Hokey Pokey [Import]

Product Description
Japanese limited edition run of 5000 remastered discs in paper sleeves. Island. 2004.

Hokey Pokey,Richard & Linda Thompson,Universal,Rock,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating: Another gem from the first Thompson Twins This is *really* what it's all about...

Hokey Pokey Richard Thompson , and Linda Thompson Manufacturer: Ume Imports ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Henry the Human Fly Shoot Out the Lights Hand of Kindness Front Parlour Ballads What We Did on Our Holidays ASIN: B0001N9ZWA Release Date: 2004-11-23

Tracks:

1. Hokey Pokey (The Ice Cream Song) - Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson, Richard Thompson
2. I'll Regret It All in the Morning
3. Smiffy's Glass Eye
4. Egypt Room
5. Never Again
6. Georgie on a Spree
7. Old Man Inside a Young Man
8. Sun Never Shines on the Poor
9. Heart Needs a Home
10. Mole in a Hole
11. Wishing [#][*]
12. I'm Turning Off a Memory [#][*]
13. Heart Needs a Home [#][*]
14. Hokey Pokey [Live][#][*]
15. It'll Be Me [Live][*]

Album Description

2004 remastered reissue of 1975 album features 15 tracks including 5 previously unreleased bonus tracks, 'Wishing' (BBC John Peel Session), 'I'm Turning Off A Memory' (BBC John Peel Session), 'A Heart Needs A Home' (BBC John Peel Session), 'Hokey Pokey' (Live at The Roundhouse), & 'It'll Be Me' (Live at Oxford). Enhanced packaging includes full lyrics & sleeve notes in a slipcase. Universal.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered, "Hokey Pokey" was Originally Released in March 1975 on Island. This Album, Along with "i Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" and "Pour Down Like Silver" Form a Trio of Definitive English Folk-rock Classics of Incredible Beauty and Stellar Musicianship. This Edition also Includes a Pair of Previously Unreleased Live Performances Captured at the Roundhouse, London on September 7, 1975 and a BBC Radio One Session Recorded in London on February 11, 1975 for the John Peel Show.

Customer Reviews:

Another gem from the first Thompson Twins.......2006-02-17

OK, so they weren't really twins but Linda often said they sounded like siblings when they harmonized. Don't dwell on it too much it could get creepy if you do. Anyhow, another great album from the duo, "Hokey Pokey" features Thompson's brilliant double entendre comparing ice cream to sex. According to Thompson, "A little poke is all you'll need" although you'll get greedy after hearing this song and want to hear every single track. AMG rates this as four stars stating that it doesn't reach the "lofty heights" of "Lights". I disagree. It remains a stunning album that might be a bit sunnier than "Lights" but every bit as captivating.

The reissue has 5 bonus tracks four of them from John Peel BBC sessions that have never been released. Linda's beautiful vocal on the remake of "Wishing" and the remake of Merle Haggard's "I'm Turning Off a Memory" both only enrich an already great album. "A Heart Needs A Home" sounds terrific here as well with We also get the title track from the album played live at the Roundhouse. The sonics on the BBC sessions aren't quite as stellar as those on the album but that's not a surprise. The album is rounded out by "It'll Be Me" recorded live (and previously released) live at Oxford is taken from "Guitar, Vocal".

Featuring the lyrics to the songs and some brief liner notes this is worthwhile picking up if you have the previous edition primarily for the previously unreleased tracks although the sound is extremely good as well.

This is *really* what it's all about..........2005-12-13

...not sticking your leg in and shaking it all about, thank you. A little historical perspective: "Hokey Pokey" here, subtitled "The Ice Cream Song," refers to a bastardised version of the Italian for "Ice cream--I have some," a frequent cry of ice cream sellers on the streets of New York City and elsewhere early in the 20th Century. Trust Richard Thompson to come up with the most double entendre-laden song to ever come from something so innocent!

