Bloodstains on the wall
Bloodstains on the Wall
It seems today that any blues artist worth a shit has been anthologised to death. Records you would have killed for years ago are now available at the press of a button. We know just about everything about anyone that mattered, fights, divorces, jail terms and, when it comes to the music, all sorts of out takes and versions 1 2 and 3 etc etc….. So when it comes to a song that apparently only appears on one anthology and seems to be the only recording known by the artist, the ears perk up. That song is the spooky mystery that is Honeyboy’s “Bloodstains on the Wall,” a genuine chilling slice of urban blues. Honeyboy has a mess to deal with, the aftermath of some terrible event. What, why and how is never explicitly addressed, all we seem to know is that something happened and the guy is pissed. The title makes the listener think of abattoirs, a mess (or one that will do until a real mess comes along). The guitar sputters over a sleazy barrelhouse blues piano, is the singer a pimp or a messed up working man who finds out strange things are happening when his back is turned. No matter what, the detectives are coming and he has his alibi.
Honeyboy is not to be confused with Honeyboy Edwards but is instead Honeyboy Frank Patt (go on, Google him). According to what I could find about him he was born in Fostoria, AL on Sep. 1, 1928 and he sold about 50,000 copies of this single so there should be some attics somewhere that have this gem lurking underneath the boxes, detritus and cobwebs of someone’s life. Recorded for the Speciality label this is a sleazy, murky piece of work with a dense claustrophobic sensibility. If you don’t believe me ask Bob Dylan who included it in one of his recent radio shows.
Dennis Wilson was cool as fuck
Above these stupid words is the 2nd coolest looking guy on an album cover ever ( I will brawl with anyone who says the boss on darkness on the edge of town isn’t the crown prince of cool)
It is the weather beaten, world weary fizzer of Dennis Wilson. A quick look into those eyes tells you this is a man who has been through a lot. The Inglewood boy was part of the Beach Boys along with his brothers Brian and Carl, but I’m not going to give you a potted history of that most famous of bands…
It was a BBC radio 2 documentary that hipped me to Dennis. The most headline grabbing period of his life was the association with Charles Manson. The Manson family moved in with a not entirely compliant Dennis and used his wealth for their own benefit. Not least for curing their rampant Clap. From what I can make out Dennis became increasingly wary of Manson and started to distance himself. Looks like the final straw was when Charlie sent Dennis a bullet…… Understandably Dennis was always affected by his relationship with the guy who turned out be one the most infamous figures of the 60’s.
‘Pacific Ocean Blue’ was his first solo album, released in 1977, and reissued in 2008. Whilst not having the notoriety of Brian’s lost/delayed ‘Smile’ it nonetheless is a fine piece of work. In todays media Brian hogs all the limelight, and perhaps fair enough, but I’m glad I was tuned into the tranny the night Dennis’ story was told. And what became of this bearded wild man? On december 28 1983, Dennis went swimming in the ocean at Marina Del Ray, and didn’t come back out.
They say I live a fast life. Maybe I just like a fast life. I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world. It won’t last forever, either. But the memories will.