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PopTodd

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    Jim Ford!!!

    in Someone Else's Song

    Posted

    Just picked it up at Amazon.

    And, for the record, here is the poop on it from AMG:

     

    i79488vw8ky.jpg

    Jim Ford is a legend' date=' at least among certain roots rockers. Even among this batch, his name is not especially well known, but he never was a guy who was pushed himself to the forefront, he was somebody that lurked in the background, popping up in places unexpectedly. He wrote songs that were turned into hits by Bobby Womack and Aretha Franklin -- "Harry Hippie" and "Niky Hoeky," respectively -- he was tight with Sly Stone, a regular in the debauched house where There's a Riot Goin' On was recorded (allegedly showing up on some of the sessions), dated Bobbie Gentry (later claiming that he penned her biggest hit, "Ode to Bobby Joe"), and posed in a Playboy photo comic with Tony Randall, among other adventures. Musically, he provided a pivotal influence on British pub rock in the '70s, most notably on Nick Lowe, who claimed Jim Ford as his greatest influence, cutting "36 Inches High" on Jesus of Cool and "JuJu Man" while he was in Brinsley Schwarz. Respected he may have been but popular he was not, and his 1969 debut, Harlan County, is the very definition of a cult album, something not heard by many but savored by those who did. And not just in retrospect, either: upon its release, it so inspired the British rock band the Koobas that they renamed themselves "Harlan County" and proceeded to re-record the entirety of Ford's album, which is an even greater gesture of devotion than Eric Clapton quitting Cream after hearing Music from Big Pink.

     

    Harlan County saw some reissues over the years, including a release from Edsel in the mid-'90s, but it also slipped quickly out of print, following Ford into the realm of semi-obscurity. Like many cult artists, nobody really knows much about Ford. He hadn't been heard from since the '70s and managed to fall off the grid (not unlike his old friend Sly), but LP Anderson took the effort to seek him out in Northern California, coaxing him into an interview where Ford divulged his secrets, including the revelation of a stockpile of unheard tapes. Anderson's tale -- which was originally published in Sonic Magazine in 2006 -- provides the foundation for Bear Family's exceptional 2007 release The Sounds of Our Time, as his story is not only the bulk of the liner notes, but the discovery of rare tapes resulted in a whopping 15 bonus tracks to this definitive reissue of Harlan County. These bonus tracks aren't restricted to these newly found tapes, either -- several early singles are excavated, including the A-sides of the singles "Linda Comes Running," "Ramona," and "Hangin' from Your Lovin' Tree" (the first two from 1967, the latter from 1968, all lighter and poppier than what came a year later even if they mine a similar country-soul vein) and both sides of his 1973 single "Big Mouth USA" and "Rising Sun," which was his last release. That 1973 single came from the sessions for a full-length that was slated to be released on Paramount but was scrapped. Some of the sessions surface here -- including the delightful, R&B workout "Mixed Green" which works a food metaphor in a way not dissimilar to his disciple Nick Lowe -- along with a couple of straighter country songs cut a few years later: the terrific "Happy Songs Sell Records, Sad Songs Sell Beer," which is honky tonk via the Flying Burrito Brothers, and the lively "It Takes Two (To Make One)." But the bulk of the unreleased material dates from 1970, the year after the release of Harlan County, when Ford was cutting an album for Capitol that never was released. If two tracks cut roughly around the same time in Hollywood are counted, this amounts to a short, seven-track sequel to Harlan County which is a bit softer and a bit more laid-back than its predecessor, but it's plenty soulful and filled with great songs, chief among them his spare, original version of "36 Inches High," the clever, funny "She Turns My Radio On," "Go Through Sunday," and the slow, impassioned protest "The Sounds of Our Time," which echoes Sam Cooke and then a version of Cooke's "Chain Gang" which turns the song inside out.

     

    These unheard songs are the big news to the roots rockers who have cherished a copy of Harlan County for years, and they live up to both the album and Ford's reputation. They're as good as anything on his lone released album, and they have a looser, funkier quality that makes them more endearing in some ways; it's easy to hear why he was an icon for many country rockers, whether they played in a pub in Britain or in studios in Hollywood. These 15 songs alone make The Sounds of Our Time necessary for those fans that already know Harlan County but anybody who loves soul, country, rock & roll, and great songwriting, this whole package is worthwhile as it showcases the rare cult figure whose cult does not overrate him -- if anything, he hasn't been rated enough, and hopefully this exceptional reissue will finally give him the credit he deserves.[/quote']

    James-Hey Ma

    in Someone Else's Song

    Posted

    James has more than one song? And people care? Not to be an asshole, but wow. Maybe I should check this out. And I'm not being sarcastic, for the record; it's just that it honestly never occurred to me that there might be more to this band than "Laid." It'd be like finding out that there's more to EMF than "Unbelievable."

     

    I kinda thought that for a short time, too. Then I found out the the Laid album was produced by Brian Eno, so I took a closer look. And I am very glad that I did. There is a LOT there (obviously, from the posts here).

    It's TOTALLY unknown artist time!!!

    in Someone Else's Song

    Posted

    Bob Elliott

     

    I'll do this every now and then for some of the folks I've found at this site that are really fantastic. Bob just sent me a couple of his CDs and I am so completely digging them!

     

    Call it street teaming, if you like, but you know that I'm not on the payroll of this guy. He's just a suburban dad like me, who likes to rock when he can. Hope you like it and let him know if you do. No need to mention my name.

    Jim Ford!!!

    in Someone Else's Song

    Posted

    51gsEIfPswL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

     

    This man wrote one of my all-time favorite songs: "Ju Ju Man" (of which I only know the Brinsley Schwarz version). But I saw this album at Amazon and want to know as much from all you fine folks as I can.

     

    Anyone familiar with him?

    Apparently he also wrote "36 Inches High" which Nick covered on Jesus Of Cool... another one of my favorite songs.

    Damn.

    The hell with it...

    in Someone Else's Song

    Posted

    If it's anything like your description: "acoustic folk, classic country, bluegrass, power pop, punk, and some other stuff" I have a feeling I'll love it, those elements sound like quite the recipe for some interesting tunes.

     

    --Mike

     

    Oh yeah.... there'll be some klezmer, too.

    Seriously. (I'm talking to some clarinet players that I know about adding a little Yiddish flavor to a particular song.)

    The hell with it...

    in Someone Else's Song

    Posted

    Have at it:

    http://iacmusic.com/songs.aspx?SongID=5968...;ArtistID=10003

    (streaming audio only)

     

    Let me know if you like it or hate it or whatever.

    Whatever you think, it sounds like nothing else I've ever done and I had a lot of fun with it.

     

    It really does sound better LOUD.

     

    Added a poll so that you wouldn't be uncomfortable telling me what you really think - anonymously. But comments are, of course, always appreciated.

     

    And yeah, this will be on the next record, along with some acoustic folk, classic country, bluegrass, power pop, punk, and some other stuff. I do hope that you like this.

     

    EDIT: And the response (even from my worst critics) has been pretty positive so far, so yay me. But y'all are a different animal.

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