Kick Out The Jams Motherfunsters!

Holy mother of God, if this footage of MC5 playing a university campus (in daylight, always a tough gig, I reckon) doesn't fire you up for a tough Wednesday then I truly don't know what will. It was filmed in a field in their home town of Detroit on 19 July, 1970

See Brother Wayne Kramer wring the neck of his guitar and sing Ramblin Rose is a strangulated soprano, shimmying like James Brown sneaking up on a golden egg-laying goose, then shaking his arse at the crowd, before rocking, in time with Fred 'Sonic' Smith like oil-pumps in the Texas fields.

That's all before lead singer Rob Tyner explodes, looking like a 50-year-old Noddy Holder with an afro, and slays the audience with the legendary Kick Out The Jams. The crowd are stunned by the visual and aural onslaught. And it stays just the right side of heavy rock for my tastes.

And look at the crowd! Wild freaks, White Panthers, Black Panthers, someone who looks like Rick Moranis air guitaring next to the Marshal stack, before eating an apple and drinking a jug of milk. It makes my hair stand on end, but not as much as Tyner's (who died at the age of 46 in 1991).

I'm going out on a limb now, but this could be the greatest recording of a live rock performance I've ever seen (though Iggy Pop at the 1970 Cincinnatti Pop Festival - MidWest, same year, a coincidence? - is totally wild too). Sit down with something strong, and if you don't love this, I'll give you your money back. G

The Sid Presley Experience

More garage punk/power R&B, this time from London (I think, but that might be a bit general). I saw these at the Birmingham Powerhouse in 1984, the year this track came out as a B-side to Hup Two Three Four, and it's still one of the best gigs I've been to. The band broke up the following year and vocalist Peter Coyne and bassist brother Chris went on to form The Godfathers, who could also bang out a good tune or two. MP

Race With The Devil

The fact this is brilliant is reason enough, but it's also a reflection of the healthy hot rod scene in the States in the mid 1950s, and showcases the great guitar of Cliff Gallup with two class breaks. Lyrics provided, because Gene, who'd have turned 80 this year, really turns on his Virginia slur. First released in 1956. MP

RACE WITH THE DEVIL (Davis, Vincent, 1956, Capitol 3530)

Well, I've led an evil life, so they say
But I'll out-run the Devil on judgement day

[Chorus]
I say, move hot rod, move man
Move hot rod, move man
A-move hot rod, move me on down the line

Well, me and the Devil sittin' at the stoplight
He started rollin', I was out of sight

[Chorus]

I was going pretty fast, looked behind
Here comes the Devil doin' ninety-nine

[Chorus] Let's drag now

I thought I was smart, the race was won
And here comes the Devil doin' hundred-and-one

[Chorus] Let's drag again

I was going pretty fast, looked behind
Here comes the Devil doin' ninety-nine

[Chorus]

Well, I've led an evil life, so they say
But I'll out-run the Devil on judgement day

[Chorus]

Johnny keep a-rollin'

'What you got on that train, boy?'
'I got Bo Diddley, I got Jerry Lee, I got Plommons, I got R&B, punk, freakbeat. Man, I got...'
'Yes, yes, thank you Mr Alpha, I think we get the picture. Mind how you go now, there's a badger on the line at Tamworth and a temporary 40mph limit just this side of Wigan North Western.'

All aboard the Killer Diller Locomotive Special, curated by Sideburn favourite, Sir Johnny Alpha. An hour and 24 minutes of pure aural pleasure. No buffet car. Toilets out of order. MP

The Writing's On The Wall

photo of unknown origin. BP

Hotrod music

It's hard to imagine now the impact that Chuck Berry's first single must have had when it came out in the summer of 1955. All I know is, it rattled my cage when I first heard it, aged about 13 in the late '70s, and 57 years after its release it still does it for me today. Great guitar sound and Berry's brilliant poetical lyrics, as typed out below (my version, many people hear them differently). MP

Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
You just started doin’ the things you used to do

As I was motorvatin’ over the hill
I saw Maybellene in a Coupe de Ville
Cadillac a-rollin’ on the open road
Nothin’ outrun my V8 Ford
The Cadillac doin’ about ninety-five
We was bumper to bumper, rollin’ side to side

Maybellene...

The Cadillac pulled up to hundred and four
My Ford got a-hot and wouldn’t do no more
It done got cloudy and started to rain
I tooted my horn for the passin’ lane
Rainwater blowin’ all under my hood
I knew that was doin’ my motor good

Maybellene...

The motor cooled down, the heat went down
That’s when I heard that highway sound
Cadillac sittin’ like a ton of lead
A hundred and ten, a half a mile ahead
Cadillac lookin’ like it’s sittin’ still
And I caught Maybellene at the top of the hill

Maybellene...

Live & Jive Legends

Another ear-splitter from Heptown Records. This time, a compilation of bands that have graced the Live & Jive stage over the Swedish international music festival's 20-year history. Big mix of rockabilly (Go-Getters, Eddie & the Flatheads), psychobilly (Batmobile), surf (The Barbwires), and punk (The Accidents), plus most stuff in between that sits comfortably in such three-chord, twanged-out, high-octane company. My dad would smash the speakers with a claw hammer, which is reason enough to play it. If you're wondering, the first volume came out five years back, it's a slow-burn thing. MP

Guitar Wolf in London

Islington, Friday July 8. I'm going. Anyone else? G

Don't Knock The Rock

I saw this programme for the first time when I was 12. I'd already been mad about British bikes, especially cafe racers, for a couple of years and had recently gone barmy for rock 'n' roll, having discovered a box of old 45s in the loft. So, by the time I'd seen just the intro, which is all I've included here, I was delirious, had spilled my Tizer and sat on my Curly Wurly (no, not prison slang).

The programme was made in 1964 by Manchester-based TV company Granada and when first aired was called Whole Lotta Shakin'. I think it might have been aired in two parts. It was repackaged for the 1977 release (when I saw it) as Don't Knock The Rock and is 55 minutes of storming performances by Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, among others. You'll find clips on YouTube (but don't be confused by the 1956 film of the same name).

As far as I know, the only legal way to get hold of a copy (I assume their copies are legal) are through The Video Beat I can't vouch for the company, never bought anything from them, despite a very tempting line-up - worth a butchers. MP

Harmonic Generator

Down the shed trying to write 1000-word article about Italian hot chocolate (don’t ask) and was listening to this old fave. Forgot how good it was.