On Deaf Ears

It started innocently enough–as a simple effort to track down “Rebel Yell (The South’s Gonna Rise Again)” by the Pleasant Valley Boys, prompted by Alex’s post on the epic gore film Two Thousand Maniacs! What happened after that, dear reader…

I tried white-market means. I spent a dollar for a wretched cover version by Johnny Legend at Amazon. I remained unsatisfied. More Google. The lamp illuminating my fevered and perspiring brow was sputtering on the last remaining fumes of fetid kerosene when at last my efforts bore fruit.

Lux & Ivy’s Favorites contained the song I sought. But what was Lux & Ivy’s Favorites? More research yielded answers–answers to questions I ought not have asked in the first place…

Lux & Ivy’s Favorites is a compilation made by a fan of the Cramps. To be honest, I’ve always liked the Cramps better in concept than in execution–but Lux and Ivy are legendary record collectors and promoters of the obscure and bizarre, and I absolutely respect them for that. Would the awe-inspiring “Strychnine” by the Sonics even be remembered if it wasn’t for the Cramps? Perhaps not.

It’s nine volumes. All are readily available via Soulseek. The concept–compile every song Lux & Ivy have played before shows, mentioned that they liked in interviews, and so on.

It started as a way to keep track of some of the songs Lux , and or Ivy, mentioned in THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE MUSIC BOOK. It was never really intended as anything but a way for a friend of mine and me to have 2 really kick ass compilations.

So we went about the arduous process of finding all the songs mentioned in that interview. It took a loooong time. We used the file sharing program, Napster, as well as our own personal collections.

So, one thing leads to another and when word got around that these compilations were out there, they started being traded from fan to fan to fan. So at some point I decided to put them up on Napster and let anyone who wanted them have them.

As the years went buy, more interviews with Lux and Ivy kept popping up, and the list of songs they mentioned got longer and longer. This resulted in new volumes.

And what does it contain? Glad you asked.  It contains:

• Rockabilly (“Skull and Cross Bones” by Sparkle Moore),
• Surf music, (“War of the Worlds” by The Atlantics),
• Novelty songs (“The Mummy” by Bob McFadden and Dor),
• Classic blues tracks (several from Bo Diddley),
• Garage rock (“Green Fuz” by Randy Alvey and The Green Fuz),
• Legendary underground recordings (“(Let’s Dance) The Screw”) by The Crystals),
• Movie themes (“Beware the Blob” by the Five Blobs),
• Just plain weirdness (Porter Waggoner’s “Rubber Room”),
• Just plain awesomeness (the epic “Taboo” by Gene Summers),
• And, not least, “The Ballad of Thunder Road.”

And I’ve only made it through volume four!

Check it out–if your sanity can handle it.

(The compiler’s Soulseek username is nimereht. Proper respect.)

Update:  I made it through them all!  And I’m still perfectly sane!  Sane, I tell you!

Update 2: Volumes 1-11 can be acquired here. Volume 12 is here.

Video: “Green Fuz” by Randy Alvey and The Green Fuz

Below the fold is the complete track listing, with some corrections made to track listings I’ve seen floating around the Internet. I’m sure there are more corrections to be made, and I may have made an error or two myself–much of this stuff is very obscure, after all. But I’ve done my best. If you see any errors, let me know in the comments or e-mail me.

At the moment, this post only covers volumes 1-9, but I’ll add coverage of the next three when I have time to go through them in detail.

Lux & Ivy’s Favorites, Volume 1

1. Sheriff & The Ravels – Shombalor
2. Sid King & The Five Strings – Let ‘er Rip
3. Ersal Hickey – Bluebirds Over The Mountain
4. Ersal Hickey – Hangin’ Around
5. Ronnie Dawson – Action Packed
6. Ronnie Self – Date Bait
7. Vern Pullens – Bop Crazy Baby
8. Donald Woods And The Belairs – Death Of An Angel
9. Gene Maltais – Crazy Baby
10. Billy Ward and His Dominoes – The Bells
11. Bob McFadden and Dor – The Mummy
12. Forbidden Five – RFD Rangoon
13. Forbidden Five – Enchanted Farm
14. The Medallions – Behind The Door
15. Nervous Norvous – Transfusion
16. The Clovers – Crawlin’
17. The Penguins – Earth Angel
18. The Blenders – Don’t Fuck Around With Love
19. Sparkle Moore – Skull and Cross Bones
20. Versatones – Bila
21. Versatones – Tight Skirt Tight Sweater
22. The Tornados – Telstar
23. The Treniers – Poon-Tang!
24. The Clovers – Rotten Cocksuckers Ball
25. The Collins Kids – Whistle Bait
26. The Chips – Rubber Biscuits
27. Jan & Arnie – Jennie Lee

