365 Days #3 - Bent Bolt & The Nuts - The Mechanical Man (mp3)

MP3:
Bent Bolt & The Nuts - The Mechanical Man (2:12)

Some of you reading this will already be familiar with this beauty as it makes an appearance on playlists of the weird and wonky variety quite regularly. It was most famously included in Kenny Everett's 'World's Worst Records Show(s)' where it eventually recieved the 'distinction' of a number 17 placing. It was also featured on Dr Demento shows but I'd like to redress the balance a bit because this is a slice of automated audio genius to my ear.

Bent Bolt was actually a pseudonym for Teddy Randazzo who died in 2003 but was a 50's rock icon who co-wrote over 800 songs that were covered by such luminaries as Frank Sinatra and Dionne Warwick. Jonathan More, one half of Coldcut, introduced this to me in the mid nineties when he used to cheekily drop it into his club sets and watch the amazement of the crowd as the tune unfolded. People try to dance to this but it has more clunk than funk and I love the way he's trying to immitate some sort of vocoder without actually using one, must have hurt his throat. My favourite bit is near the end when the whole thing shifts up an octave as he sings "I can pour you a cup of teeeeeaaaa!" — so wrong it's right. I managed to find one with a picture sleeve which is quite rare so I've included that too.

- Contributed by: Strictly Kev

Image: Cover

Media: 7" single
Label: MGM
Catalog: K-13635
Credits: C. Astone, C. Mastren, L. Burgio, M. Cartman
Date: 1966

Comments

[Mimi]

There exists a French version of this song, called "L'homme mécanique", by Quebec entertainer Jacques Desrosiers.

[T.N. JR]

"Some of you reading this will already be familiar with this beauty as it makes an appearance on playlists of the weird and wonky variety quite regularly...it was also featured on Dr Demento shows"

I myself and I'm sure many others are familiar with this song...maybe because it was posted on this very blog recently...in September 2005 HERE

Otis...with all the strange, outsider music in the world, why repeat a song like this? (though it is a great song) Looking forward to subsequent posts.THANX

[Señor Pantalones]

previous posting was .ram format. this is mp3. that's worth the repost to me.

[365]

365 was never strictly Outsider Music. Check out the 2003 project and you can see the variety. Hope you enjoy future days. Happy New Year!

[Joshua]

Was there any B-side on this?

[strictly kev]

The B side is 'Sweet & Sour' by Teddy Randazzo which is pretty nondescript next to this.

In answer to T.N. JR - yes i did a web search for this and it did come up on the WFMU playlist and I ummed and ahhed about it with Otis but we both agreed that it was great and included it anyway. My other submissions will be far more obscure but I wouldn't classify any of them as 'outsider'.

Mimi, I'd really like to hear "L'homme mécanique", by Quebec entertainer Jacques Desrosiers! :)

[Jeff]

THANK YOU for posting this, especially the great scan of the cover! This was my *very* favorite record when I was about 3 years old, back in 1966 or so - I know I have this record around somewhere too, but it's been missing in my collection for a couple years now -- I really hope I find it soon. Thanks again!!

[Rivets]

The vocalist sounds like Popeye.

[Popeye]

It's no coincidence that he sounds like Popeye. Same vocal technique. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overtone_singing

[Daniel G]

It does say on the 365/03 page: "One MP3 a day... for one year". The only thing that's changed between then and now has been prefixing "at least" to that explanation of the Project, and the offerings in the three days so far have fit that bill.

Personally, I'll pass my judgement on the Project somewhere between the 200th and 300th days...

Keep it up, guys.

[strictly kev]

Surely everyone is getting way too hung up on the 'Outsider' thing here? If you thought the original 365 was about outsider music - great. I personally didn't, although it did contain a fair portion, but out of the 4 contributions I made in 2003 only one of them I would consider outsider (the others were advertising / library music).

The remit for the new 365 was never specific as to what music was to be included other than that it shoudl we well out of print. It's 2007, the world has moved on, so should we...

[Daniel G]

Exactly the point I was trying to make, Kev...but you put it so much better than me! :)
There's been nothing specifically mentioning that either the old or new Projects are 'outsider music'. That moniker's too restrictive, anyway. "Stash of aural treats" was mentioned by Otis two days back: and so far, the MP3s have been.

Aww, let's hug...

[rocketboy]

Sounds remarkably like the outro of Madonna's "Material Girl". I think Teddy's heirs should sue.

[Mr Fab]

Holy crap, I was just looking for a copy of this song. Weird, kev, get outta my head!

I was compiling my fave robot records into one iTunes playlist. So now you know what I do in my free time.

[J Morris]

I usually consider overtone singing to be Tuvan throat, but I suppose people sing like that all over. Albert Kuvezin & Yat-Kha recently released an album of classic rock cover sung in that style. It's amazing to hear, I forget who, but there is an old blind delta bluesman who perfected throat singing and played blues numbers with intense droney throat sounds. Not enough death metal with this voice.

[j]

Paul Pena, maybe?

This is new to me, and I love it. Thanks!

[Katya Oddio]

Some of the Oddio bots are raving about the Mechanical Man. I keep hearing, "We want to help him to charge his coil!" from the crew. Oh those bots. The singing in this brings Japanese style overtone singing to mind. Thanks for a great post, Kev!

[Katya Oddio]

Oddio bots

[Blaine]

Anybody who complains about this being posted for ANY REASON should be murdered.

[T Brush]

The record got played in Chicago, Jan/Feb of 1967, reaching 26 on WLS. Listed as Ben Bolt, not Bent Bolt, on the WLS surveys. At the time WCFL only listed the top 20, so it did not make their surveys. I remember hearing a couple of times during the big snow storm in late January 67, when I wasn't
shoveling snow. Sometime in the 80's I found a copy with
the picture sleeve. Which at the time surprised me greatly
as I was unaware of it.