You Know Who... Has a House Guest

From Mad #4, 1953. Art by Wally Wood.

Today was such a treat. I so enjoy the remote shows with Brett. It gives me some leeway to go outside of my normal process (and pawn off some of the work to somebody else). Today, however, I actually got to have him in my “studio” for the first time in almost a decade, which was cool. It was a wonderfully spontaneous show. See, Brett’s visit to LIC was a relatively last-minute thing, and he had little time to construct, revise, and finalize his playlist. As such, his theme was deliberately obvious (oftentimes, the game is for me to figure out how the songs are related to one another), but it was fun to play with, and also a bit of a continuation of a discussion we had on the last show we did together.
 
One might say the show was “super.” (ducks)
 

Click here to check it out:
LICRadio 9/14/2026
 
 
Miles Davis
“Right Off”
(Miles Davis)
Paul's Mall, Boston, MA, 9/14/72
Studio version released on A Tribute to Jack Johnson  (Columbia, 1971)
 
 
“The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale”*
“Batman Theme”
(Neil Hefti)
From Batman and Robin  (Trifton, 1966)
Originally recorded by Neil Hefti; released on Batman Theme and 11 Other Bat Songs  (RCA Victor, 1966)
 
*There’s actually a lot to get into here. According to journalist and music historian, Irwin Chusid, “’The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale’ were not a real group—it was a marquee name for a rotating cast of session pros earning rent money by playing on hastily recorded albums intended to turn quick bucks on various musical and cultural fashions.”

Sun Ra, 1968
Photo by Baron Wolman

 
How did this particular iteration come together? Tom Wilson, the legendary producer whose résumé, even before this session, already included albums by the likes of Cecil Taylor, Herbie Mann, Bob Dylan, and Simon & Garfunkel, had recently resigned as a staff producer at Columbia and was working as a free-lancer at the time of this recording. I can’t find any information regarding how he got involved in this venture, but his participation explains how this odd conglomeration of musicians came together. One of Wilson’s notable post-Columbia projects was helming the first studio album of The Blues Project, and it was the members of this band that he approached for this project, conveniently neglecting to tell them about the Batman theme. Blues Project guitarists Danny Kalb and Steve Katz, bassist Andy Kulberg, and drummer Roy Blumenfeld turned up for what they thought was just an ordinary session, while keyboardist Al Cooper (who would later become quite the legendary producer himself) opted out, citing a family engagement.
 
Needing a keyboardist, Wilson hit up a musician who he’d worked with a decade earlier. Jazz by Sun Ra was the first album by that iconoclastic, experimental musician as well as being the first LP Wilson ever produced. Ra arrived at the session with two member of his “Arkestra,” saxophonists Pat Patrick and John Gilmore, in tow. Rounding out the session were trumpet player Jimmy Owens and trombonist Tom McIntosh and, on two tracks, several uncredited vocalists.
 
Excepting the version of the “Batman Theme” that begins the LP, this album has absolutely nothing to do with the titular comic book heroes. Batman and Robin is not by a stretch the finest work by any of the musicians involved, but it is an interesting curio and an occasionally fun listen. It’s also kind of nice to hear Robin get his own theme, and with equally intricate and thoughtful lyrics as Batman’s to boot.
 
 
Mel Torme
"Sunshine Superman"
(Donovan)
From Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head  (Capitol, 1969)
Originally recorded by Donovan; released on Sunshine Superman  (Epic, 1966)
 
 
Commodores
“Superman”
(Loionel Richie)
From Machine Gun  (Motown, 1974)
 
 
The Spinners
“The Rubberband Man”
(Thom Bell, Linda Creed)
From Happiness Is Being with the Spinners  (Atlantic, 1976)
 
 
The Kinks
“Plastic Man”
(Ray Davies)
Released as single A-side (Pye, 1969)
 
 
The Kinks
“(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman”
(Ray Davies)
From Low Budget  (Arista, 1979)
 
 
XTC
“Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)”
(Andy Partridge)
From Black Sea  (Virgin, 1980)
 

Peter Banks, 1969
Photo by David Gahr

Blodwyn
“Lonely Nights”
(Authorship unknown)
Top Gear, BBC Radio 1, London, UK, 9/14/70
Unreleased
 
Following his departure from Yes, Peter Banks joined Blodwyn Pig, replacing founder/guitarist Mick Abrahams. Shortening their name simply to “Blodwyn,” this line-up of the band proved to be short-lived and never released any official recordings.
 
 
The Cars
“My Best Friend’s Girl”
(Ric Ocasek)
El Mocambo, Toronto, ON, 9/14/78
Studio version released on The Cars  (Electra, 1978)
 
 
Van Halen
“The Full Bug”
(Edward Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth)
Cow Palace, Daly City, CA, 9/14/82
Studio version released on Diver Down  (Warner Bros., 1982)
 
 
Aerosmith
“Mama Kin”
(Steven Tyler)
Pacific Amphitheater, Costa Mesa, CA, 9/14/88
Studio version released on Aerosmith  (Columbia, 1973)
 
With Axl Rose and Slash of Guns N’ Roses
 
 
Deep Purple
“Perfect Strangers”
(Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover)
NEC Arena, Birmingham, UK, 9/14/02
Studio version released on  Perfect Strangers  (Polydor, 1984)
 

Paul Kossoff
Photo by Graham Lowe

 
Free
“Songs of Yesterday”
(Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers)
Boston Tea Party, Boston, MA, USA, 7/28/69 (perhaps 7/27)
Studio version released on Free  (Island, 1969)
 
 
Brand X
“Not Good Enough – See Me!”
(Percy Jones, Peter Robinson)
From Product  (Charisma/Passport, 1979)