Kiss of Ring of Fire of Love
Wanda Jackson: Funnel of LoveCobra Verde: Fire of Love
Geraldine Fibbers: Kiss of Fire
When my wife and I were first dating, she had a trove of thrift shop 45's. (A girl with an eclectic record collection? It was love right then.) Therein we discovered Wanda Jackson's "Funnel of Love". My wife also had a single of "Trust in Me" by Etta James, which immediately became our song, and which still seems to me a wedding song equally worthy to "At Last". When we renew our vows, I want to hear "Trust in Me" and kd lang's "Simple".
"Funnel of Love" bears a strong lyrical resemblance to "Ring of Fire", but with a sinuous melody that provides a workout for a singer with pipes like Wanda Jackson. "Funnel" was written in the 1950's by a Nashville session musician named Charlie McCoy, and the song has been performed by Mike Ness, Rosie Flores, SCOTS, and others. Here's a version by the late great Atlanta band the Jody Grind.
I first heard "Fire of Love" on the Gun Club's second LP, Miami (read John Darnielle's excellent review of Miami here). Another song from the 1950's, written by Jody Reynolds, who was most famous for his song "Endless Sleep". The MC5 used to perform "Fire of Love" in their live sets. Tav Falco's Panther Burns have covered all of today's songs, plus "Endless Sleep"!
"Kiss of Fire" was written by a jazz cat named Lester Allen, and has been performed by Louis Armstrong and Tito Puente. I first heard it when I found an odd-sized EP by the Geraldine Fibbers that had an old-fashioned library card sticking out of the sleeve (the EP was later included in What Part of 'Get Thee Gone' Don't You Understand?) "Kiss of Fire" is the oldest composition here, but shares the lyrical theme of "Fire of Love", "Funnel of Love", and "Ring of Fire": passion leads inexorably to self-immolation.
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Test comment:
You blogger bastards!
Hey, I like the new look.
It was so bright and shiny, I couldn't resist. And all the other kids were doing it. Sure, there were some horror stories from the early adoptors. But that was months ago; I never thought it would happen to me.
Today has been worse for me than the Y2K virus. I say that with no disrespect to the "year zero" survivors, their families, and any remaining stockpiles of bottled water. We all lost a lot of PIN numbers that day.
In the course of the past few hours, I have moved from grief and rage (why me?) to a form of acceptance. I blamed Blogger (see above), but nobody made me push that button. Now I ask myself, "What would Paris hilton do?" (WWPhD). Or Perez Hilton, for that matter?
Some might consider me a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. Try walking a virtual mile in my digital shoes before you cast the first stone in my comment box. Remember, we all live in this blogosphere together, and it's made of GLASS. And if you only see one set of footsteps on the cybershore, IT'S BECAUSE I CARRIED YOU.
I am attending a funeral this evening, so I hope to have my links back up by morning (as many as I can remember). They say everything happens for a reason. I'm beginning to think that my old blog roll was READY to die today.
Paula, thanks for the encouragement. Your blog, the Intellectual House of Pancakes, has been an inspiration to me. Viva IHOP! I'd post the URL right now, but.... I hope you understand.
Yay, your blogroll is back and better than ever! The titles are funny, too. Clearly this has been a character-building experience.
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