This, the second album Richard and Linda made together (from a total of six), tends to get rather short shrift in Thompson's catalogue--more's the pity, as this is quite a fine album. Linda's vocals are as good as ever, and she sings lead on more than half of the tracks here. Aly Bain's fiddle drives the title cut along with some searing leads from RT, and Richard's darkly humourous (and sometimes just plain dark) lyrics take quite the twist here--note the punning "turn a blind eye" lyric in "Smiffy's Glass Eye," which is about a young boy who is the perennial school bully's victim for having a prosthetic orb; or his rather backhanded paean to whiskey in "I'll Regret it All in the Morning." And how about his ode to the many kinds of poverty in "The Sun Never Shines on the Poor"?

Of the original 10 tracks, there is but one cover, the wryly humourous closer "Mole in a Hole," written by Mike Waterson. Then we come to the five bonus tracks included on the remaster; of these, three are covers, the best being Merle Haggard's "I'm Turning Off a Memory" (to whose drinking-to-forget lyrics Linda does full justice--one might be tempted to say she missed her calling by not making a career singing country music, but then when was the last time you heard of a British C&W singer?) and the rollicking "It'll Be Me." This is unquestionably a must-have.

Average customer rating: Outstanding tribute to a treasured artist Gawd, I love this album! The Best Thompson Tribute Album A Few Incredible Jems - 3 1/2 stars 3 1/2 Stars

World Is a Wonderful Place: The Songs of Richard Thompson { Various Artists } Manufacturer: Green Linnet ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music British Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Sweet Warrior Beat the Retreat: Songs by Richard Thompson Sweet Talker: Original Music From the Movie Shoot Out the Lights RT: The Life and Music of Richard Thompson ASIN: B000005CTJ Release Date: 1993-10-15

Tracks:

1. Knife Edge
2. Pharoah - The House Band
3. How Will I Ever Be Simple Again - Christine Collister
4. It Don't Cost Much - Marvin Etzioni
5. Down Where the Drunkards Roll - Martin Simpson
6. Wheely Down - Ivor Cutler, Ian Kearey
7. Reckless Kind - Victoria Williams
8. End of the Rainbow - Tom Robinson
9. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Ron Kavana
10. Love Is Bad for Business - Men & Volts
11. Dimming of the Day
12. Waltzing's for Dreamers
13. Night Comes In
14. Sisters - The Fraser Sisters
15. For Shame of Doing Wrong - Peter Blegvad
16. I Misunderstood - Sally Barker
17. Galway to Graceland - Plainsong

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding tribute to a treasured artist .......2007-06-15

Just received this CD and am stunned at how wonderful it is. This is definitely the best collection of performances by people/groups I've never heard of, packed with one performance after another that provides new insights into Richard Thompson's compositions and his and his wife, Linda's, performances. Most tributes make you want to go back to the original artist - this one stands on its own. A must for Thompson fans, and a great introduction to a gifted artist for anyone else.

Gawd, I love this album!.......2005-11-16

Tragedy struck my household in the late 90's when I opened the case to this CD and found it missing. After a frenzied search behind the bookcase, under the sofa, inside the CD changer, in the clothes dryer (well, it takes all those socks!), I scurried online and found to my horror that the CD was out of print!!! Thankfully, there were used copies available - praise the Lord for Amazon!

The best tribute albums are usually for writers who don't perform well. Richard Thompson is a decent singer and an excellent guitarist, yet he had two successful tribute albums in the mid-90's. Beat the Retreat, while a fine introduction to Thompson's career, is more predictable. (Don't you know how Bonnie Raitt is going to do "When the Spell Is Broken" before you hear it?) The artists here are less mainstream, less popular (at least in America - some of them may be big in England but most of them I had never heard of), and they give interpretations of the songs, not just covers. So you get to hear some of the great songs of folk-rock, but done in unexpected ways.

The sound of the album is dark and subdued, almost murky. Normally that would be a criticism, but it fits in well with Thompson's gloomy worldview. I hate to bore you with a song-by-song critique, but I think the album merits it:

"The Knife Edge" is a mundane orchestral arrangement that is a poor introduction to what's to come. But it's only a minute long.

"Pharaoh" - Great idea to back this with a tremolous accordion and throw in a bombarde (whatever that is, it sounds like an Arabian shawm - you know, snake charmer music.)

"How Will I Ever Be Simple Again" - Christine Collister nails the haunting melody, set against a bass drum and reverb that suggests a battlefield after war, with a plaintive harmonica.