Lux & Ivy’s Favorites, Volume 2

1. 13th Floor Elevators – You’re Gonna Miss Me
2. Ric Cartey – Young Love
3. Slim Harpo – Strange Love
4. The Champs – Train To Nowhere
5. Cozy Cole – Topsy, Parts One and Two
6. Zacherley – Dinner With Drac
7. Randy Alvey and The Green Fuz – Green Fuz
8. Jackie Morningstar – Rockin’ In The Graveyard
9. John Buck and His Blazers – Forbidden City
10. Marvin Rainwater – Hot And Cold
11. Blues Rockers – Calling All Cows
12. The Five Blobs – The Blob
13. Ric Cartey – Oooh-Eeee
14. June Wilkinson and Mamie Van Doren – Bikini With No Top On Top
15. Wayne Williams – Red Hot Mama
16. Boss-Tones – Mope-itty Mope
17. Keith Courvale – Trapped Love
18. The Storey Sisters – Bad Motorcycle
19. Lightnin’ Slim – It’s Mighty Crazy
20. Bob McFadden and Dor – Noisy Village
21. The Crescents – Pink Dominoes
22. Marketettes – Out Of Limits
23. The Chimes – Zindy Lou
24. The Crystals – (Let’s Dance) The Screw – Pt. 1
25. The Invictas – The Hump
26. Earle Hagen & The New Interns – New Interns Watusi
27. Billy Ward & The Dominoes – Jennie Lee

Lux & Ivy’s Favorites, Volume 3

1. The Pretty Things – Come See Me
2. The Leather Boy – On the Go
3. Roy Brown – Butcher Pete, Pt. 1
4. Roy Brown – Butcher Pete, Pt. 2
5. The Carnations – Scorpion
6. The Imps – Uh-Oh
7. Doctor Ross – The Boogie Disease
8. Howlin’ Wolf – Smokestack Lightnin’
9. Polka Dot Slim – A Thing You Gotta Face
10. The Ventures – The Rat
11. Mohammed Rafi AKA Ted Lyons & His Cubs – Jaan Pehechaan Ho
12. Bo Diddley – Congo
13. Anton LaVey – Satan Takes a Holiday
14. The Symbols – Do the Zombie
15. The Scarlets – Stampede
16. Danny Dell & The Trends – Froggy Went A Courting
17. Johnny Kidd & The Pirates – Shakin’ All Over
18. The Kinks – You Really Got Me
19. The Strangers – Caterpillar Crawl
20. Porter Waggoner – Rubber Room
21. Robert Mitchum – The Ballad of Thunder Road
22. Duane Eddy – Ramrod
23. Dick Penner – Cindy Lou
24. The Ideals – Go Go Gorilla
25. Jack Nitzsche – The Lonely Surfer
26. The Johnny Burnette Trio – Honey Hush
27. Mickey & Sylvia – No Good Lover
28. Duane Eddy – Stalkin’
29. Bo Diddley – I’m A Man
30. Johnny Fortune – Dragster
31. The Gee Cees – Buzzsaw Twist

Lux & Ivy’s Favorites, Volume 4

1. Gene Summers – Taboo
2. Roland Janes – Guitarville
3. The Citations – Moon Race
4. Electro-Tones – Ghost Train
5. Hank Davis – Woman Train
6. Jack Nitzsche – Rumble
7. Gene Gray & The Stingrays – Surfer’s Mood
8. Charlie Feathers – In the Pines
9. Ric Cartey – My Babe
10. Reverend Charles Jackson – Wrapped Up and Tangled Up In Jesus
11. Les Baxter – Lust
12. Harley Hatcher – The Chase Is On [From the movie Satan's Sadists]
13. Jan Davis – The Time Funnel
14. The Atlantics – War Of The Worlds
15. Clyde Stacey – Hoy Hoy
16. Electric Prunes – Dr. Do Good
17. The Five Jones Boys – Mr. Ghost Goes To Town
18. Jackie & The Starlighters – Valerie
19. Musical Linn Twins – Rockin’ Out the Blues
20. Hugh Barrett & The Victors – Fungus Among Us
21. Cannibal & the Headhunters – Zulu King
22. Charlie Feathers – She Set Me Free
23. Portuguese Joe – Teenage Riot
24. Gene Maltais – Gang War
25. The Musical Linn Twins – Indian Rock
26. Jimmie Rodgers – Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8)
27. Ron Thompson – Switchblade
28. The Legendary Stardust Cowboy – Paralyzed
29. Vernon Green & The Phantoms – Sweet Breeze
30. Davie Allan & the Arrows – Theme from the Unknown
31. The Stooges – 1970

