Magic Touch

The only piece I scored out of a big ole box of 45s at a Salvation Army store that used to be on the south side of Richmond, Va. I figured 25 cents for a track with the hardass title "Kill the Pain" on a label that had a bow-tie-wearing rabbit performing his own trick (he is holding the wand after all) from a top hat wasn't a huge gamble. I'm not sure what sort of sleight of hand this wascal is up to -- he doesn't appear to be pulling himself out of the hat like Bugs Bunny would do.

I tossed this in a big ole box of booty (which was mainly kids' records, old Casio keyboards and satin Starter jackets) from my day of scouring the thrift store circuit. I got home that night, flipped my wig over how raw and good this scratchy single sounds, and then, for what it's worth, flipped my wig again when I recognized the "Oh baby you got me hurting / I want you to kill / Kill the pain" lyric from, strangely enough, a Depeche Mode remix. Well, maybe it's not such a koinky dink given that the remix was done by one DJ Shadow. Anyhoo. This baby is a blarer with some knocking drums, bouncing bass line and James Brown-ish inflections. Junior is the sort of guy that gives orders, but at least he's nice about it. The non-plug side is another blunt plea: "Please Make Love to Me."