"It Don't Cost Much" - Not my favorite Thompson, but Etzioni (who co-wrote it) has a nice gravelly voice which works well against exotic instrumentation (mandolin, harmonium, hurdy-gurdy)

"Down Where the Drunkards Roll" - This song is a bit mawkish, but the gossamer guitar-line sets it off well.

"Wheely Down" - I don't usually like spoken word vocals, but Ivor Cutler's gentle brogue complements some of Thompson's best poetry to create its own melodic structure.

"Reckless Kind" - not a big fan of Victoria Williams' voice, but this song is a good choice for her, undercutting her usual coyness.

"The End of the Rainbow" - Thompson at his darkest, almost literally grabbing the candy from the baby's crib. But how can you not love a song that begins, "I feel for you you little horror"?

"I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" - One of many revelations, a re-interpretation that adds new meaning to the lyric. I always thought the Thompsons' "silver band" version was corny. Here Ron Kavana's husky, world-weary spokesong gives it a whole new dimension.

"Love Is Bad For Business" - one of the rockiner songs on this quiet CD, equivalent to Bob Mould's "Turning of the Tide" on Beat the Retreat.

"Dimming of the Day" - of the many versions of this, one of the world's most beautiful love songs, this may be the best. Nothing against Bonnie Raitt, but her version is earthbound. This one soars.

"Waltzing's For Dreamers" - More schmaltz, but well done schmaltz, you can really feel the pub atmosphere.

"The World is a Wonderful Place" - uncredited and previously unreleased cut with the inimitable Linda T. on vocals. If you don't get Richard's sense of humor, you probably think this is the most unrelentingly depressing song in history. If you do get his sense of humor, you realize that it is the most unrelentingly depressing song in history - but it's also a lot of fun, in a bizarre way. For a head trip, listen to this next to Louis Armstong doing "What a Wonderful World."

"Night Comes In" - The highlight of the album for me. I always thought the song was about a drunk guy. Now I realize it's about Sufi dancing. When I heard the line "I may find that street tomorrow" I always thought it was referring to a drunkard's delusion; now I see it's talking about hope and salvation. It starts with a hammer dulcimer, then the guitar duels with a danh tranh (Southeast Asian mandolin) and finally cranks into an idiosyncratic electric guitar rave-up as the frenzy builds to a dervish-like pitch. If anybody knows where I can get anything else by Full Moon Fair, let me know. If you don't hear this song pouring down like silver, get a hearing check.

"Sisters" - one of the few I don't like. The vocals just don't work. Jeez, what fun it must be to sit around THAT Thanksgiving table.

"For Shame of Doing Wrong" - I prefer the Evan Dando/Syd Straw version on Retreat, but this acoustic take has its own integrity.

"I Misunderstood" - One of the highlights of Rumour and Sigh, which had just recently been released when this came out, is given a nicely understated performance by Sally Barker.

"Galway to Graceland" - A capella 4-part harmony that sounds like it was recorded in a church. Dig the minor modulation on the last note. What a perfect way to end an almost-perfect CD. And what a terrific tribute to a transcendent career! Richard Thompson is an international treasure.

The Best Thompson Tribute Album.......2005-11-07

This grab-bag of brilliant performances of Rd Thompson's songs is far better than "Beat The Retreat." A few oddball conceptions are hard to get used to, bu the majority are dead-on. I've listened to it hundreds of times, and it doesn't get old. Stand-outs (for me) are the beautifully orchestrated "Knife Edge," "How Will I Ever Be Simple Again," "The End of the Rainbow," the "untitled track #13" that's really the simply knock-out Rd & Linda Thompson performance of "The World Is a Wonderful Place," and "Sisters." But it's all good-- for Thompson fans or fans of folk music in general, this is a must-have.

A Few Incredible Jems - 3 1/2 stars .......2004-12-21

I mostly agree with the previous reviewer. This is a low key (understated) tribute to Thompson; covers by more homely types perhaps, but I prefer it to Beat The Retreat. These versions grow better with repeated listenings, and while it has a few duds (Restless Kind!), it has alot of solid performance and a few really wonderful ones. I like the double time version of Pharoah and especially Full Moon Fair's (Henry Kaiser's group) sublime rendition of Night Comes In, this alone makes the CD a must for RT fans.

