Fall in and dig the happenings

Another Burly Q is firmily under the belt and with just 6 weeks 'til the next un I gotta start movin'. The ol' idea box has been boxed in by a number of bad cats this week. And in this case bad isn't as good as you could possibly get. Take it away, Den.

So first up this time is the mildly amusing Ruth Wallis who I snarfed up an album called (and I kid yea not) "French postcards set to music". Outrageous I guess at the time this (and the actual vinyl, which sounds more like an LP pressed on wet cardboard) hasn't aged particularly well. I'd like the think the working title for this ditty to the hay parlor was "Beard".

Ruth Wallis- Queer things

I've just finished flicking the paper on Nick Tosches 'Dino'. I asked my sidekick Cherry the other night what she thought a Dean Martin roast was and her reply involved Frank Sinatra and some dumb dolly from the Sands hotel circa 1962. Anyhow, in my head I had visions of Dean and all his show biz pals all scoffing nosh around a big table. We were both wrong it's this bizarro concept...I'm told by Tosches that there was some clever editing going on in some of these as they couldn't get 'em all together at the same time. Avoid the Sammy Davis episode for the usual black and jew gags. This one, however, rips apart America's oldest and most intelligent Prez...Fudge me this Rickles character looks more like the Thing than that bloke who works with my trouble and strife!

Don Rickles on Dean Martin's Roast...roasting Ronald Reagan

I'm a bit hit and miss when it comes to plugging what I dig in the world of burlesk. But with the Burly Q hangover biting my better half pointed me in the direction of the NY- based Nasty Canasta and her fanstastical ginchy fan-dance. I dig it. You should too!

Nasty Canasta- Fan dance

Playing bedwarmer

There's been a lot spilling from the ol' pie chopper recently and maybe one or two too many of the pies an' all. So I've got some more platters for ya from the good ol' tube with a bit of Elvis 70's style- glam, crap novelty records, a welcome return for Dino (just reading the Tosches biog) and the puppet master that is Leggy Pee (great moniker, gal!)

First outta the traps is perhaps the ugliest bunch of mugs this side of Uggville. The guy with the girls hair and earrings kills me. I have this fantasy Elvis Lp where he records some stuff from the seventies...this is one 'em. These munters are coming up on the rails in Chez Den...

Mud- Rocket

I make no apologies for this stinker of a tune. I recently DJ'd at a dance- craze themed night which featured novelty sides a go-go but thankfully not this one. It's worth watching to see Ted's huge arms flapping in the breeze. This guy's got mits like a wicket-keepers gloves! I wonder what 'Wesley' is like...then again, mebbe not.

Ted Cassidy- The lurch

The mid-60's Dino is unfairly dissed by Tosches and even the early 80's had it's ups in Den's book...(I admit it- I love Cannonball Run...! it ain't no sin to take your skin off and dance around in your bones...!). Anyway, Den's sibling has this side tucked away in the attic and I tried to find the ever elusive 'Shades' but no dice so hear Dean do Motown people...

Dean Martin- The tracks of my tears

A great stage name and Leggy pulling off the difficult trick of making something hard look easy. I'm never sure if the folks get it tho as they fall into the trap of thinking that she's just trotting out some bilge. Judge for yourselves but I like it!

Miss Leggy Pee

Den Vegas

So you join Den for another installment in blogsville. Den is feeling lonesome as his squeeze is OS, so he may wander back into this dark corner of the web before next weekend...anyway, Den has some rat pack, a bathing belle & a drag king for your delight this week...

Have you ever met anyone who dislikes Dino? Most of them would struggle to name one of his songs other than the ubiquitous Italian restaurant staple “That’s amore” so it’s down to Den to educate Joe Q. Public. This is from an LP called “The Dean sings” that Den reeled in from a car boot sale back in ’98. This a bright, summery tune that flies by and is perfect to banish the reality of a cold, dark, dank, stinking Sheffield January…And yes, that is a thumbs up from Den!

Dean Martin- In the cool, cool of the evening

I once heard Frankie say that you should never hitch your cart to a fad or a novelty as you’ll end up looking like a schlub. Well he must have had a very big plate to eat his words from when the 47 year old, rug wearing Francis Albert cut this side back in ’62. Ol’ Blue Eyes was hitchin’ his wagon aboard the twist craze and he pulls it off with some aplomb! Who gives a monkeys if Frank is a skinny ass desperado…this is the cats ‘jamas!

PS- I couldn't keep this one under my hat...Ava Gardener upon being asked "What are you doing with a 120 pound loser like Sinatra?"..."Well" she said, "20 pounds of that is cock"!

Frank Sinatra- Ev'rybody's twistin'

And so to Sammy…the vertically challenged one eyed, black, Jew who is constantly being saddled with cheap clichés and stereotypes that mean that tunes like this get buried on the b-side of something called “The second best secret agent in the world”. It’s hard to describe this…is it a late night Vegas, finger-clicking lounge number, a northern soul beat ballad…I dunno? Who cares this is one real gone lacquer cracker that makes me want to buy more and more Sammy…He can sing, dance and like Joe Q I find him hilarious as the priest alongside Dino in “The Cannonball Run”.

Sammy Davis Jnr- If you want this love of mine

A load of toffs living the high life and committing much incestuous whoopee in 1940’s wartime London…The Camomile Lawn has a great cast including Jennifer Ehle, Tara Fitzgerald, Toby Stephens, Felicity Kendall and a very young Rebecca Hall I’ve been watching this on 4 on demand and it’s great during the period set scenes but falls a little flat in the final episode…Calypso is an absolute harlot but makes Den feel all unnecessary!

Calypso makes like a fish

Den is going straight to hell with this one…Even though he’s yet to see her in the flesh this vid made his eyes fall out of his head like a pair of cheap joke shop eyes on springs glasses. There’s something about a women in man’s clothes wearing a fake moustache that gives Den the screaming mimi’s…check it out for the pay off at the end!

Red Sarah- The Tweed Lover