This afternoon I heard Up in a Puff of Smoke by British singer Polly Brown (in a Rite Aid store, natch) and made a mental note that it might make a good post for the blog. This song was an AM radio staple back in 1974, when I first heard it as a nine-year old and I still have it on a 45RPM record. What an amazing introduction! What a great drum beat (Ami Stewart’s disco-fied cover of Knock on Wood owes it a debt of gratitude, don’t cha think?)! The production is wowsers, mixing proto-disco with a glam rock edge. What a catchy tune and man, what a VOICE.

Other than this song, I knew little—next to nothing—of Polly Brown. From the sound of her voice—which is mid-way between Dionne Warwick and Diana Ross—I just assumed that Polly Brown was a black woman. As you can see from the above album cover, she is in fact quite white. But when I was reading the Wikipedia entry on Brown (who was the lead singer of Pickettywitch, which was also news to me and a duo called Sweet Dreams) I came across this rather odd fact about the woman with the soulful pipes:

“As a member of Sweet Dreams, Brown was billed as Sara Leone - a reference to the African nation of Sierra Leone - and performed in black face.”

It was the 70s, I guess…?
 

 
When your authors are no longer alive for promotional trailers, fall back on clever packaging!  TankBooks.  For “people on the move, lovers of literature and connoisseurs of design.  Try one and you’ll be hooked.”

We have launched a series of books designed to mimic cigarette packs – the same size, packaged in flip-top cartons with silver foil wrapping and sealed in cellophane.

Each story is complete and unabridged – with a type size that’s easy to read. Individual books are great for throwing into a pocket or handbag – an instantly familiar object to carry with you. The complete set comes in a stunning tin – perfect as a really original gift.

 
(via The Book Bench)

 
And no, Taco Bell does not count. Lest anyone foolishly believe this to be a racist prank let me emphatically state that this is obviously a pointed reaction to Arizona’s hideous new xenophobic, institutionalized racial profiling law. Nicely done !
 
Freeway Sign in Florida Hacked: No Latinos, No Tacos

 
The house that spooked the shit out of the family Lutz, and, later, readers of Jay Anson’s account of it, The Amityville Horror, went on the market yesterday.  The 5 bedroom Dutch Colonial can be yours for just 1.5 million.  But, as they say, buyer beware:

The house has a history of terror.  The Lutz family moved into the house in 1975 after it went on sale because the former were all killed in the home with the exception of the eldest son, Ronald DeFeo Jr. who was convicted of killing his family.

The horror house left the Lutz’s moving out with a tale to tell that was made into an Oscar nominated film starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder as the Lutz family who were only able to stay in the house for a brief time.  Neighbors say people still gawk at the home and it draws a crowd on Halloween.  How much of the story the Lutz’s told was true, but if the house sells, and some brave family moves in, we may find out.

Attn: potential new tenants of Amityville Horror house: if that demonic pig, Jodie, pops up again, please send him to Park Slope, Brooklyn, c/o Jonathan Safran Foer.  You got that?  Park Slope!

 
Previously on Dangerous Minds: The Merv Griffin-Amityville Horror Summit

Amityville Horror Home For Sale

 
“I think of it as a book about family.”   The rise of Kindles and iPads have seen a corollary rise in promotional book trailers.  Many of them star the author themselves.  Hell, even my man Thomas Pynchon (his voice, anyway) did one for his last novel, Inherent Vice.  That trailer was cool.  Some, though, aren’t, and book blog Mobylives has just picked this year’s Most Annoying Performance By An Author.

The nod went to Park Slope’s Jonathan Safran Foer in recognition for his anti-eating animals book, Eating Animals.  For a variety of reasons, I’ve pretty much stricken animal protein from my diet, but watching Foer, who’s from Park Slope (wait, did I mention that already?  I hope so, ‘cause he really wants you to know that!), truck out his dog, kid and granny in the below video makes me want to head to KFC and, like, double down on these.

 
Book Blog Picks Best and Worst Promotional Videos

(via Daily What)

 
Dangerous Minds pal Jesse Merlin says,  “It’s a cooler you can drive! Makes you wonder why the terrorists hate us…”
 
Cruzin Cooler

 
Following up from Brad’s post a while back about BM, Filipina horse impersonator extraordinaire, here we have a freaky lip sync performance of Whitney Houston’s cover of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You.

 
(via Das Kraftfuttermischwerk)

 
Following on from Brad’s post about the event honoring Kenneth Anger in New York, it reminded me that I wanted to do another post of one of my favorite Marc Almond songs. As frequent readers of the blog know, I’m a huge Marc Almond fan, and I try to post a song by him from time to time. Today’s selection is Ruby Red from his Mother Fist & Her Five Daughters (that’s a euphemism for masturbation if it’s not obvious) collection from 1985. Mother Fist is a masterpiece. It’s moody and exotic, it’s got amazing arrangements (courtesy of his greatest collaborator Annie Hogan) and the lyrics are pure poetry. telling tales of visits to places most of us would not want to go to. I love every single song on the album, but this is my favorite track. Well, top two…

The Ruby Red video was directed by Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson, of Throbbbing Girstle and Coil infamy. It appears to be inspired by Kenneth Anger’s films and by Pink Narcissus (also inspired by Anger). I think this video is as amazing as the song. I’ll bet MTV didn’t touch it!
 

 
Below a dramatic performance of Saint Judy, Almond’s paean to Judy Garland, at the Palladium in London during the Soho Jazz Fest, October 6, 1986.