3 1/2 Stars.......2003-03-16

What with its chamber-orchestra version of "The Knife Edge" and Ron Kavana's talking-blues rendition of "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight," this Richard Thompson tribute album is certainly quirkier than its direct competition (Beat the Retreat, released on Capitol in 1994). It will appeal more to purists, partly because Bonnie Raitt and David Byrne are nowhere to be found and partly because Martin & Jessica Simpson do a far better job of "Down Where the Drunkards Roll" than Los Lobos ever could. The House Band makes "Pharaoh" their own, and Plainsong delivers a stunning a cappella version of the simultaneously heartbreaking and hilarious "Galway to Graceland". The album's title song is a hidden track (number 13) that features a previously-unreleased Richard & Linda Thompson performance. Ultimately, though, Beat the Retreat wins, because it has two performances each by June Tabor and Maddy Prior. It also has X doing "Shoot out the Lights," a song that could have been written as easily for John Doe and Exene Cervenka as it was for the Thompsons. Do yourself a favor and get both albums. -- Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Among the merchants of grim (which is only one facet of his much broader art), Richard Thompson exhibits a rare sense of humor and sanity that, combined with his brutal emotional honesty, makes him a paradigm of underground sensibilities ý in a career that is nothing of the sort. Basically, he's a troubadour who accepts sadness as a fellow traveler in open-minded enthusiasms that have deposited him comfortably in realms as diverse as "Matty Groves" and Pere Ubu. His songs have proven equally useful to folkies like Jo-El Sonnier, June Tabor and sometimes sideman Clive Gregson, as well as those of a more restless, rebellious nature, most notably Bob Mould, Elvis Costello and Maria McKee. (For his part, Thompson playfully does Who songs in concert.) The two tribute albums reflect that duality: 'The World Is a Wonderful Place' favors homey types like Victoria Williams, Christine Collister, Peter Blegvad and Marvin Etzioni; 'Beat the Retreat' holds the center with Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos, Beausoleil, and June Tabor, but also opens the doors to Bob Mould, R.E.M., X, and Dinosaur Jr. -- Ira Robbins, Trouser Press

Average customer rating:

Nursery Time Baby Manufacturer: Direct Source Label ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B0007OPF86 Release Date: 2005-02-22

Tracks:

1. Mulberry Bush
2. London Bridge
3. B.I.N.G.O.
4. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
5. This Old Man
6. Baa Baa Black Sheep
7. Jack and Jill
8. Humpty Dumpty
9. Mary Mary Quite Contrary
10. Hokey Pokey
11. Morning Mood - Peer Gynt
12. Sonata in a MVT. 1, K.331
13. Romance No. 2 in F Major
14. Claire de Lune
15. Greensleeves
16. Pathetique Sonata, Op. 13: MVT. 2
17. Pavanne

Average customer rating:

Tunes for Tots Manufacturer: Dominion Entertainment ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B0009G2KNK

Product Description

3 CD set - most songs performed by Kid's Players - includes songs like London Bridge, Skip to My Lou, Hokey Pokey, Me and My Dog, Woogie Boogie, Rubber Duckie, and more! 36 songs total.

Average customer rating: Nice charity collection of British folk and folk-rock Nice Collection

Circle Dance: The Hokey Pokey Charity Compilation Various Artists Manufacturer: Green Linnet ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music 1990s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music 1990-1999 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B000008EBL Release Date: 1993-01-05

Tracks:

1. Maid in Bedlam - Andrew Cronshaw
2. Standing in Your Shadow - Christine Collister, Clive Gregson
3. Coal Not Dole - Swan Arcade
4. Shrink - Julian Dawson
5. Horseshoe Hornpipe/Chasing the Jack - The Albion Band
6. Reno, Nevada - Ian Matthews
7. Who Knows Where the Time Goes? - Fairport Convention
8. Madness of Love
9. Echoes - Stephen Fearing
10. Purple Pas de Deux - Keith Hancock
11. Will This House Be Blessed? - John Spencer
12. Love Henry/Cherokee Shuffle - June Tabor
13. Her Father Was a Sailor - Linda Thompson
14. For Jan - Danny Thompson
15. King & Queen of England - Sandy Denny
16. May Day Psalter - Richard Thompson
17. I'll Fly Away - John Tams
18. Maid in Bedlam - Andrew Cronshaw

