The other day, I stumbled upon one of the most unusual music collaborations I've ever seen or heard. There a scene in Hal Ashby's brilliant but underrated film Being There (starring Peter Sellers) that features the animated music video (if I can call it that) for Cheech and Chong's "Basketball Jones" from their 1973 Los Cochinos album. Riding the wave of the 70's blaxploitation movement, the parody* features Cheech on vocals as "Tyrone Shoelaces" and get this, George Harrison on lead guitar, Billy Preston on organ, Klaus Voorman on bass, Ronnie Spector and Michelle Phillips on backing vocals, Carole King on keys, and a slew of several other well-connected and accomplished session players.
Are you kidding me?!? How did I not know about this?!?
Take a listen. If you can get past the politically incorrect images, the underlying music is actually pretty freaking good!
"Basketball Jones (Featuring Tyrone Shoelaces)" by Cheech and Chong
*The original, "Love Jones" by Brighter Side of Darkness
4 comments:
Great use of the weight. What an absurd use of a supergroup. But you're right, the recording is phantastic.
Preston and Harrison is a lethal combination.
Put them together with a wall of sound behind them, and they really can play anything, and it sounds like it coming straight from the heavans... perhaps now it is.
Yeah my brother had this record (he is now 50) and I remember digging the song as a kid (I am 40). At some point, I realized who was on the song and thought, how in the hell did this happen? Anyway, very cool. I had never seen the video, so thanks for the post!
One of the first albums I got high to. Great grass and a funny album. I agree though this was a bit out there especially looking back at it now. Never knew all those people performed on it.
So cool how the beatles make a cameo in the animated video.
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