Ching-a-Ling.

He had avoided it as long as possible, but by the summer of 1968 David Bowie had become a hippie. He grew his hair down to his shoulders, sat around his manager’s house naked, cooked macrobiotic meals, joined a communal arts lab and, saddest of all, formed a folk music trio.

This was Turquoise, soon to be rechristened Feathers. Turquoise was founded by Bowie, his first serious girlfriend Hermione Farthingale, ballet dancer and amateur singer, and London folkie (and former guitarist for The Misunderstood) Tony Hill, who soon was replaced by John “Hutch” Hutchinson, former lead guitarist of Bowie’s old band The Buzz. Hutchinson had recently returned to the UK from Canada, his head full of the new Canadian folk music (Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen), and he found that Bowie now “was into softer things…he didn’t need a band to pump it out anymore.”

Following in the path of grubby hippie groups before them and the countless numbers after them, Feathers played a meager circuit of university halls and folk clubs. It was a bit of passive rebellion on Bowie’s part—his manager Ken Pitt, desperate to get Bowie some paying gigs, had pushed him to develop a cabaret act, which went nowhere, and landed him a brief spot in a Lyons Maid “Luv” ice cream commercial (directed by Ridley Scott!). Bowie later described Turquoise/Feathers as being in part just a device to spend more time with his girlfriend, but the group also reflected Bowie’s belief that since he wasn’t getting paid anyhow, why not form a “non-commercial” band that performed just for the joy of it?

So Feathers played sets consisting of recited poetry, a few recent Bowie compositions (like “When I’m Five”) and some Jacques Brel covers, interspersed with mime routines. “Ghastly,” the mime Lindsay Kemp recalls in Marc Spitz’s new Bowie biography. The band’s enforced democratic vibe (everyone sang, everyone played guitar) resulted in, as it typically does, a determined sense of mediocrity.

The only Feathers record was “Ching-a-ling,” which Tony Visconti recorded on the sly—booking a session at Trident Studios without managerial approval and hoping the track would get picked up by a label. The b-side was meant to be Tony Hill’s “Back to Where You’ve Never Been,” but as Hill was suddenly replaced by Hutchinson, that idea naturally fell through. “Ching-a-Ling” is not bad and not memorable: it simply floats along like a soap bubble. It may be the most depressing thing that Bowie recorded in the entire decade.

Recorded on 24 October 1968 (Bowie’s sung verse is cut on most versions of the track; it’s no loss); on Deram Anthology.

Top: (l to r) Hermione Farthingale, David Bowie (cropped hair due to his role as an extra in The Virgin Soldiers), Tony Visconti, John Hutchinson. Ca. October 1968.

Def Jam artist Karina is nominated for her album “First Love”. Sevenseas Media Management songwriter Marshall Leathers song “First Love” is the title track on this LP! The Grammy category is as follows:

Best Contemporary R&B Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

Growing Pains
Mary J. Blige
[Geffen]

Back Of My Lac’
J. Holiday
[Capitol Records]

First Love
Karina
[Def Jam]

Year Of The Gentleman
Ne-Yo
[Def Jam/Compound]

Fearless
Jazmine Sullivan
[J Records]

We want to congratulate Marshall for his nomination. In addition Marshall has also just placed 2 songs with artist Avant. Marshall’s song “Therapy” was just released as the first single by artist India Arie! This is Marshall’s 2nd single release this year, the first being Missy Elliot’s track “Ching-a-ling”

Good work Marshall!!!!

Go Girl (snap…snap) *laughs*

This Week’s Episode:

We start out by going over some e-mail responses to our questions. Then we talk about Justice Scalia and his comments about torture. We also discuss Jeremiah Wright and his comments. We review Dr. Strangelove – Tom doesn’t think it is that bad and gives it a 2.85, Cecil thinks it is an absolute failure and gives it a .67. Tom and Cecil visit the psychics again and talk about yearly predictions. They finish up with a critical reinterpretation of Missy Elliott’s – “Ching a Ling.”

We had some problems with the sound at the end of this episode, so we remixed it and reloaded it. If you were one of the first people to download it, you may have to download it again to get the correct version.