Customer Reviews:

Nice charity collection of British folk and folk-rock.......2003-10-14

Fans of Richard Thompson should enjoy this 1991 charity compilation put out by his British fanzine "Hokey Pokey". Highlights include Bob Adams, John French, Henry Kaiser and the Dregs' Andy West on "The Madness of Love", a song RT wrote but has never recorded, Julian Dawson's "Shrink", Iain Matthews performing "Reno Nevada" (a Richard Farina song Fairport Convention played back in Iain's day), Gregson and Collister's "Standing in the Shadows", Linda Thompson's "Her Father Was a Sailor", and the 1989 version of Fairport's live Cropredy rendition of "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" Former Fairporters Ashley Hutchings, Jerry Donahue, and the late Sandy Denny (on a 1976 demo) also appear. Richard Thompson's contribution is a duet with bassist Danny Thompson on "The May Day Psalter", one of RT's lesser songs. Much of the album is folk music, and if you're heavily into British folk, add another star. This CD is much more consistent than the next Hokey Pokey compilation, "All Through the Year", so try to track this one down first.

(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)

Nice Collection.......2003-02-09

Circle Dance is an 18-track compilation put together by the editorial staff of Hokey Pokey, a quarterly Richard Thompson fanzine, to benefit a variety of charities devoted to poor and disabled children. Given the crowd, it's unsurprising that the cream of the British folk-rock axis centered around Fairport Convention contributes. Beginning and ending with two very different versions of the traditional "Maid in Bedlam" performed by Andrew Cronshaw (once on Moldavian flute and once on, of all things, electric zither), the set features exclusive tracks and rarities from a remarkable lineup. Ashley Hutchings' Albion Band, Iain Matthews (performing a terrific live take of Richard Farina's classic "Reno, Nevada"), June Tabor (playing two traditional tunes set to fiddle accompaniment), and Adams, French, Kaiser and West (delivering a wild reinterpretation of Thompson's "The Madness of Love") are all notable, but the real treasures are two simple demos by the late Sandy Denny (an exquisite piano and voice rendition of "The King and Queen of England" recorded in 1976) and Linda Thompson (an otherwise unavailable collaboration with keyboardist Betsy Cook called "Her Father Was a Sailor"). Thompson himself weighs in with the surprisingly jazzy "The May Day Psalter," in collaboration with longtime friend Danny Thompson on double bass. - Stewart Mason, All Music Guide

Average customer rating: Thompsons' second record a worthy follow-up. Folk Rock Ice Cream Parlor Songs of Innocence and Experience Laughter and tears Richard and Linda's Unsung Album

Hokey Pokey Richard & Linda Thompson Manufacturer: Hannibal ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Hannibal Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Pour Down Like Silver I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight Hand of Kindness Bones of All Men Across a Crowded Room ASIN: B00000063W Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

1. Hokey Pokey
2. I'll Regret It All In The Morning
3. Smiffy's Glass Eye
4. The Egypt Room
5. Never Again
6. Georgie On A Spree
7. Old Man Inside A Young Man
8. The Sun Never Shines On The Poor
9. A Heart Needs A Home
10. Mole In A Hole

Customer Reviews:

Thompsons' second record a worthy follow-up........2005-03-03

During the two short years 1974-75, and a decade before the monolithic "Shoot Out the Lights," Richard and Linda Thompson crafted three magnificant records. "Hokey Pokey" had the misfortune of following their stunning debut, "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight," and in comparison seems a lesser work of art. The sweeping beauty of its predecessor is glimpsed only in spots, as in the oft-recorded "A Heart Needs a Home." The album never establishes a comfortable tone, and instead ping-pongs between comical, hard Celtic romps like "Smitty's Glass Eye" and "Georgie on a Spree," and evocative lamentations like "I'll Regret it All in the Morning" and "Old Man Inside a Young Man." Still, there is very little to be disappointed in, for each song stands up well on its own, and a few are classics. Richard's guitar work, always unique in the way it engages the vocals in a dialogue, is plentiful and of course fascinating. If your constitution can handle the up-and-down sequencing of these brilliant songs, you'll find yourself playing this short disc frequently.

