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slightly embarrassing request as most know CPD for their (IMO) cringeworthy swing revival material. however, the CPD frontman Steve Perry wrote a great ska-punk song for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones in the mid-90s called "Hi and Lo," which I guess Dicky and the boys never ended up using. not sure why, it's almost as good the "Ska-Core, the Devil, and More" version of "Someday I Suppose" (emphasis on "almost"). CPD recorded a demo version that saw a very limited release AFAIK: on a split 7" w/ Reel Big Fish and a 1997 free compilation called "Exorcise Your Heavy Metal Demons" which was released independently). I lost that compilation over the years and have been trying to track down the demo version of "Hi and Lo" ever since; the 2009 re-recording is lack lustre. there's also a great song on the comp called "Winnebago" by band called Moog who I cannot find any info about, but randomly the track appeared on YouTube about a year ago, albeit a poor quality rip.
if anyone has this comp or the original 90s recording of "Hi and Lo" please get in touch. it's not on any streaming services I know of.
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I owned that old 7-inch and this post got me trying to track it down online. After some hunting, I found it and uploaded it for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAxDDOwLmRw
I also uploaded the other song, 2:29 (demo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLcXHWvtma4
And here's the Reel Big Fish side "There's Nothing Like a Dame" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNlqO0JapeQ
But I've got to push back and correct a few things from your post as I'm a huge fan of the Cherry Poppin Daddie. First off, they never wrote that song for the Bosstones. They were always a ska/swing/punk band. The idea that they were just a swing band was never true. They released a CD comp of all their swing songs when "Zoot Suit Riot" was an unexpected hit. Listen to any of their actual albums and you'll hear punk, ska, grunge, old school rock, americana, and, yes, swing.
Go listen to their album KIDS ON THE STREET. I think you'll be surprised.
oh, I know they weren't just a swing band. I liked their stuff pre-swing revival. and as far as "Hi & Lo" goes, this is from Wikipedia:
"Hi and Lo", a ska punk song written by Daddies frontman Steve Perry for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones in the mid-1990s, ending up as part of the Daddies' own repertoire and becoming a staple of their live shows.
there's no reference, but I assume there's at least a thread of truth to it as it would be a weird lie to tell as telling it benefits no one. and tbh, it's very much written in the style of "Someday I Suppose," my favorite Bosstones song.
Well, shit, I stand corrected. Thanks for that little history lesson for me. I'd be super curious to learn more as well.
Save those youtube files if you can. I can already see I may get some copyright strikes.
Kinda rude that you didn't even say thank you to the person who did the work of finding & uploading those songs that you requested!
I uploaded it a day earlier and he didn't reply or even up vote my post
I have the vinyl and was thinking about ripping it & uploading the WAV for him. I'm not inclined to now, though.
I appreciate you posting and my bad on not giving you props; I had a bunch of people DM'ing me about it and loss track
appreciate the upload!
I'm sorry that I can't help with the song, but I do have to ask why you think the Daddies don't get much respect...? I honestly never paid a ton of attention to the band, as they were in their swing revival phase by the time I heard them, and their style didn't speak to me as much as some of the other bands of the time (and there's limited time any of us can devote to swing revival, y'know?)...anyway, I never got a sense of cringe from them...other than maybe their over-the-top embrace of the zoot suit...which, I mean, it's all cosplay, isn't it?
I guess I'm just wondering if the CPD schtick was popularly understood to be uncool long ago and I just never noticed.
for me, CPD's foray into swing lacked the edge, angst, and urgency I looked for in music as a young teenager. I was 13 when Zoot Suit Riot came out and having already been exposed to the darker, grittier calypso jazz of "Hell" by The Squirrel Nuts Zippers, Zoot Suit Riot just seemed tame/lame in comparison. obviously, CPD knows how to write a catchy song, I just prefer the soaring ska-punk melodies and horn arrangements that are reminiscent of 90s Bosstones.
https://youtu.be/gFw5japDG2U?si=eBwilBcEK6Op0u-j
Interesting, thank you! I think we actually had VERY similar gut reactions to the CPDs. I was a pretty big Zippers fan by the time I heard them, and just like you, I was kind of like, "where's the edge to this?" Even among the more swingy swing bands (since SNZ have always been kind of their own animal), I felt like Royal Crown Revue came across with more authenticity (for some reason...I was like 19 so wtf did I know about authenticity anyway). So CPDs were always "seems cool, not for me to really get into."
And now I know that others don't feel they've held up all that well...
Wtf? Calypso Jazz? Interesting..
the rhythm to "Hell" is distinctly calypso, but overall, i believe they considered their sound on the album to be "hot jazz," hence the album title, "Hot" (plus Hell is hot, so there's levels to it lol)
You're not wrong as far as that specific song goes, just never heard of Calypso Jazz, but id say Dixieland is their overall sound.
Regarding the cringe, I've never been more embarrassed on behalf of a band's performance than when watching CPD sing about their old weiners at Supernova last night. I bet you can't watch to the end:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGpJ4jnRGzQ&ab_channel=MichaelGregory
Even worse when "Escape from Flaccid Island" is a new song on an upcoming release and not from a high school band's demo.
You had me at "Flaccid."
(Seriously, thanks for sharing...will check this out soon to get an idea of where the CPDs may have gone astray...)
https://open.spotify.com/track/1cjTVgMA3btF5L0ZxaayqE?si=cX4ezkDPTOWru7-ghzjvcA. It's on Spotify
thanks, but that's the re-recorded version, unfortunately. the original is way more raw.
i have the 7" version on an old iPod, wonder if I could get it off somehow
edit: from the "SkaboyJFK" Wikipedia entry: "Previous recordings of "2:29" and "Hi and Lo" first appeared on the Daddies/Reel Big Fish split 7-inch Vacationing in Palm Springs (1997)."
Soul seek my friend