The topic of this queen bee wrapping the menfolk around her finger brings us to "If You Want Me To Love You," her duet with Guy Forsyth. I'm not previously familiar with this song (or about half the outside material here), but this is credited to Tampa Red with additional lyrics by Christina and Guy. This jazzy blues battle of the sexes would go head to head even with the similarly styled classic Ada Brown-Fats Waller classic "That Ain't Right" from the Stormy Weather soundtrack. That's pretty good company right there. By the time they get done adding in the kazoo, the saw, clarinet and washboard, they're out in their own land.
A few words of concern must be expressed for this new kid they have playing fiddle. He bills himself as "Sick," and he's got a big, silly mohawk. Usually, to me a mohawk means a punk rock poser, but this kid is obviously the exception that proves the rule. He ain't no non-playing Sid Vicious idiot. Watch him bearing down during "Superchief" say, and you'll know that he's about playin'. Also, it might tell you something about the Spankers that the kid with the mohawk is probably the least sick and perverted person on the stage.
But I fear that he won't stay that way by hanging around with this crew. For starters, consider "My Favorite Record." They get a cool creative juxtaposition putting Christina's '40s pop music sound and dropping in the disparate elements, like a quick bar of "Rhapsody in Blue." (The impressive thing there is the seamless integration.) But then there's Wammo at the end, leading Sick and the others in beautiful barbershop harmonies as they sing all-too-enthusiastically about going to the "rotten c*&#suckers ball" to play a little game called "tag."
But if that's not enough corrupting influence on young Master Sick, they have all kinds of songs openly celebrating the joys of the weed from Hell. Indeed they have a whole album of Spanker Madness. At least four different members have original songs on the subject. Pops Bayless contributes "Funny Cigarette." The dreaded Korey Simeone apparently wrote "Gettin' High" as his first assignment on joining the band years ago. That's pretty good. Miss Christina gets some of that peculiar '40s Betty Boop pop sound that's really her own modern creation with the domestic bliss of "Wake and Bake." Of the dope songs, I'd probably give the nod to Wammo's visit to "Amsterdam" on grounds of having the most unique sonic texture. Anyway you look at it though, they're just not setting a good example for the kid.
Article comments
1 - Joanie
Sick isn't the only mohawked non-punk musician. Ben Hernandez, an incredibly talented bluesman, is mohawked to the nth degree. Or at least, he was, until he went to the IBC finals in Memphis. I wish he hadn't toned down the look for the trip. I think it made the perfect point about the blues belonging to everyone.