Lux & Ivy’s Favorites, Volume 5

1. The Swamp Rats – Louie, Louie
2. The Trashmen – Bird ‘65
3. Link Wray & The Raymen – The Fuzz
4. Peanuts Wilson – Cast Iron Arm
5. Bo Diddley – The Story Of Bo Diddley
6. Homer Denison, Jr. – Chickie Run
7. Curley Griffin – Got Rockin’ On My Mind
8. The Isley Brothers – Nobody But Me
9. Ron Haydock & The Boppers – 99 Chicks
10. Bill Carter & The Rovin’ Gamblers – Baby Brother
11. Andre Williams – (M M M M Andre Williams Is) M-M-Movin’
12. The Quotations – Imagination
13. Carl Perkins – Let The Jukebox Keep On Playing
14. The Sparkles – Oh Girls, Girls
15. Julie London – Yummy, Yummy, Yummy
16. The Lifeguards – Everybody Out’ta The Pool
17. Ken Nordine – Strollin’ Spooks
18. Ken Nordine – Fliberty Jib
19. The Ramones – Beat On The Brat
20. Betty McQuade – Tongue Tied
21. Ronnie Ray & The Playboys – The Vulture
22. The Revels – Midnight Stroll
23. Ray Anthony – Dragnet
24. Link Wray – Genocide
25. Don Charles Presents The Singing Dogs – Oh! Susanna
26. The Deadly Ones! – It’s Monster Surfing Time
27. Edwin Bruce – Sweet Woman
28. Ted Weems & His Orchestra, with Elmo Tanner (whistle) – Heartaches
29. Vito & The Salutations – Unchained Melody
30. Jack Eely & The Courtmen – Louie, Louie ‘66

Lux & Ivy’s Favorites, Volume 6

1. Earl Wade – I Dig Rock ‘n’ Roll
2. The Ran-Dells – Martian Hop
3. The Saxons – Camel Walk (Part 1)
4. The Nitecats – Jungle
5. Charlie Gracie – Guitar Boogie
6. The Flamingos – I Only Have Eyes For You
7. Kenny Owen – I Got The Bug
8. The Phantom – Whisper Your Love
9. Moses Longpiece – Slide Her Under the Door
10. Ray Harris – Come On Little Mama
11. The Cables – Choo-Choo
12. The Charades – Flamingo
13. Ronnie Isle – Wicked
14. Andre Williams With The Gino Parks Quartet – Pass The Biscuits Please
15. Gene La Marr and His Blue Flames – That Crazy Little House On The Hill
16. The Innocents – I’m A Hog For You
17. Thee Midniters – Jump, Jive and Harmonize
18. Bob Taylor & The Counts – Thunder
19. Mad Magazine – (She Got a) Nose Job
20. The Five Sharps – Stormy Weather
21. Booker T. & the MG’s – Green Onions
22. Jack Nitzsche – The Last Race
23. Elvis Presley – Milkcow Blues Boogie
24. The Fleetwoods – Unchained Melody
25. Mad Magazine – When My Pimples Turned To Dimples
26. Grace Tennessee and The American Spirits – Pow Wow
27. Phil and the Frantics – Say That You Will
28. Pasquale & The Lunar-Tiks – Moon Madness
29. Arthur Lyman – Taboo

