1:14:36 – Alternate Timeline Records presents songs inspired by Dashiell Hammett’s The Dain Curse, as heard on Onsug’s Killer Serials. All of the actual songs (but none of the instrumentals) are included — a double album’s worth!
Song Title
Start Time
1.
A Diamond in the Grass
0:00
2.
Two Men
1:35
3.
Cherchez, as the French Would Say
4:14
4.
Minnie and Rhino
5:28
5.
When Facts Are All Assembled
8:52
6.
Hopped-Up Mama
10:47
7.
A Heck of a Frame
14:07
8.
Trendy Cults
15:15
9.
A Comfortable Stay
17:57
10.
Manuel & the Hollow Temple
20:07
11.
In the Room where Flowers Died
23:27
12.
Not Much Competition
25:22
13.
Ghostly Apparition
27:32
14.
Reno or Bust
29:57
15.
Black Honeymoon
31:42
16.
A Honeymoon in Separate Rooms
33:42
17.
Quesada, Quesada
36:21
18.
Back to Quesada
38:48
19.
Blinded by Ambition
41:57
20.
A Feral Cat Indeed
44:42
21.
Guilty Just the Same
48:06
22.
The Wreck that was Owen Fitzstephan
51:14
23.
Back to the House in the Cove
54:36
24.
These Morphine Blues
57:31
25.
Aaronia Arrives
1:00:23
26.
A Spic with a Shiv
1:04:12
27.
Sit Down, She Said
1:06:53
28.
Funky Pheromones
1:11:06
Words by Dave in Kentucky, music and performance by Suno.ai (v4.5).
Show art: Unknown girl from the 1920s, reminiscent of the fictional Gabrielle Leggett, public domain.
2:16:23 – The conclusion of the serialized version of The Dain Curse, as it appeared in the February 1929 issue of Black Mask. Reading and commentary by Dave in Kentucky, with a feline review by Mr. Bean near the end. Songs and other music provided once again by Dave and the Suno AI.
Musical Selection
Start Time
1.
Bittersweet Intro (instrumental)
0:00
2.
The Wreck that was Owen Fitzstephan
21:16
3.
Back to the House in the Cove
46:34
4.
These Morphine Blues
1:06:40
5.
Aaronia Arrives
1:29:22
6.
A Spic with a Shiv
1:33:11
7.
Sit Down, She Said
1:55:28
8.
Funky Pheromones
2:06:59
9.
Bittersweet Ending (instrumental)
2:11:55
Words by Dave in Kentucky, music by Suno.ai (v4.5). Soundtrack soon to be available in a timeline near you.
Show art: Two early editions of the Dain Curse novel which this serial became, from Alfred A. Knopf (left) and Grosset & Dunlap.
7:27 – Dave in Kentucky’s “Killer Serials” series has been presenting Dashiell Hammett’s The Dain Curse as it appeared in Black Mask from late 1928 to early 1929. It features not only Hammett’s original text, now in the public domain, but songs based on the events of the story, turning it into a sort of “mock opera”. Words are by Dave in Kentucky, music and show art by Suno.ai (v4.5). Here’s a sample.
Background: One of the story’s characters, named Gabrielle, is addicted to morphine. Near the end of the story, the protagonist (who is twice her age) helps her kick her habit, despite her being very difficult and disagreeble about the process, as you might expect. Side A, “These Morphine Blues,” is sung from her perspective before her cure; Side B, “Sit Down, She Said,” is from his, after her cure.
2:04:00 – Killer Serials continues its mock-opera rendition of Dashiell Hammett’s The Dain Curse. Naturally intelligent lyrics by Dave in Kentucky, artifically intelligent musical settings by Suno in the Web. Feline reactions to Dave’s reading are by Mr. Bean.
Musical Selection
Start Time
1.
Black Honeymoon
0:00
2.
Off the Beaten Path (instrumental)
5:55
3.
A Honeymoon in Separate Rooms
13:52
4.
Quesada, Quesada
43:36
5.
Back to Quesada
1:00:40
6.
Blinded by Ambition
1:12:37
7.
A Feral Cat Indeed
1:30:27
8.
Guilty Just the Same
1:49:37
9.
Off the Beaten Path (full reprise)
1:59:15
Words by Dave in Kentucky, music by Suno.ai (v4.5). Soundtrack is forthcoming, available or unavailable on Alternate Timeline Records.
Show art: Public-domain covers of the January and February 1929 issues of Black Mask, which contained the final two episodes of the serialized version of The Dain Curse.
2:13:07 – Killer Serials continues its comeback with this second installment of Dashiell Hammett’s The Dain Curse, which appeared in the December 1928 issue of Black Mask. Reading by Dave in Kentucky, with feline commentary by Mr. Bean and music by Dave and Suno.
Musical Selection
Start Time
1.
Dark Blue Background (instrumental)
0:00
2.
Trendy Cults
12:03
3.
A Comfortable Stay
30:49
4.
Manuel & the Hollow Temple
46:01
5.
The Room where Flowers Died
1:02:52
6.
Not Much Competition
1:24:23
7.
Oh So Misterioso (instrumental)
1:27:27
8.
Ghostly Apparition
1:46:32
9.
Reno or Bust
2:03:01
10.
Dark Blue Reprise (instrumental)
2:08:28
Words by Dave in Kentucky, music by Suno.ai (v4.5). Soundtrack potentially available on Alternate Timeline Records.
Show art: Interior illustration from “The Hollow Temple” as it appeared (less the damage) in the December 1928 Black Mask.
2:14:39 – Dave in Kentucky brings back his Killer Serials series, transitioning from Old Time Radio serials to magazine serials, and from homemade song parodies to AI-generated songs. First up: Dashiell Hammett’s The Dain Curse, as it appeared in the pulp magazine Black Mask from late 1928 to early 1929. This first installment (“Black Lives”) is from November 1928, and is thus in the public domain, in this timeline, at least. The reading is by Dave in Kentucky, with occasional feline ambience by Mr. Bean.
Musical Selection
Start Time
1.
Jazz Agent (instrumental)
0:00
2.
Diamond in the Grass
2:27
3.
Noir for Miles (instrumental)
18:31
4.
Two Men
35:43
5.
Cherchez (as the French would say)
40:31
6.
Minnie and Rhino
1:02:10
7.
When Facts are All Assembled
1:16:32
8.
Hopped-Up Mama
1:35:53
9.
A Heck of a Frame
2:10:16
10.
Noir for Miles (slight return)
2:13:51
Words by Dave in Kentucky, music by Suno.ai (v4.5, except #1 is v5). Soundtrack is thought to be available on Alternate Timeline Records.
Show art: Public-domain covers of the November and December 1928 issues of Black Mask, which contained the first two episodes of the serialized version of The Dain Curse.
46:05 – Bessie Smith’s first five recording sessions for Columbia Records, which made her a star and got her dubbed the Empress of the Blues. These sessions cover the first half of 1923, and also feature (at the piano) Clarence Williams on the first two sessions and Fletcher Henderson on the latter three.
36:14 – More public domain jazz & blues from 100+ years ago. This episode features the first three recording sessions by Bix Beiderbecke and the Wolverine Orchestra (aka the Wolverines), which took place in February, May and June of 1924 at Gennett Records in Richmond, Indiana.
45:51 – Public domain jazz and blues from 100+ years ago, with commentary by Dave in Kentucky. This episode examines the first recording session by King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, with Louis Armstrong on second cornet, which took place at Gennett Records in Richmond, Indiana on April 5th and 6th of 1923.
