The Stooges “I Got a Right” b/w “Head On” 1972/1973/1996. Dirter Promotions. Today, August 16th, is Stooges drummer Scott Asheton’s birthday (b. 1949, d. 2014). “I Got a Right” is from The Stooges’ performance at London’s Olympic Studios in July of ‘72: it’s short, brutally fast with angry guitar and cements the band’s status as the godfathers of punk. “Head On” is a live recording from the show at the American Theater in St. Louis in August ‘73. While considerably slower in tempo and longer in length than “I Got a Right,” its dirt and grime tone – set at the song’s outset by a menacing beat and Iggy’s growling lyrical intro, “Motherfuckers try to run my world” – also gives voice to the same anger that continued to fuel punks through and past the 70′s. (I was unable to find a link to the performance that appears on this 45: this one from October ‘73 is similar but not quite as dark as the August show.)

The back cover of the 45 has a great disclaimer: Dirter Promotions would like to point out that this record is not as good as the LP “Funhouse” by the Stooges, which is the best record ever made by anyone.