I feel like you should have either provided all of America with 3-D glasses, or rethought the format of your new video.  For a moment, I thought my eyesight was failing.

Just saying…

- Sara Elizabeth

will eventually meet each other.  I’m sure of it;  It is inevitable.  Why? The Florida Connection!! I know, you’re asking what is the Florida connection?  Missy’s latest single, “Ching-a-Ling” was produced by The Arkitects(Shawn Campbell and Marshall Leathers).  We already know that Shawn Campbell and Jamille Luney have been introduced to each other.  No they’re not tight, a couple of casual run-ins while they both resided in Florida.  However, undoubtedly they both respect each others work. 

Jamille and Shawn are not close, they met through Shawn’s younger brother Paul.  Paul is an aspiring producer as well.  Paul and Jamille have also met Stix, a well respected industry producer who focuses on hard Hip Hop.  Stix has an extensive discography that includes artists such as Wu-Tang and he resides in Florida (Florida connection baby).

Shawn has the most impressive resume with tracks like ”Ching-a-Ling” and artists such as Missy Elliot and XZIBIT.  Jamille is on the come up with commercial remixes including artists such as  Nas and Alicia Keys.  Stix has been in the game a long time, but Shawn has the more impressive discography in my personal opinion.  His discography reflects a lot more versatility; he goes beyond Hip Hop.  Connect the dots people it’s the Florida connection!  It’s only a matter or time before Jamille and Missy cross paths.

in the past few months, we’ve had Beowulf.

in the next few months, we’ll have U2-3D, as well as (saints be praised) Hannah Montah 3-D; Live in Concert. The latter of these two has inexplicably been topping the box office charts in the States, last time we checked.

and now? we have…. well…. this:

its one thing to go to see a movie in 3-D, because someone in the cinema will more than likely be standing at the door on your way into the screen, handing out the 3-D glasses a.k.a the only reason why you decided to come to this movie at all. but to expect people to have stacks of 3-D glasses lying around their own home? thats something else entirely. its unsettling. and the video’s are shit anyway. (i actually do have 3-D glasses lying around my home, and have seen it in proper 3-D, and it prefer it without the glasses on. not entirely sure why, mind.)

missy, you’re a genius. and should know better. the songs are class, though. and can be found on the soundtrack to The Greatest Movie Of The Year, i.e. Step Up 2: The Streets.

BONUS: Remix feat. Jay-Z (Verse is ripped from “Give it to Me Remix.” Doesn’t sound bad, though)

Okay, Missy also has a 3-D version of this Dave myers-directed video that I have yet to watch. Mainly, because i don’t have a pair of 3-D glasses laying around. What, am I supposed to cop a Burger King kid’s meal for a pair, or something? For those of you who still cop BK kid’s meals, and have a pair of 3-D glasses, click here for the video.

Also, Missy is letting her fans name her next album. It is a contest, that already started, where fans can suggest names for her next LP, get credited on it, and get a $500 Adidas gift card. Now, with Missy’s Adidas endorsement, I doubt $500 from them comes hard. Losing creativity, are we?

 ~Get Your Freak On~

I have been waiting for Missy Elliot to come back out with another album.  Her last album was “The Cookbook”, how long was that!!!

  I was listening yesterday to her new single called Ching-a-ling.  Honestly I was excited to know that she had a song out, because her beats usually are off the hook.  She makes songs that can break your back on the dance floor……lmao…(only a true dancer will understand that…lol…right Keia..)

Anyway I figure I would let you listen for yourself.  Tell me what you think!! It wasn’t the greatest, but maybe when I hear it in the club it would hit me better….!!

The track was produced by “The Arkitects” (Shawn Campbell and Marshall Leathers).

Here’s some new music from Missy. . not sure if this is for her album as it will appear on the soundtrack for Step Up 2. I do think it’s time for her to push out a new album. RANDOM THOUGHT: I must admit that I’m proud of Missy for keeping the weight off. . I truly thought that she would have ballooned back to her fighting size of 450lbs.