Folk Rock Ice Cream Parlor.......2003-05-13

Some radio broadcast about Fairport Convention led me to purchase Liege & Lief. From there I picked up Hokey Pokey on a whim. I Could've gotten Shoot Out The Lights, but the album (CD) cover was more interesting on this one. I wasn't disappointed. The subject matter jumps from deadly serious to deadly humorous, but the music and especially the harmonies are amazing. This release is one of the treats in my collection. It reminds me on one level of Peter Paul and Mary being played to my puff-the-magic-dragon kindergarten classroom. At the same time, there's a deeper and darker side to it ( as to everything, no?). I highly recomend this addition to your collection. I also suggest you play it for the parents and kids (and crank it up for the neighbors if you're of the mind...)

Songs of Innocence and Experience.......2003-04-09

"Hokey Pokey" is generally regarded as the weakest of Richard and Linda's early albums, but I regard it as only slightly less great than "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight," which is their best. In fact, I like it better in a way because it's more fun. Richard has said that he and Linda made a conscious attempt to be more upbeat with "Hokey Pokey," and that he's not sure if it was successful. Well, I'm here to say that it WAS successful, although in an odd way because even the most upbeat songs here have dark undercurrents.

Richard and Linda's music has never sold well in the U.S., and that may be partly due to the fact that it is so British. And their England has more in common with the England of William Blake than that of the Beatles. An exception here is "Georgie on a Spree," which sounds like "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." But this sort of material sounds much more natural coming from Richard and Linda than it does from the Beatles. (I think John Lennon would have agreed.) The final song, "Mole in a Hole," is another music hall-style number, but with a very odd chorus: "I want to be a mole in a hole digging low and slow/I want to be a fly flying high in the sky." It was not written by Richard (or Linda), but it is the perfect album closer, summing up the sardonic worldview of everything that comes before it.

The first track, "Hokey Pokey (The Ice Cream Song)" features great interplay between Linda's voice and Richard's guitar. The lyrics mix images of innocence and sexual suggestion in a way that would be very difficult for most singers to put across without it turning into low comedy, but Linda nails it. The very next track, Richard's "I'll Regret It All in the Morning," is an ironic answer to the song about innocence and ice cream, with lyrics like, "Whiskey helps to clear my head/Bring it with me into bed/If I wake up nearly dead/I'll regret it all in the morning." Another highlight (lowlight?) is "The Egypt Room," with its images of sleaze and guilt punctuated by a tantalizingly brief guitar solo at the end.

"Smiffy's Glass Eye" and "The Sun Never Shines on the Poor" continue themes that were introduced in "The Little Beggar Girl" from the previous album. The idea seems to be to contemplate the very worst that humanity has to offer, and Richard and Linda even drag us listeners into the muck by making a cheap (but funny!) joke at poor Smiffy's expense.

"A Heart Needs a Home," sung by Linda, is a surprisingly melodic ballad, and at the risk of turning a few people off, I will say that it reminds me a little bit of The Carpenters. It is one of the most beautiful ballads the Thompsons ever recorded.

This album, quite simply, is a knockout. Do not be fooled by its seemingly uneven tone. It all makes sense if you keep listening. I have it on LP, and my copy has a gatefold sleeve with all the lyrics printed inside, so hopefully the CD copies include this. "Hokey Pokey" is a must-have for fans of the Thompsons, and it deserves to be more widely available than it currently is.

Laughter and tears.......1999-08-31

Nearly half of this album is as happy and upbeat as anything Richard (and, of course, Linda) Thompson has ever done, but true to form, he balances it with two or three of the bleakest songs in his catalog. The resulting album lacks the consistency of the best R&L albums, but is still full of classics.

The funny and/or happy songs ("Hokey Pokey," "Smiffy's Glass Eye," "Georgie on a Spree," etc.) tap into the English musical hall style that was in vogue among early '70s rockers (the Kinks especially). Of course, Linda sings all of these. Her real highlight on this album, however, is the achingly beautiful "A Heart Needs A Home," which is very good here but an even better take can be found on the "(guitar, vocal)" album.

