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Hell’s Kitchen Radio #281: Two For The Road

November 16, 1pm

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Will this madness of 2016 never end.

Guitarist and singer/songwriter Eric McFadden and his Queen delphine joined me in the studio Monday night to pay tribute to two greats of the music world who recently passed on to the great beyond.

While I was never a big fan of the way Leonard Cohen phrased his own tunes, I was a huge fan of the many covers of his classics. I believe I first was turned onto the brilliant songwriting of Mr. Cohen through the Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen version of “Bird on a Wire”. I was hooked from that moment on the storytelling and eagerly sought out other covers. Easily my favorite cover of his was “Hallelujah” by the late, great Jeff Buckley. “I’m Your Fan” is a great tribute record to Cohen, which was released in 1991, featuring REM, Nick Cave, The Pixies, and John Cale. Check it out!

Leonard Cohen died November 7th of cancer at the age of 82. I appreciate that he was buried in a simple Jewish ceremony next to his parents in Montreal.

The piano player on the Mad Dogs record was none other than my other featured player for the night: Leon Russell. Russell’s stride piano playing and exaggerated vocal style helped him stand out from others during his high profile era of the 1970s. Starting with the Mad Dogs record I spent many hours enjoying his early 70s solo efforts. Though he wasn’t as often covered as much as Cohen, Russell made a profound impact on many songwriters that followed him. His birthplace, Tulsa, Oklahoma, named a street after him in 2010. He died this past Sunday after a few years of failing health. He was 74.

Listening to music is supposed to be a joy. Even when the artist we love and respect has passed to the great beyond we have their songs to carry us through to our own old age. I’ve told my friends and family if I ever get to a point where they have to prop me up in a corner just place some headphones on me and place my iPod on shuffle. Losing Cohen and Russell is indeed sad, but it also will lead to a renaissance of their music. Perhaps your favorite band will cover their songs. Maybe, like after Jerry Garcia died, there will be a huge outpouring of new versions of some of their deeper album cuts that you never knew they wrote. From loss comes inspiration. Through grief comes resilience and vision.

At this writing Mose Allison has passed away at the age of 89. I can’t host enough shows to pay tribute to all the musical greats who we have lost this somber year.

Take heart my friends, and hold each other closer. We’re going to need all the good love and strength we can muster.

Eric and delphine are performing the next two Fridays and Saturdays for Dark Kabaret at the Great Star Theater in China Town. Tickets and information here.

jh

Girl From North Country: Leon Russell (02-05-1971 – Baarn, NL)
The Partisan: Leonard Cohen
Bird on a Wire: Joe Cocker

This Masquerade: Leon Russell
Hummingbird: B.B. King
Dream a Little Dream of Me: Cass Elliott

Chelsea Hotel No 2: Lana Del Rey
A Song for You: Donny Hathaway
Everybody Knows: Leonard Cohen
Who By Fire: Coil

Avalanche: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Alcatraz: Nazareth
Back to the Island: Toots and the Maytals
First We Take Manhattan: REM

Roll Away the Stone: Leon Russell (11-20-70 Fillmore East, NYC)
I Can’t Forget: Pixies
The Partisan: Eric McFadden

Delta Lady: Joe Cocker
Hallelujah: Jeff Buckley

Hell’s Kitchen Radio #280: Getting Rid of this Clown Act

November 9, 10pm

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Well….shit. Not really certain what to say. Monday’s show featured an interview with a great group of fellas from the band Savage People, promotion this Sunday’s first ever SF Punk-Metal Flea Market at the DNA Lounge, 375 11th Street, SF, 1-8PM. It’s free and there are some great vendors scheduled to table the event. You really have to attend. More info here. See you there. I’ll have my 12 year old daughter in tow.

