Into you like a train

In keeping with the "Lust" theme of this issue, we thought it'd be interesting (or "hot," as Ms. Hilton would say) to ask a few local female musicians of note what their favorite libidinous songs are. In other words, what songs are good for putting one "in the mood"? We decided to not ask men because, as everyone knows, even "Rubber Ducky" or "Battle Hymn of the Republic"... hell, the sound of a car backfiring or someone simply tuning a guitar will put most men "in the mood." There was no real criterion, aside from fave tunes that get the ol' juices flowing -- though we did find it a tad scary that not one but two of our female musos chose Ted Nugent tunes. Perhaps I should've picked up a bow and arrow years ago ... or at least transformed myself into an old blues musician ... or a gay British pop star who gets busted in public restrooms, for that matter ... --Bill Holdship, music editor

AMY GORE (The Gore Gore Girls):

"Moanin for My Baby," Howlin' Wolf: "I would do anything for Chester Burnett."

"Wild About You," The Saints: "'I am a wild man on the rampage/ You look so good, I could eat you ...' -- perfect!"

"Tie Me Tight," Bob Kayli: "S&M references ... from Berry Gordy's brother, no less."

"Mambo Sun," T. Rex: "How ever shameless and common this one is, it works for me. Excellent make-out material!"

"Your Body, Not Your Soul," Cuby & Blizzards: "The truth hurts."

"Is it My Body," Alice Cooper: "Well, is it?"

MELODY LICIOUS (The Coronados; The Sirens):

"Born to Be Wild," Steppenwolf: "I love the lyric 'Fire all of your guns at once and explode into space.' Sounds like a hot time to me!"

"Stranglehold," Ted Nugent: "The Nuge is an absolute tool, but there's something about the riffs and beats of that song that are very primal. I love this song so much that I named my booking and promotions company after it. Plus, it has the whole bondage element, for, uh, those who enjoy being restrained."

Age of Winters, the Sword: I'm putting the whole debut album on the list because it starts off slow and heavy and gets heavier and faster. By the time you get to "Freya," the third track, you're pretty much all revved up and ready to go. It has a nice mix of slow and hard, and fast and heavy."

"Kissing a Fool," George Michael: "It's not all classic rock and doom metal for me. There's something about this jazzy ballad from a gay Englishman that makes me want to get cozy. Even though it's cheesy and slow, it's still hotter than 'I Want Your Sex.'"

"Fade Into You," Mazzy Star: "This '90s alterna-hit was chosen by PopEater Music Blog as one of the 69 sexiest songs of all time, and I agree."

"You Shook Me All Night Long," AC/DC: "Back to the hard stuff. This song opens with one of my favorite innuendo-filled lyrics, 'She was a fast machine/she kept her motor clean.' But it's the line, 'Knockin' me out with those American thighs' that makes you proud to be an American and proud to have thighs, which are the sexiest body parts in many respects, and somewhat underrated."

RACHEL NAGY (The Detroit Cobras):

"Libidinous? Oh, hell, I was told this was going to be 'love songs'! You say someone picked Ted Nugent? Well, I can believe that. 'Stranglehold' is very sexy. And [Willie Dixon's] 'Spoonful' is a very sexy song. Oh, man, you got me over a barrel. You know, we Cobras don't deal with sex songs as much as we deal with the 'Gee Whiz' kind of stuff. And, of course, I'm not home right now so I can't flip through my records -- so I'm just trying to think. What songs do I listen to when I fuck? (laughs) Of course, for men, it's different. That's why Ted Nugent comes up. The guitar was basically invented for men to jack off on. Well, for me, James Brown's 'Please, Please, Please' is perfect for that kinda down-on-your-knees thing. And Etta James' 'Tough Lover' and 'You Know What I Mean.' Those are the ones I would go to. And here's a ... well, I don't know if it's shameful but it's kinda weird -- I like to listen to Squeeze when I fuck. I love Squeeze! That's my dirty sexy song secret! 'Goodbye, Girl' and all that stuff. My God, it's great. Do I ever listen to the Cobras when doing the deed? Oh, no, no, no! Other people do, though, and that's a huge compliment. But no, no, listening to my own stuff? That would really ruin it for me! (laughs) I don't like myself that much! My publicist told me this was about love. That's just like a man, y'know? They tell you and make you think it's all about love ... when it's really only all about sex."

WENDY CASE (The Paybacks):

"Ain't That Lovin' You Baby," Link Wray: "I recall that, the one and only time I met the late, great Link Wray, he was a full foot-and-a-half shorter than me. But when I hear him ravage this Jimmy Reed classic, I fantasize that he's 6-foot-3 and lurking around a jukebox stinkin' of cheap whiskey -- and, uh, totally fixated on getting me out to the parking lot. When he starts sucking in his breath on 'You can bury my body way down deep, but my spirit will rise to you,' I lose my mind. You could kill this guy and he'd still find a way to give you the goods. Whoa."

