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Review from pitchforkmedia.com Bing Ji Ling Doodle Loot Doodle a Doo So you heard about Bing Ji Ling's smirking soul cover of AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" on Ubiquity's Rewind Vol. 3? Here's the scoop: Bing Ji Ling is a guy's name. Bing Ji Ling also translates to "ice cream" in Mandarin. Bing Ji, the man, wants you to believe ice cream is an aphrodisiac. Bing Ji, the band, appears in concert with the dudes from No Doubt-- drummer Adrian Young and guitarist Tom Dumont-- dressed in 1950s Good Humor Man outfits. Bing Ji Ling also employs former pro skater Tommy Guerrero on bass, but on his debut album, Doodle Loot Doodle a Doo, he plays just about every instrument by himself; crisp, Cool Whip production is provided by the very interrogative Merkley???. Bing Ji Ling is actually S.F. white boy/soul man/sundae fanatic Quinn Luke, and Bing is funkier than Fudgie the Whale with a blunt in his blowhole. If Sly was a one-man family or if Beck and Prince took a double dip, it would taste something like this. All good humor aside, Luke and Merkley??? clearly understand that the fundamentals of funk come down to hooks, texture and innuendo, and there are good 'n" plenty of all three here. The album starts off with the filtered wah-wah guitar and Casiotone percussion of "Do What I Gotta Do". A party-starting screamer, the song climaxes with a looped one-man choir delivering quivering background vocals alongside swaggering horn splashes that erupt in an orgiastic P-Funky eargasm. The song sets the bar damn high in terms of production quality and giddy, goony charm, and though there's diversity throughout the rest of the album's 46 minutes, the cookie never crumbles. "Put Your Hand in Mine' is a midtempo organ grind as Luke wails like his Rhodes, "I've been through some sticky clover/ But now my picking is over." The robotic handclaps on "Can't Say Much" crack over the layered, pitch-shifted vocals, while "So Natural" brings Steely Dan together with Prince in a cokeheads 'n' cream wet dream. Weighing in at the halfway mark is the anthemic "Money in the Meter". Up to this point, lyrically speaking, there's a common theme of go-for-broke, wet-sheets sexual abandon, and "Meter" follows suit. No Doubt's Young makes his only album appearance here, keeping a real time beat snapping under a rubbery guitar lick and the chant-worthy chorus. It's easy to imagine this song killing it live, as it offers not only the repeated lyrics ("Put your money in the meter/ Stay for a while") but a scathingly sexy, shimmering melodic swing. After these six minutes of unfettered flirtatiousness there's no way you won't go back to Doodle Loot for at least a second lick. From the rambunctious "Meter", the album smoothes into denouement with a blissful post-coital melt. Despite the focus on sugary melody, these last five songs are about unanswered booty calls; somehow, after all his carousing, Luke (or rather, alter-ego Bing Ji Ling) hits a rocky road with the ladies and can't find the right flavor. "Where Is Your Love" is a bittersweet psychedelic soul ballad buttered by ambient synths and lush vocals, and the almost-acoustic "You" is a doo-wop lament of lost love and failed reconciliation skipping along over a chunky funk-hop rhythm. It all comes to a surprisingly tender finale with "Time to Breathe", as Luke/Ling woos, "Time to breathe has taught me/ I can never get enough of your love." When the music comes to a swooning stop, check out the ridiculously clever CD packaging: the inside features five separate makeout scenes-- a pint of empty "Bing Ji Ling Ice Cream" in the foreground of each-- while the outside is a five-panel spread of a long-locked, custom-airbrush-suited Luke doing the disco at his favorite scoop shop. Mixing Ben & Jerry's instrumental density with snow-cone sweet lyrics, Doodle Loot balances the chocolate with the vanilla and makes for one delicious swirl. -Jonathan Zwickel, April 16th, 2004 SFweekly article: We All Scream For Bing Ji Ling! San Francisco's very own blue-eyed-soul-singing ice cream pimp. BY TODD LAMB Â Â I'm not religious. I don't enjoy deep conversation. And I hate hippies. Now let me tell you my theory on the human soul: Your soul is a dog about 2 inches tall that sits in the cavernous space between your eyes and the back of your head. He watches your life go by. Your eyes are the windshield through which he looks, and your thoughts are a walkie-talkie that the dog listens to all