The rest of the show was all about the election. You remember the election? It was Tuesday? It was fucking shit. You remember that? Do you remember your dreams? You remember those, right? You remember believing in all of those polls that Nate Silvertold us to believe in? I wonder how well he’s going to be sleeping from here on out. Truth be told, I truly do not think that Drumpf wants to, nor believes he ever would be elected President. I’m not joking. I really feel that he did everything in his power NOT to be elected. What does that tell you about Clinton and the DNC?

And would Bernie have actually been elected? Who knows.

Here’s what I posted on my Facebook wall this morning:

“I want to reevaluate how I’m going to approach the next four years. I want to pay more attention to the things that I love, and the things that I have the power to improve. I want to recommit to the people that I love. I want to hold you all close, closer than ever before. I want to find the beauty in everything, including Drumpf. I want the best for all of us, while still fighting for what I believe to be the path towards truth. I refuse to live in denial, but I also refuse to wallow in misery, self-doubt, and blaming. I want you there with me. I love you all.”

Below is my playlist for election night. It tells a story. See if you can figure out the moral.

Enjoy.

jh

Hell’s Kitchen with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://www.radiovalencia.fm

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In The Flesh: Pink Floyd
Blowfly for President: Blowfly

Interview with Savage People

Kinky Sex Makes the World Go ‘Round: Dead Kennedy’s
Rise Above: Black Flag

Interview with Savage People

Pariah: Savage People
Ignorance is Bliss: Ramones
Do They Owe Us A Living: Crass
Politician: Cream

Talking Props!

Democracy: Killing Joke
Funky President: James Brown
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Gil Scott-Heron

Talking Props!

Lawyers, Guns and Money: Warren Zevon
Clash City Rockers: The Clash
Southern Politician: Willie DeVille

Talking Props!

Eminence Front: The Who

Talking Props!

Fucked Up Donald: D.O.A.

Hell’s Kitchen Radio #279: Trick AND Treat

November 6, 10am

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It was a Halloween sPoOkTacUlaR show tonight. I’m not much on holiday themes, but something about this particular holiday inspires me to go the extra mile. You can’t say that John Hell ever phones it in!

Tonight features some of my favorite spooky treats, along with two new tunes from two of my favorite ladies. Phat Man Dee sent me a track that is perfectly scary as well as apropos for the 2016 election cycle. If you don’t get the willies from “Fourth Reich Rising” then perhaps you’re dead already. Good for you!

Queen delphine has been building up her stage chops for a couple of years now and this Cramps cover has certainly shown that she’s not too shy to put a bug in your ear (oh good lord will the puns ever stop?). “Human Fly” is will put a buzz in your ear and make you think twice before you pull out that can of Raid. Eric McFadden on guitar.

The rest of the show is full of horror movie themes, spooky spoken word, and very dark magic. It’s just what Hell ordered.

The holidays are officially upon us, and the election is just days away. Time to run screaming!

Enjoy.

jh

Hell’s Kitchen with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://www.radiovalencia.fm

Follow me on Twitter
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I Love Living in the City: Danko Jones
The Mercy Seat: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Delia’s Gone: Johnny Cash

Human Fly: Queen delphine (premier)
Bloody Hammer: Roky Erickson
My Car: Groovy Ghoolies

All I Want for Christmas is Halloween: Happy Fangs
Night Crawler: Thee Oh Sees
Free the Freaks: CCR Headcleaner
Naked Lunch Excerpts: William S. Burroughs
Monster: Three Day Stubble

Fourth Reich Arising: Phat Man Dee
Helpless Corpses Enactment: Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Meat: Idiot Flesh

Judgement Day: Jack O’Fire
My Biggest Mistake: Joan of Arkansas
Dracula’s Daughters: Redd Kross
Lord 13: Monster Magnet

We Love the Dead: Electric Wizard
King Beef: Torche
Remover: Owl

Monster Wizard: Zig Zags
Uncle Powderbag: OBN IIIs
Motorhead: Ty Segall Band

In and Out of Grace: Mudhoney