Bedazzled!

Louis Armstrong's Collages

"Well, you know, my hobbie (one of them anyway) is using a lot of scotch tape." Louis Armstrong, in a 1953 letter

"The Spring 2008 Paris Review has a feature on Armstrong's collages, which cover the fronts and backs of reel-to-reel tape boxes." Link. via Orange Crate Art via Boing-Boing

Merv Griffin's Gravestone + "Have A Nice Trip".mp3

I got an email from a buddy of mine that I thought my readers might get a kick out of.

"It’s been ages, Spike, but thought of you this afternoon while dragging a visiting Warner Bros. dignitary
thru tiny Pierce Brothers Cemetery in Westwood for lunch. Yeah, a great and thoughtful host is what I am."

"Marilyn Monroe, Rodney Dangerfield, Buddy Rich, Natalie Wood all met with wide-eyed approval."

"But it was newest resident Merv who rocked his world"

And no Griffin-related email would be complete without a copy of his loopy, Anti-drug anthem “Have A Nice Trip”. Have A Nice Trip.mp3 

MP3's: Tim Hardin - "It'll Never Happen Again"

I just picked up this new 2-CD Tim Hardin Collection Hang on to a Dream. I had a bunch of his LP's back when I still had a turntable set-up, but none of them had this song on them. It's haunting me, can't get it out of my head. And, like all his good songs, it's incredibly sad. At least it makes me kinda sad. But I like that in a song.
Tim Hardin - "It'll Never Happen Again".mp3
Tim Hardin - "It'll Never Happen Again" (Alternate Version).mp3
Buy "Hang on to a Dream"

“Steinski Talks about The Origins of the Lessons"

Steinski - "What Does It All Mean?" 1983-2006 Retrospective

I just got my copy of this. If you're at all interested in hip-hop and/or "turntablism" (or maybe even if you're not) you've gotta check it out it.

“Following “The Payoff Mix,” also known as “Lesson 1,” Steinski and Double Dee (as they dubbed themselves) assembled their second piece, “Lesson 2 (James Brown Mix)” – the second in their highly influential trio of hip-hop history lessons. A modern listener will recognize most of the samples in this one, with everyone from Pop Will Eat Itself to Missy Elliott copping them in the years since. “Lesson 3 (History of Hip Hop),” from 1986, rolls up jazz, funk, films and sound effects into a rowdy, insane collection of beats and chopped-up songs.

These three mixes came to be known as “The Lessons,” and have been inspirational to countless bands since then, though the songs themselves have remained somewhat shadowy in great part due to the legal concerns. With literally a hundred samples or more each, getting clearance is probably impossible. These works of genius are living examples of the problems with existing copyright laws, and, since their release, have been more or less impossible to purchase. But that hasn’t stopped them from spreading and inspiring artists like Coldcut, DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist.” – Dusted Magazine

Buy "What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective on CD"
Buy "What Does It All Mean? - 1983-2006 Retrospective" as MP3's       
"The Pay-off Mix".mp3
"Lesson 2 (James Brown Mix)".mp3
"Lesson 3 (History of Hip-Hop)".mp3

Video: William Shatner "Sabataage"

All these years I thought he was just being a dick about it, but it's true, he really does say "sabataage". Now I wish he would tell us why he says "sabataage". Because most people don't just make up their own pronunciation of words, they just go along, more or less, with the commonly accepted pronunciation.

UPDATE: From the comments, David says : "It's the Canadian pronunication of course. My Dad (from Winnipeg), would always crack me up when he said garaajh (I don't recall him using the word sabatoge). Otherwise he sounded generic American, except he would also say gazz instead of gas."

Video: William Shatner "It Was a Very Good Year"

Ephemera: The Cleveland Press Carrier's Handbook

The Cleveland Press Carrier's Handbook @ Vintage Ads
Uploaded by xenon_zircon_23
Go there for the whole brochure.

Peanuts Bread Premiums

Peanuts Bread Premiums @ a sampler of things

Scopitone: "The Race Is On" by Jody Miller

"The Race Is On" by Jody Miller.mov (Quicktime)
"The Race Is On" by Jody Miller.m4v (iTunes)
"The Race Is On" by Jody Miller.flv (Embeddable Flash)
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