August Darnell, Kid Creole and Dr. Buzzard's Savannah Band

March 12, 2003 12:39 AM

They'll tell you a lie with a Colgate smile
Hey baby
Love you one second and hate you the next
Oh ain't it crazy, yeah
All I can say
--of one thing I am certain
They're all the same
All the sluts and the saints
For misery, my friend,
Cherchez la femme

In praise of Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, and therefore, by extension, August Darnell, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Cory Daye and the great Coatimundi: now go meet the ghost of Cab Calloway at Zoot Suit City.
posted by y2karl (9 comments total)

Judging by the photos on the official page that's one helluva live show!
posted by PenDevil at 4:13 AM on March 12, 2003

Great link, y2karl...but why can't you be like Endicott?

I always liked Kid Creole and the Coconuts - they were popular despite being so different from most of the other offerings in the 80's pop scene market they went for, and I remember finding them irresistibly refreshing (awesome suits, too).

And I love the look of the page PenDevil linked. This made me smile today, thanks!
posted by biscotti at 6:48 AM on March 12, 2003

Back in high school, the Dr. Buzzard debut was among my earliest album purchases (right there with EWF and Stevie Wonder). Later, my New York residency would hardly prepare me for spotting Coati Mundi during a visit to Sam Ash Music on 48th Street.

Finally, in the early 80's, the circle was complete with tickets to a live show. From Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy (wicked lyric: "...if I was in your blood/then you wouldn't be so ugly") to Stool Pigeon to Endicott, Darnell, Hernandez, et al. hosted a sharply entertaining sea cruise. I lost them on my radar after then, only to catch his later blip with Prince.

After all this time, (a) it's good to see the Kid hasn't lost his sense of style, and (b) I wonder what Mariah's ex thought of being "featured" in Cherchez Le Femme. Fine post, y2karl.
posted by LinusMines at 10:26 AM on March 12, 2003

I was a big fan of Kid Creole & the Coconuts back in the day.

I especially loved how the Coconuts, the sexy women backup singers, wore sleeveless dresses and didn't shave their armpit hair.
posted by Rebis at 11:43 AM on March 12, 2003

Thank you, y2, for a dose of penicillin-resistant nostalgia. In 1976, I got a promo copy of Dr. Buzzard's first vinyl at a College Radio seminar sponsored by RCA Records, and ended up evangelizing their music at an old-line "middle-of-the-road" music station where I was part-timing. I always thought "I'll Play the Fool" was a stronger radio song, but "Cherchez" was their only thing that got airplay (maybe because some L.A. radio people knew Tommy Motolla personally... there were stranger reasons a song got on the air in those days).

Now, maybe if Kid Creole put out an anti-war song...
posted by wendell at 11:53 AM on March 12, 2003

I always thought "I'll Play the Fool" was a stronger radio song

So true--yet I have to pander to the common taste, you know?

In 1976, I got a promo copy of Dr. Buzzard's first vinyl at a College Radio seminar sponsored by RCA Records, and ended up evangelizing their music at an old-line "middle-of-the-road" music station where I was part-timing.

At the same time, I purveying blues, reggae and then funk shows on KRAB FM, a total independent, not to mention the all Saturday night free form shows. I got into the Savannah Band due in part to the fact that their albums were just too out there at the time to be readily stolen from the KRAB record library...

Ah, those were the days.
posted by y2karl at 12:31 PM on March 12, 2003

wow, a great new musical road map from y2karl - cool...I am only peripherally familiar with Kid Creole - this is fun stuff - I appreciate these terrific musical posts you bring us karl!
posted by madamjujujive at 7:05 PM on March 12, 2003

now that i'd got all my old John Hartford move from vinyl to ipod, dr. buzzard's has been near the top of my pile of lps awaiting to be digitized, along with orchestra luna, jane oliver, a bunch of warner brothers samplers, and the bonzo dog band . . . hey, my taste is nothing if not eclectic
posted by fpatrick at 8:10 PM on March 13, 2003

a bunch of warner brothers samplers

All those goofy ones I read about on my Ry Cooder album dust jackets, no doubt.
posted by y2karl at 8:19 PM on March 13, 2003