Review: “The Goo Goo Muck,” by Ronnie Cook and the Gaylads


TRACK 15

“The Goo Goo Muck,” by Ronnie Cook and the Gaylads

from Keb Darge & Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers: A Collection of Rare Rockabilly, Surf and Exotica (BBE)

Liner notes: “I cruise through the city and I roam the streets/Lookin’ for something that is nice to eat,” purrs Ronnie Cook over a sleazy sax groove on this 1962 obscurity out of Bakersfield, California. The song was memorably covered by psychobilly greats The Cramps on their 1981 album, Psychedelic Jungle.

Behind the music: Scottish DJ Keb Darge played a pivotal role in establishing Britain’s northern soul club scene, which celebrates obscure US R&B. Following his compilations of funk and jump blues, this boisterous 20-track set also features The Reekers‘ “Don’t Call Me Flyface” and “King Kong,” by Tarantula Ghoul and Her Gravediggers.

Check it out if you like: Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Link Wray, and other early rock mavericks.

Click here for more music features from Mother Jones.

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In "It's Not a Crisis. This Is the New Normal," we explain, as matter-of-factly as we can, what exactly our finances look like, how brutal it is to sustain quality journalism right now, what makes Mother Jones different than most of the news out there, and why support from readers is the only thing that keeps us going. Despite the challenges, we're optimistic we can increase the share of online readers who decide to donate—starting with hitting an ambitious $300,000 goal in just three weeks to make sure we can finish our fiscal year break-even in the coming months.

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