Leave it to Richard to add the gloom with the dark, dark "I'll Regret It All In The Morning" and "Old Man Inside A Young Man." He also sings the intriguing, slightly sinister "The Egypt Room."

All in all, "Hokey Pokey" is a fine album, but it helps if you're in a schizophrenic mood to fully appreciate it.

Richard and Linda's Unsung Album.......1998-11-16

Richard and Linda's most under-rated album consists of very gloomful tunes such as "Old Man Inside a Young Man" and "I'll Regret It In THe Morning" and very upbeat tunes such as "Hokey Pokey" and "Smiffy's Glass Eye." This is a powerful album that should not be over looked by any RT + LT fan! It is a brilliant piece of work, get it!

Average customer rating:

Love & Politics Manufacturer: Tommy Gallagher ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music ASIN: B000CAENK6 Release Date: 2003-08-19

Average customer rating:

Hokey Pokey Rock Various Artists Manufacturer: Collector/ Wht Label ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music Rockabilly | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000060K7Q Release Date: 2003-02-14

Average customer rating: Thompsons' second record a worthy follow-up. Folk Rock Ice Cream Parlor Songs of Innocence and Experience Laughter and tears Richard and Linda's Unsung Album

Hokey Pokey Richard Thompson Manufacturer: Hannibal ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Hannibal Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Pour Down Like Silver I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight Hand of Kindness Bones of All Men Across a Crowded Room ASIN: B000025LQO

Customer Reviews:

Thompsons' second record a worthy follow-up........2005-03-03

During the two short years 1974-75, and a decade before the monolithic "Shoot Out the Lights," Richard and Linda Thompson crafted three magnificant records. "Hokey Pokey" had the misfortune of following their stunning debut, "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight," and in comparison seems a lesser work of art. The sweeping beauty of its predecessor is glimpsed only in spots, as in the oft-recorded "A Heart Needs a Home." The album never establishes a comfortable tone, and instead ping-pongs between comical, hard Celtic romps like "Smitty's Glass Eye" and "Georgie on a Spree," and evocative lamentations like "I'll Regret it All in the Morning" and "Old Man Inside a Young Man." Still, there is very little to be disappointed in, for each song stands up well on its own, and a few are classics. Richard's guitar work, always unique in the way it engages the vocals in a dialogue, is plentiful and of course fascinating. If your constitution can handle the up-and-down sequencing of these brilliant songs, you'll find yourself playing this short disc frequently.

Folk Rock Ice Cream Parlor.......2003-05-13

Some radio broadcast about Fairport Convention led me to purchase Liege & Lief. From there I picked up Hokey Pokey on a whim. I Could've gotten Shoot Out The Lights, but the album (CD) cover was more interesting on this one. I wasn't disappointed. The subject matter jumps from deadly serious to deadly humorous, but the music and especially the harmonies are amazing. This release is one of the treats in my collection. It reminds me on one level of Peter Paul and Mary being played to my puff-the-magic-dragon kindergarten classroom. At the same time, there's a deeper and darker side to it ( as to everything, no?). I highly recomend this addition to your collection. I also suggest you play it for the parents and kids (and crank it up for the neighbors if you're of the mind...)

Songs of Innocence and Experience.......2003-04-09

"Hokey Pokey" is generally regarded as the weakest of Richard and Linda's early albums, but I regard it as only slightly less great than "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight," which is their best. In fact, I like it better in a way because it's more fun. Richard has said that he and Linda made a conscious attempt to be more upbeat with "Hokey Pokey," and that he's not sure if it was successful. Well, I'm here to say that it WAS successful, although in an odd way because even the most upbeat songs here have dark undercurrents.

Richard and Linda's music has never sold well in the U.S., and that may be partly due to the fact that it is so British. And their England has more in common with the England of William Blake than that of the Beatles. An exception here is "Georgie on a Spree," which sounds like "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." But this sort of material sounds much more natural coming from Richard and Linda than it does from the Beatles. (I think John Lennon would have agreed.) The final song, "Mole in a Hole," is another music hall-style number, but with a very odd chorus: "I want to be a mole in a hole digging low and slow/I want to be a fly flying high in the sky." It was not written by Richard (or Linda), but it is the perfect album closer, summing up the sardonic worldview of everything that comes before it.