day and night. That small dog is the real you. The you who's there when no one else is around. The you who dances alone in your room. Sometimes when you're too wrapped up in balancing your checkbook, Armor All- ing your tires, and getting to work on time, he steps in. He'll pick up the walkie-talkie and bark that you're forgetting to have fun. Unfortunately, he's often ignored. Thirty years ago, a baby boy named Quinn Luke came to Earth, to Davis, Calif. Born to Mormon parents, Quinn wasn't like the other Mormon kids. The dog inside his head was horribly overgrown and was wearing a miniature glitter suit with ice cream cones painted on it. He was always clawing for the little boy to let him out. As hard as Quinn tried to pay attention in school, the dog in his head was blasting Earth, Wind & Fire records, smoking ciggies, and humping bitches. But now Quinn Luke has let the doggy take over his body. He has transformed himself into the soul singer known as Bing Ji Ling. Bing's latest album, Doodle Loot Doot Doodle a Doo, is not what I was expecting. From the looks of the CD's cover art -- 10 Bing Ji Lings surrounding an innocent ice cream parlor -- it appears to be a tripped-out soul record made by long-hairs. But no. From the first note, it explodes with pent-up libido. There aren't any Curtis Mayfield- derived riffs or stolen Roy Ayers melodies. It is a schizophrenic concoction that could only fit between George Michael, New Edition, and a bootleg VHS tape of Soul Train. Is there even a section in your local music store for something like that? Bing calls his music "blue-eyed soul," but my CD player had never tasted that kind of shit. At first, when I put on Doodle Loot, I couldn't believe I was listening to it. But after two rotations and a glass of red wine, I realized that Bing had struck gold. Every song is either about makin' it with the ladies, thinking about makin' it with the ladies, or the feeling you get after makin' it with the ladies. This is the kind of album that's best when the lights are low and your skin is shimmering from too much baby oil. It's a love record. In the words of Bing Ji Ling himself, "This CD will get you laid." As I walk up to our chosen meeting spot, the St. Francis Ice Cream Parlor on 24th Street, I notice a mammoth 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark 5 -- Bing's mammoth 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark 5 -- parked in the front three spots. It turns out that this whip is a special Cartier edition, made in limited quantities for the watch and leather goods manufacturer. Smooth. I sit at a table with Bing and we share a strawberry milkshake. I can clearly see his eyes through his imported gold-rimmed glasses, the very same eyes that sex up dozens of women each night. I decide I need a real drink. We walk down the block, enter a tiny bar, and begin to delve deeper into Bing Ji Ling's soul-inspired life. The name "Bing Ji Ling" is the Mandarin expression for ice cream. Bing acquired the name when he lived in Shanghai and was the featured performer in a jazz and blues nightclub. He got the nickname because of a miscommunication while talking with a lovely Asian lady after his show. She thought that he introduced himself as "Cream." He was actually saying his birth name, "Quinn." She decided to call him "Cream" anyway. It takes a special sense of style to be Bing Ji Ling. It means sporting all the freshest gear all the time. It means snakeskin boots instead of sneakers. It means keeping your hair conditioned and your eyes peeled for ice cream cone accessories. During a recent trip to Tokyo, Bing spotted a store that carried ice cream cone medallions. Fifty different kinds of ice cream cone medallions. How many do you think he bought? One? Two? No. He bought them all. But to Bing, fashion is not serious business; he calls fashion "fun" and "damn sexy," but never serious. One thing Bing does take seriously, however, is a nutritious protein-rich breakfast. If you ladies are thinking of stepping to Bing, you best bring some omelet supplies and a swim cap. He wakes every morning after a mandated minimum eight hours of sleep and makes a goat cheese, spinach, and egg scrambler. Afterward, he swims his morning laps. Then and only then will he begin his day. After Bing chooses his jewelry and clothes, the rest of that day is dedicated to making music. Bing has a recording studio in Potrero Hill, where he runs his Kreme Kul record label and is already working on his next album. If that album