playing an hour of live music each week. I've sort of slacked off on that one, and for good reason. There are so many great releases I want to play with you week in and week out that the live music thing has had to take a back seat. Well not tonight. Take a look at the second half of the playlist and you can see that it's all over the damn place, and worth every second of your precious time.

I know the world has totally sucked this year. Who will it take next? Alan Thicke? Meredith Baxter (formerly Meredith Baxter-Bernie)? The election will still be with us. Syria will still be with us. Your job will still be with us...er, you. Maybe we just need to put some of this aside and enjoy the music for a little while.

enjoy.

jh

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

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Winter in America: Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson
Power to the People: Curtis Mayfield

I'm So Bored with the USA: The Clash
The Candidate: Urge Overkill
Smokin' Cheeba Cheeba: George Benson

The Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson
Black Enough: The Pharaohs
Home Affairs: Osibisa
Since You've Been Gone: James Brown

Dip Stick: The Perfect Circle
Tidal Wave: Thee Oh Sees (Live at The Chapel, SF, CA - 2015)
She's On Fire: King Tuff (Live at Pickathon - 2013)
You Got It: Mudhoney (2001-01-13, Knitting Factory, LA, CA)

I've Been Loving You Too Long: Otis Redding (1966-04-10 Whiskey A-Go-Go, Hollywood, CA)
Toussaint L'Overture: Santana (1973-02-26, The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA)

Dance to the Music: Sly and the Family Stone (1970-10-09, Piknik Kasteel Groeneveld Baarn)
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed: The Allman Brothers Band (1971-03-13 Fillmore East, NYC)

Waiting for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago: ZZ Top (1980-04-15 Pine Knob, Clarkston, MI)
Big Chief: The Meters (1976-10-01 The Kingfish Lounge, Baton Rouge, LA)

A Season in Hell #177: Reaching For The Stars

Listening to my show is really great if you have ADD. I don't have ADD, then again it's possible that some people might suggest that maybe, possibly, perhaps a chance, you never know, maybe John Hell has a little bit of ADD. Never been diagnosed! Though as a child I was told that I was hyperactive, I would very quickly find my way to sugar if it was within smelling distance. With that being said, listening my show is also a soothing and calming experience for many. For instance, take tonights show, please (HA!). I was pretty much in the mood for all Jazz, and okay fine, maybe a little funk, and possibly a little soul. But really in the end doesn't all of that kind of fit into the same nice big fat funk box?

And then something amazing happened, the "legendary" DJ Casey Kasem left this mortal coil. He kicked the bucket. He moved off into the outer worlds. So, of course that left me no choice but to present him and the only way that I find relevant, Which is of course to play Negativland. 

You see, as a long time noncommercial, underground DJ, I have always found the late Mr. Kasem to be, how should I put this politely, a bit of a turd. Yes, it's true I really do believe that he is one of the major forces of evil, or, should I say was one of the major forces of evil in all of the commercial music industry. So I am not really finding that I miss him. As a matter of fact if anything I'm thrilled. I mean no offense. And who knows what that means? I don't mean any offense to his family or his friends or even his fans, but I will tell you that I really believe deep in my heart he caused more damage for talented and original musicians then possibly any of the owners of commercial media in the United States since the 1970s.

So I interrupted some jazz funk soul programming on my show this evening to pay"tribute" to Mr. Kasem, and hoping that may be the final nail in the coffin for himself and people who feel obliged to believe that they can seriously determine what America wants to listen to. Yeah, keep on reaching for the stars there Casey. As a matter fact get as far out here as you possibly can. Maybe now some real talented and original artists will have a chance to make there own impression on the listening audience without you dictating who should be on top? Say hi to Dick Clark for me.

Stream this funky bit of soul into your consciousness, here.
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Dig all my funky grooves by going here, or just scroll down.

Enjoy.

jh

A Season in Hell with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia, 87.9FM in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Long Distance Dedication: Negativland
Ruffneck Jazz: Greyboy

Kush: Dizzy Gillespie
The Turnaround: Big John Patton

Memory Hole: Bobby Previte
Home Affairs: Osibisa
Evil Eye: Clifford Jordan and John Gilmore

China: The Visitors
Hideaway: Wardell Gray
Freeman: George Freeman

Investigation: Carl Holmes
Long Distance Dedication #2: Negativland
Something Different: Prepositions
Marvin's Groove: BW Souls

I Want You (She's So Heavy): George Benson
Creole Love Call: Roland Kirk

What A Wonderful World: Louis Armstrong

A Season in Hell #78: Radio Valencia: PsychafunkaWHA?!?!?

Wow, Ronnie Montrose dies, Davey Jones dies. Damn. What to play? I know, Afro-Funk and Psychedelia! I bought the new Wooden Shjips Remixes on vinyl yesterday, along with a tasty Afro-Funk record from 1975. I've pulled a lot from both the psychedelia and Afro-Funk parts of my extensive library.

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To listen to all of my shows, just scroll down to previous playlists, OR you can go here.

Enjoy.

It's Hard to be Humble: Mac Davis

Crossings (Andy Weatherall Remix): Wooden Shjips
Astrophobia: Turn Me On Dead Man

Water Mind: Angel in Heavy Syrup
T.F.B.: High Rise with Keiji Heino
High in a Flat: Bevis Frond

Some Velvet Morning: Vanilla Fudge

Sand: OP8
Set the Controls to the Heart of the Sun: Pink Floyd

Tei Egwu: Afro Funk
You Killing Me: Segun Bucknor
Home Affairs: Osibisa

Telephone Girl: Assagai
Zombie: Fela Kuti and Afrika 70

Beware: BLO
Keleya: Moussa Doumbia

I Don't Want It: Montrose (04-21-73)
The Man Who Sold the World: David Bowie (Davy Jones)