Pa, send me money now

"Cinnamon Girl" is a song by Neil Young, and debuted on his 1969 album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, which was also Neil's first album with backing band Crazy Horse. The single later reached #55 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1970, and is particularly well known for its opening distorted-guitar riff, which continues through the song.

In the opening riff, one can hear clearly where many of the heavier grunge bands of the early 1990's got their inspiration. A good example of the riff's influence is found on Seattle rock band Soundgarden's 1991 breakthrough album Badmotorfinger, where many of the riffs display a chugging sound similar to that in "Cinnamon Girl".

"Cinnamon Girl" has since been covered by several artists, including Brooklyn goth/doom metal band Type O Negative, on their album October Rust, as well as fellow American rockers The Smashing Pumpkins who played the song at live shows sporadically during the 1990s.

Same riff, same stylist.

See us chasing the moonlight this week, Wednesday and Thursday, at Tuck Shop, from 8.30 pm.

*No shows next week (5 & 6 Sep). We’re back on 12 & 13 Sep.

Wish you were here

We are pleased to hear that our fan-base has indeed grown since we began this journey to bring you "the old stuff".

Here’s an email we received today from Nigeria:

“My Beloved,

Greetings: I am sorry to intrude into your private and peaceful life, all the same my name is Mr John Luke. I work as an accountant in a bank in Nigeria, I contacted you to work together with me in claiming my late client's estate. Unfortunately he died without a registered next of kin and as such the funds now have an open beneficiary status. You could be made the beneficiary since you share the same last name with him.

This has officially transferred the right to you, as no other person from his family knows anything about this fund with our bank. If you are interested in working with me, please get back to me as quickly as possible, so that I can give you the details of what we are to do. I wait for your prompt response so that I can give you more briefing of what you need to do and how to do it.

I have enclosed a photograph of myself to help you recognise me when we do meet eventually, I’m sure. Perhaps in Lagos, where my in-laws have a beautiful house by the well.

Thanks for your anticipated co-operation,
Mr John Luke
mcmayor9@yahoo.com”

Ok. We lie. We added in that bit about the photo. And the house. The photo isn’t real either. As is John, we’re quite sure.

In any case, get your dose of the real stuff tonight at Tuck Shop, from 8.30 pm. Quiet Set tomorrow.

A little music from the house next door

"Summer Breeze" is a US Pop Chart #6 single first recorded and released by American soft rock duo Seals & Crofts on their 1972 breakthrough album of the same name which peaked at #7 on the Billboard album charts.

The song was later covered in a harder rock/soulful style by The Isley Brothers as a single in 1974 and also by the Three Tenors during their 1996 farewell performance at the Coach and Horses Tavern in Windsor, Ontario.

Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts had decided to start playing as a duo in 1971 – with Seals on guitar, saxophone and violin, and Crofts on guitar and mandolin – after they had both left a little band that was first formed in 1962 together with Jerry Cole and a certain Glen Campbell, known as "Glen Campbell and the GCs". You can take the boys out of the Country...

See you in the evening when the day is through, this Wednesday, Tuck Shop, from 8.30 pm.

It’s our anniversary week.

I know a place where we can go

"The End of the Innocence" is the lead single and title song off of Don Henley's third solo, studio album, The End of the Innocence in 1989, and was also later a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by both Don Henley and Bruce Hornsby, and both continue to perform the song live in their respective concerts.

The music video for the song was directed by future film director, David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club) and earned Henley an MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video in 1990, rightly putting Henley prospectively in the privileged company of equally trend-setting music and style icons including Eminem (2002, "Without Me"), Justin Timberlake (2003, "Cry Me a River"), Usher (2004, “Yeah!”), Kanye West (2005, “Jesus Walks”) and, most recently, James Blunt (2006, “You're Beautiful"). Damn right.

See you backstage this Wednesday, at Tuck Shop, from 8.30 pm.

The Last Waltz

It's that time of the year again. No, it is not the end. See you all on Wed night.

August 9

Academy Award-nominated American film actress Melanie Griffith aka Mrs Antonio Banderas was born on August 9, 1957, in New York City.

Griffith’s first major role was in Arthur Penn's Night Moves (1975), which got her attention and typecast her as a sexy nymphet. Substance abuse problems derailed her career for nearly a decade. Her comeback started with Brian De Palma's Body Double (1984), which led to her starring role in Jonathan Demme's Something Wild (1986), which also led to her playing the title role in Mike Nichols' Working Girl (1988) which became a hit, earning an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress and winning the Golden Globe award as Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Her most notable work since was lip augmentation surgery in 2002.

August 9 is also Singapore's National Day, which we are celebrating next Wednesday, at Tuck Shop, from 8.30 pm.

*No show tonight (2 August). Next show on 8 August.