The first track, "Hokey Pokey (The Ice Cream Song)" features great interplay between Linda's voice and Richard's guitar. The lyrics mix images of innocence and sexual suggestion in a way that would be very difficult for most singers to put across without it turning into low comedy, but Linda nails it. The very next track, Richard's "I'll Regret It All in the Morning," is an ironic answer to the song about innocence and ice cream, with lyrics like, "Whiskey helps to clear my head/Bring it with me into bed/If I wake up nearly dead/I'll regret it all in the morning." Another highlight (lowlight?) is "The Egypt Room," with its images of sleaze and guilt punctuated by a tantalizingly brief guitar solo at the end.

"Smiffy's Glass Eye" and "The Sun Never Shines on the Poor" continue themes that were introduced in "The Little Beggar Girl" from the previous album. The idea seems to be to contemplate the very worst that humanity has to offer, and Richard and Linda even drag us listeners into the muck by making a cheap (but funny!) joke at poor Smiffy's expense.

"A Heart Needs a Home," sung by Linda, is a surprisingly melodic ballad, and at the risk of turning a few people off, I will say that it reminds me a little bit of The Carpenters. It is one of the most beautiful ballads the Thompsons ever recorded.

This album, quite simply, is a knockout. Do not be fooled by its seemingly uneven tone. It all makes sense if you keep listening. I have it on LP, and my copy has a gatefold sleeve with all the lyrics printed inside, so hopefully the CD copies include this. "Hokey Pokey" is a must-have for fans of the Thompsons, and it deserves to be more widely available than it currently is.

Laughter and tears.......1999-08-31

Nearly half of this album is as happy and upbeat as anything Richard (and, of course, Linda) Thompson has ever done, but true to form, he balances it with two or three of the bleakest songs in his catalog. The resulting album lacks the consistency of the best R&L albums, but is still full of classics.

The funny and/or happy songs ("Hokey Pokey," "Smiffy's Glass Eye," "Georgie on a Spree," etc.) tap into the English musical hall style that was in vogue among early '70s rockers (the Kinks especially). Of course, Linda sings all of these. Her real highlight on this album, however, is the achingly beautiful "A Heart Needs A Home," which is very good here but an even better take can be found on the "(guitar, vocal)" album.

Leave it to Richard to add the gloom with the dark, dark "I'll Regret It All In The Morning" and "Old Man Inside A Young Man." He also sings the intriguing, slightly sinister "The Egypt Room."

All in all, "Hokey Pokey" is a fine album, but it helps if you're in a schizophrenic mood to fully appreciate it.

Richard and Linda's Unsung Album.......1998-11-16

Richard and Linda's most under-rated album consists of very gloomful tunes such as "Old Man Inside a Young Man" and "I'll Regret It In THe Morning" and very upbeat tunes such as "Hokey Pokey" and "Smiffy's Glass Eye." This is a powerful album that should not be over looked by any RT + LT fan! It is a brilliant piece of work, get it!

Average customer rating: A "must have" for truly bluesy bunnies A treat!

Hokey Pokey Brave Combo Manufacturer: Crystal Clear Sound ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Alternative General | Alternative Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Alternative General | Alternative Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Indie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Indie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Indie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00000JF6I Release Date: 1999-06-15

Tracks:

1. The Hokey Pokey
2. Jeepers Creepers Cha Cha Cha
3. Hava Nagila Twist
4. Jeopardy Schottische
5. Bunny Dirge
6. The Chicken Dance
7. The Hokey Pokey (Long Version)

Customer Reviews:

A "must have" for truly bluesy bunnies.......2001-06-14

After this album's initial release, much of the same material became available on the longer "Group Dance Epidemic" and it vanished from view. So if you missed it then, rejoice! This treasure, with its priceless "Bunny Dirge," is again available to set your soulful, furry [bottom] and long, dragging, soulful ears in cathartic motion.

A treat!.......2000-05-04

Get this one while you can -- the Hava Nagila twist is not to be missed! Rock out to Hava Nagila, imagine a slo-mo Bunny Hop, and get into TWO cool versions of the Hokey Pokey. You'll be glad you did.

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