"Tramp," Lowell Fulson: "I first heard this song in high school and couldn't rest until I found the 45 -- which I played to death. It just had this lazy, blunt sexuality to it -- real matter-of-fact, as though Lowell wasn't even going to bother to tune his fucking guitar for you. He even had an excuse for why he's such a playboy: 'Mama was ... poppa too. I'm the only-est child, lovin's all I know to do.' Hear that, ladies? The man's so talented in the sack, he made a career out of it.

"I Idolize You," Tina Turner/"Down on the Street," The Stooges: "I grouped these two together because they're both so shockingly primal. Tina wants you. She wants you bad. And judging from her shrieks, squeals and force of Gawd vocal delivery, she is entirely unwilling to be reasonable about it. Iggy conjures similar magic on 'Down on the Street,' but he can take it or leave it ... which, naturally, makes him irresistible.

Almost everything off Ted Nugent's Great Gonzos: "Say what you like about this crude, axe-wielding Neanderthal, but he's definitely got my number. When I hear the hesitant little pick slide just before the outro of 'Motor City Madhouse,' I don't know whether I want to eat, fuck or kill. Neither does Ted. Once I leave the gym -- where most of my 'Ted listening' occurs these days, I'm over it. But the Nuge, bless his egomaniacal, misogynistic, right-wing ass, will never be over it. Thankee, Jesus!"

"Jane Fonda," "Waiting To Die" and "My Dick," Mickey Avalon: "I used to know quite a few white street hustlers in San Francisco -- skinny, apathetic dope fiends who weren't really gay but would gladly pretend like they were for $20. This guy reputedly comes from a similar background -- and I believe it. His whiny delivery and sleazy lyrics about rolling rich, disaffected 'Malibu Barbie' types and selling his 'kosher salami' to johns at the flea market remind me of some of the little ass-peddlers I used to know. They were sexy, in a gross kinda way. So is Mickey. By the way, you can spot him in the new Boost Mobile commercial alongside Jermaine Dupri and Young Jeezy. They blow-dried his hair, but he still looks like bad news."

ALMA SMITH (The "Countess of Swing")

(Smith has been gigging around Detroit, playing piano, organ and the vibraphone, as well as singing, since the 1940s .. and still proudly going strong):

"I'm a sentimentalist. People like the words to Jimmy Dorsey's 'I'm Glad There is You,' and I've been around long enough to remember when Jimmy Dorsey did it [in the '40s]! 'In this world of ordinary people, extraordinary people, I'm glad there is you.' Isn't that pretty? 'In this world of overrated pleasures, of underrated treasures, I'm so glad there is you. I'm so glad there is you.' Another favorite is 'Here's to Life.' I played that for Lee Iacocca's birthday once, and he was so taken, he went to fetch his wife and had me play it all over again. And then there's 'Young and Foolish.' That gets to me every time. 'We were foolish/One day we fell in love/Now we wonder what were we dreamin' of/Smiling in the sunlight, laughing in the rain/I wish that we were young and foolish again."

THE HAMMER (The Gore Gore Girls):

"Rollin' and Tumblin'," Elmore James: "Relentless rhythm, hot guitar and lines like 'I want you to love me baby, come and say you'll be mine/If you don't like my potatoes, please don't dig up my vine."

"You Shook Me," Muddy Waters: "My first make-out song."

"You're No Good," Dee Dee Warwick: "Tough and sexy!"

"Stray Cat Blues," the Rolling Stones: "Hot! Hot! Hot!"

"Boom, Boom, Boom," John Lee Hooker: "The voice, the lyrics, the delivery. My man!"

"Cracked Actor," David Bowie: "Hot, sexy guitar by Mick Ronson. Smack, baby, smack!"

The Gore Gore Girls play the Michigan League Underground, 911 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-764-0446, on Friday, Feb. 18.

The Detroit Cobras play the Knights of Columbus Hall, 9632 Conant, Hamtramck; 313- 871-8888, as part of the Hamtramck Blowout on Friday, March 7.

"Is There Room for Me ... on Your Couch?," Wendy Case's art show, with Dan Mulholland, continues at the Majestic Café, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-9700 ext.207, through the end of February.

The Coronados play Smalls, 10339 Conant, Hamtramck; 313-873-1117, as part of the Hamtramck Blowout on Saturday, March 8.

Alma Smith plays alternate Tuesdays at Sweet Lorraine's, 29101 Greenfield Rd., Southfield; 248-559-5985 (she's there next on Feb. 26) and also at Baker's Keyboard Lounge, 20510 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-345-6300, on Thursday, Feb. 28.