Cary Grant has got pithe in his hair-piece

So nothing stays the same for long they keep telling me. Change is something that cannot be resisted! So in the mood of austerity and doing less for more I'm trying something new this week by changing my blog slightly for the few folks out there in innernets land.

It's been a mixed few weeks with bad news a plenty but I found this track that cheered me up. Yup, it sounds a little like Fats Waller but to hear a guy from 1937 riffing about smoking a five foot long reefer has to be worth a lesson. Is it just me or did those jazz grass hoppers play an upbeat kinda groove that is sadly lacking later in the decade when all the deadheads who smoked too much dope could do was take down nice and slow. Anyway, Bob Howard is your man this time out. It's the penguins sock suspenders!

Whilst looking for good cabaret turns I stumbled across Nellie Mckay as she had recently performed in Lahndan. I'm sure got some gals all steamed up and ready for a scrap. I was hopeful that we could snag her as a possible Burly Q 'til I found out she was Stateside! Darn it. Is she saying what most people think? I dunno but she's kinda cute and I dig her act!

I've also watched two flicks this last week that I dug for varying reasons. First up was Charade with the fantastically touped (it even withstands a shower) Cary Grant and the bony- ass Audrey Hepburn who's voice continues to grate on me. In this scene we have Cary mugging it up 30's style; frugging whilst trying to pass an orange. Groovey man!

Over on the flipside we have 'One crazy summer': a mid- rate Cusack film from the mid- eighties. This one is set in Nantucket (trust me peeps this will remain limerick free!) and has an 'alternative' Demi Moore in a band featuring backing singers dressed as waitresses (that's as good as they get!). The flick is OK but is made all the better with an appearance from that guy out of 'Revenge of the nerds' and the love-him-or-hate-him Bobcat Goldthwaite who in the best scene in the film wrecks a model village dressed as godzilla with a burning cigar in his costume!

Bob Howard- If you're a viper

Nellie McKay

Cary Grant/ Audrey Hepburn Orange dance

Godzilla in One Crazy Summer

The nuts

So now were on to the second month of the year and Christmas fades into the distance...I've got the usual display of goodness that hopefully you Den bods tune into each week or so...We have the debut of the Rolling Stones; a warm return for Garfunkel and Oates and their ode to your LB Johnson along with some Vicoriana fan dancing from Vicky Butterfly that is truly the nuts!

So I went a little nuts the other day as I went 30 clicks south with MD. I snaffled solo Bill Wyman (subsequently dispatched at the charity shop bin) and also ' She's the boss' which awaits it's verdict...'Lucky in love' will always have a close place in Den's heart but he fears that the entire LP will be an LP too far to file away with 'Give me regards to broad street' and ' Southpaw grammer'. Anways, I heard this watching the under-rated/ axed 'Happy Town'...

The Rolling Stones- Hand of fate

Another great turn from Garf & Oates...this one did make me larf! I plumped for the subtitled version so you can follow the numerous euphenisms to the Tricky Dick Nixon...

Garfunkel and Oates- I don't understand job

A fantastic (and all-too rare in my humble pov) classy burlesque performance for you this week (that is if you ignore the woops and awooos from the audience...is it just me who is annoyed by these on live clips?). I've been left cold by so much recently that this one really blew me away even more than I expected. Great musicality and choice of backing track is married with amazing use of isis wings and a cage dress; and all this is done on pointe. Vicky Butterfly truly is the parrot's dungarees!

Vicky Butterfly- Victorian butterfly

They deviled my kidneys, stomach and lungs

It's been busy times here in Densville. I've been teaching the kids the meaning of the word 'Gak' and learning that 'Blates' is a term that exists in Y2k Sheff; and the bastards crawled out of the woodwork again whilst I indulged myself with double bills of pop films and re-reads. In addition there is a welcome time-machine return to a previously recorded on my VHS Blues Explosion clip from '94, the British Heart recommended Tom Waits track, some burlesk from NYC and a nice little Beatles lullaby for Beej. Enjoy.