Lux & Ivy’s Favorites, Volume 7

1. Marvin & Johnny – Vip Vop
2. The Original Starfires – Fender Bender
3. Ronnie Kae – Drums Fell Off a Cliff
4. Young Jessie with The Flairs – Lonesome Desert
5. Andre Williams & The Don Juans – Pulling Time
6. Joe Clay – Did You Mean Jelly Bean (What You Said Cabbage Head)
7. T. Rex – Rip Off
8. Tony Allen and The Champs – Nite Owl
9. Betty McQuade – Blue Train
10. Sparkle Moore – Tiger
11. Stan Freberg – A Dear John and Marsha Letter [I think the compiler meant to include "John and Marsha," but this is the song that is included.]
12. The Dynamic Dial Tones – Boss
13. The Vocaleers – Cootie Snap
14. The Tokens – B’wanina (Pretty Girl)
15. Mississippi Mud Mashers – Moonglow
16. John & Jackie – Little Girl
17. The Falcons – Now That It’s Over
18. Mr. Undertaker – Here Lies My Love
19. Andre Williams – The Greasy Chicken
20. Roky Erickson – Red Temple Prayer (Two-Headed Dog)
21. Kay Martin and Her Body Guards – Swamp Girl
22. The Grey Stokes – The Legend of Tarzan
23. Mac Rebennack – Storm Warning (Long Version)
24. Charlie Feathers – That Certain Female
25. Ronnie Self – Bop-A-Lena
26. Jaynetts – Sally Go ‘Round the Roses
27. The Sensational Nightingales – Standing in the Judgment
28. Stan Freberg – St. George And The Dragonet

Lux & Ivy’s Favorites, Volume 8

1. Richard Strauss [composer] – Also Sprach Zarathustra – Fanfare
2. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – I Put A Spell On You
3. Love – My Flash On You
4. American Teens – Shake Shake Baby
5. The Gamblers – LSD-25
6. Unknown Artist – Unknown Song
7. Lee Chandler & The Blue Rhythms – Tree Top
8. The Strikes – If You Can’t Rock Me
9. Buddy Miller – Teen Twist
10. The Tides – Midnight Limbo
11. Homer Denison, Jr. – March Slav Boogie
12. Chaino – The Pigmy Song (Tikky Tikky Boom Boom)
13. Johnnie Honeycutt – Blue Song of Love
14. Kitty & Sheeny Lanier – Do The Whip
15. The Dirtbombs – I Can’t Stop Thinking About It
16. Betty Smith With Johnny Maxwell And The Rhythmmasters – Yeah, Baby
17. Rudy Thacker and The Stringbusters – Black Train
18. Stacy Bengal & His Six Outfielders – I Come To Demolish Cleveland
19. The Gamblers – Moon Dawg!
20. Unknown Artist – Unknown Song
21. The Viscounts – Harlem Nocturne
22. Billy Lee Riley – Flyin’ Saucers Rock & Roll
23. David Seville – Witch Doctor
24. Freddie Cannon – Palisades Park
25. Kay Martin and Her Body Guards – The Heel
26. Sheb Wooley – The Purple People Eater
27. The Pleasant Valley Boys with Herschell Gordon Lewis – “Rebel Yell (The South’s Gonna Rise Again)” [Theme from Two Thousand Maniacs] [IMDB credits this to H.G. Lewis, but I've seen the movie twice and I swear it's credited to the Pleasant Valley Boys.  It's definitely Lewis singing, though, so I'm crediting it to both until I find out otherwise.]
28. Unknown Artist – Unknown Song
29. Mad Mike & The Maniacs – The Hunch
30. Sparkle Moore – Flower Of My Heart

Lux & Ivy’s Favorites, Volume 9

1. Jess Franco – Sex and Mystic of M. Sade (edit) [No idea what Franco movie this is from or what the cut is actually called]
2. The Kinks – Until the End of the Day
3. The Vi-Kings – Desert Boots
4. Jimmy McConville – Scorpion
5. Bo Diddley – Mona
6. Wendell Smith – Nashville, Tennessee
7. The Crystals – He’s a Rebel
8. T. Rex – Baby Strange
9. All Women Are Bad [movie trailer audio]
10. The Wailers – Dirty Robber
11. Charlie Gracie – Butterfly
12. Chuck Ranado and The Electronaires – My Baby’s Gone
13. Lonnie Johnson – Tomorrow Night
14. Flamin’ Groovies – Teenage Head
15. Howlin’ Wolf – The Red Rooster
16. The Dantes – 80-96
17. The Chantays – Pipeline
18. Gene Gray & The Stingrays – Surfer’s Mood [repeated from volume 4]
19. The Deadly Ones! – Surfin’ Dockside
20. Gary & Larry – Garlic Bread
21. The Shangri-Las – Out in the Streets
22. The Tempests – Rockin’ Rochester USA
23. Spike Jones – Chloe
24. The Vampires’ Sound Incorporation – The Lions and the Cucumber
25. The Duals – Wait Up Baby
26. Rodger & The Tempests – Bad Bad Way
27. The Dixie Cups – Chapel of Love
    
28. Jimmy Scott – Unchained Melody