A first outing for Julie Atlas Muz at Densville. If there is such a thing as a beautiful women inside an oversized inflatable balloon having poise, class and style this gal has it in spades. Hot dawg! this gal sure can hot foot with the best of them; the fact that she's topless throughout appears to be so matter of fact that it recalls the Crazy Horse/ Moulin Rouge French stuff that I've seen. I love this gal she's clearly in the driving seat. Take it away Julie...

Julie Atlas Muz- Balloon

Fantastic rock 'n' roll without a bass many years before the White Stripes. I remember watching this when it was on back in '94 and saw a theramin for the first time! For the Spencer virgins check out 'Bellbottoms' for more kicks.

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion- Afro!

This one had been lurkin' on the shelf for a few years since Mark snatched this one up for me. Fast- forward to May '10 and British Heart doing his Prime Minister's mouse and we get this! Tom seems to be working the Phil Mitchell dough face look in this one but don't let it put you off! Cheers Crispy!

Tom Waits- God's away on business

Finally another track that takes me back to '94 and endless plays of 'the white album'. Schmaltz central but the best thing Ringo put down with the Beatles. Which filled my double- bill of pop flicks the other night with a welcome viewing of Robert Zemeckis' 'I wanna hold your hand'. It doesn't appear to be available on DVD in the UK but I'm sure you can track it down...Which I would advise for the fans of schadenfreude with Kiss meets the phantom of the park. It's a hoot! The evil 'evil' Kiss are great!!!

The Beatles- Good night

The Monkey's briefcase

So the days are spent in darkness in deepest, darkest Sheffield bobbing around to the lousy day gig and back to the crib. I learnt my fave phrase this week from WW2- SNAFU...it's an acronym folks that you should drop into your day to day convo. I'm clearly backing the packages this week on the blog with Etta, Bobbie & Dana along with the man mountain that is Nick Apollo (Forte) and a welcome return for Woody Allen. Keep those cab doors tuned in for more Den time over the coming weeks. It's where it's at...

First up with an unheard version of Get ready is Ella Fitzgerald. This is much better than I thought it would be. Yup she's hitching her waggon to the tunes of the day (albeit 3/4 years late) but she turns in a decent version that's worth getting the magnifying glass out for.

Ella Fitzgerald- Get ready

Another one on the never ending list of wants for D.I. I know nothin' about this gal other than she turns in a decent version of the Simon and Halfuncle track which I blogged a few months back. Again another one of the pop tunes spun at Wigan. Methinks that some of those Northern fans wanna lighten up and smell the roast...Nice snap of Dana with Sandie and Marianne, who is looking a little pregnant on this one...Maybe it's just the posture...

Dana Valery- You don't know where your interest lies

Bobbie Gentry- Morning glory

A welcome return for Bobbie...Back in the day 'Morning glory' meant more than being the title of being Oasis' second LP. There's another half- decent version of this lurking on an LP she did with Glen Campbell which I previously advised to avoid like the plague. I think this clip demonstrates that she can certainly manage well enough on her own without him and I did the right thing sending that one to the chazza. I love the way Bobbie plays guitar is if she can't be arsed...it's the Gibbons suitcase...!

So I had a rare night in on my Jack Jones and headed to the Woody Allen cupboard. A double bill of Whatever Works (not so good on the second view) and Broadway Danny Rose (gets better every time). This one is all about what happens when you eata too much...Take it away Lou!

Lou Canova- Agita!

Where can Jerry Lee be?

So this is actually my first post of 2011 despite what the man is telling ya. I bring back some cabaret along with the oft- heard cry of 'I can't believe I haven't blogged these before' tunes. Since Xmas I've been reading the rather slow-moving 'Craven House' by my fave depressive; disfigured; alcoholic- Patrick Hamilton. I've had a smorgasboard of French pop tunes running around my head this week so I bring to you the previously blogged Adele- C'est bon along with these two delights-

I snagged this on a cheapo LP recently that arrived in my parcel on Christmas eve. The rest is tripe but surprisingly for a French pop LP (my track record with them isn't good) I found this fuzz box track from future Disco bunny (and Chic collaborator) Shelia (later with B Devotion). No picture of the actual LP at the mo but check out this groovy clip from '70. Dig it kids with the beats that make you go gonk!

Sheilia- L'agent secret

This gal has got bangs that make you go umm. Heard this one many years ago but avoid the English language version like a pot of month old mussels. This is one of the few French pop sevens I've got and it appears to have been booted a couple of years ago in London along with a load of other modish sides and bubbles under for around 7/8 bar.

Jacqueline Taieb- Seven heure du matin

A curve ball for you after the French stuff with a good old girl from the states. This is sounding fresh as a daisy and is the lead-off from her upcoming Jack White produced LP. Whilst I was trying to put my brain through the tumble dryer after seeing her suck her finger provocatively on the dreaded Hootenanny the other I stumbled across this picture of her pulling a face and a finger move which is dangerously close to the schoolboy (well Westfield anyway...) sign for eating pussy. All this from a good Southern gal who once was reemed, steamed and dry- cleaned by Elvis Aaron Presley...

Wanda Jackson- Thunder on the mountain

And so I watched this film the other night in my new 'den' Le Tournee featuring a smattering of the great and good of the US (NYC?) Burly Kew scene. First outta the traps is the greatly tagged 'Kitten on the keys' playing Den's new fave (and recently acquired instrument) the uke.

Kitten on the keys- I wanna be sedated

It's the end of the year...

And so on to my last visit to Densville for the year. Yup things have took a little bit of a beating on 2009 with the slip ups along the way but I promise to fix that. There's also been the arrival of Den Jnr to take me away from my corner of the net and a dropping off of burlesque/ cabaret. I put this down to the fact of the lack of new acts/ performers that have blown me away. Yup, there's plenty of them out there but very few doing anything new or interesting...Anyway, enough of my yacking: let's boogie with Tom, Charlie & Billie

A rare visit to these pages to one of my heroes- Tom Jones. I only discovered this by accident having snaffled it up (using the old adage that any Tom Jones single is worth buying to check out the flip side...) from one of my cheapo sellers recently. I was familiar with Jerry Reed's daft ode to Elvis which features the annoying fade out (Jerry never seems to know how to end his songs...) but somehow Tom's version slipped me by 'til now.

Tom Jones- Tupelo Mississippi flash

Another one that arrived at Chez Den on Christmas Eve was a double Charlie Rich album. 'I can't go on' being a new one on me that up to now is the stand-out track. This Youtube clip also features 'Dance of love' covered by non other than Tom Jones. I've also recently snagged a copy of 'Mohair Sam' by Peggy Lee but we'll save that for another day...A nice beat ballad type tune on this one that I can imagine the freaks flipping their straightened barnets over if it was by Johnny Obscure on a white label promo...Anyways, check out the 'white feather'!

Charlie Rich- I can't go on

A great mid-sixties promo from the ever striking Billie Davis. If you could open a tin that said sixties girl singer this is what you'd find inside. She has a look of Sandie Shaw and arguably churned out better singles at her peek than Sandie's Chris Andrews' efforts which often leave me cold. If you like this one seek out ' I want you to be my baby' and 'Tell him' but avoid 'Billy sunshine' like the plague. I'm putting that one down to Jet Harris' influence!

Billie Davis- Watcha gonna do

Bruised shoulder, flat battery and disappointing brioche

A reet old mixed bag from Den this time out with gravelly-voiced wrinkled winge bags, camp anal sex innuendo, falsetto rockin' out and Ken Barlow. It could only be Den Iniquity's den!

One that caught me out last year on Christmas eve was from Bob Dylan's Christmas album. I was as surprised as you will be at this jaunty little number from ol' gravelly Mr. Misery. What next? a Morrissey Christmas album?

Bob Dylan- Must be Santa

A welcome return for (In the words of my mate Mark) The Massive Chew Teeth. This one I heard many moons ago and has been an ear worm all day for me. The Bee Gees at their most rockin' ? Could be.

Bee Gees- Down the road

One to get the homophobes in a bit of a tizz from 4 poofs and a piano. I guess they're going for the obvious but if they can't, who can?

Four Poofs and a Piano

And finally a diversion into the surreal from Harry Hill and Ken Barlow! The recent Corra fest put me through the ringer after years of cold turkey and this was the cherry on the cake to a great week last week! I love it!

Harry Hill- Ken