sounds anything like his last, it'll be as polished and smooth as silk panties. Although his musical influences range from Stevie Wonder to Luther Vandross to the Thompson Twins, Bing says his next record is "some Hall & Oates shit." In the studio, Bing is a one-man wrecking machine, playing every instrument and singing every vocal part. When he plays shows, he collaborates with a group of musicians. For his album release party here in San Francisco, his band consisted of Tommy Guerrero on bass, No Doubt's Adrian Young on drums, Jan from the German funk band Poets of Rhythm on guitar, and Bing's longtime collaborator Merkley??? on keyboards. Bing's backup singers are sequenced in via laptop, but he hopes to someday have a trio of real singers. Each Bing Ji Ling show is an event featuring the band in head-to-toe soda fountain uniforms, multiple gallons of ice cream, and enough vintage parfait glasses to accommodate both Bing's giant swarm of women and all the concertgoers. If you attend a Bing Ji Ling show, come prepared: Expect to hit the dance floor, have a luscious scoop of cream, and head home to work off the calories with a sweaty romp. A guy who sings about so much sexy love must get lots of sexy love himself, right? Yes. His current romantic setup is pretty steamy: He has a girlfriend and a flock of women that he likes to "always be surrounded by." When it comes to making whoopee, Bing has got the goods. He always incorporates ice cream and condiments into his late-night bang-a-thons. The ice cream he mostly likes to use during foreplay. All right! He believes that with ice cream you are constantly "working against the clock," trying to balance the creaminess against the heat from a lady's steaming body. Sometimes the scoop melts. Sometimes Bing has seen it "dry up." That's why Bing feels that condiments are superior for actual intercourse. He prefers the control that chocolate sauce, cherries, whipped cream, sprinkles, and sugar cones give him during the intense moments of lovemaking. Your mattress may not be able to handle Bing Ji Ling's creamy lifestyle, but your stereo can probably withstand his music, which is one of the most original sounds out there; that is why his particular brand of "blue-eyed soul" is a challenge to categorize. He's found his own style. That's all too rare these days as American Idol tells the world what performers should look and act like if they want to be successful. For the love of God, ignore Paula Abdul and the fat guy who sits next to her. Listen to the little dog in your head. Bing Ji Ling listened to his doggy, and now he plays fantastic soulful music and has sex with women while eating ice cream off their breasts. I rest my case. sfweekly.com | originally published: February 11, 2004 From The Bay Guardian Cup or cone? San Francisco's Quinn Luke, a.k.a. Bing Ji Ling (Mandarin for ice cream), is literally a one-person band. On the Bing Ji Ling debut, Doodle Loot Doot Doodle a Doo (Kreme Kul Recordings), the shaggy-haired soul slinger plays practically every instrument as he and producer Merkley??? whip up a feel-good sound that updates Sly Stone's euphoric vibe with a millennial twist. For his album-release party, though, Luke can't be everywhere at once - so he's invited an impressive, eclectic cast to join him, including No Doubt's Adrian Young on drums, skater-turned-bassist Tommy Guerrero, and German funk guitarist Ian Whitfield (Poets of Rhythm). Interview in Thrasher Magazine Q: What is the name? Bing Ji Ling. How did the name evolve? A:Tommy Guererro: He went to China, he played in a club every single night like blues, jazz, soul or whatever...when he first got there, he met a woman and she asked him what his name was. His name is Quinn and she thought he said Cream. So she's all like Ice Cream, Bing Ji Ling. Bing Ji LIng in Chinese is ice cream. So that was it, he was stuck with the fuckin name. Ice Cream basically. Q: Who's involved? A: Bing: Well we have an all-star lineup. We have Tommy Guerrero on Bass, Adrian Young and Tom Dumont from No Doubt on drums and guitar respectively, and San Francisco's most eligible bachelor Merkley???. Merkley??? does the this and that and what not, and fiddles and tiddles the bells and whistles. Q: How long have you been together? A: Bing: We did our first show in November 03, that was the album release party and then this is our next show this Friday. We have two shows coming up in LA in April. Q: How did you get involved with the dudes from No Doubt? A: Bing: That is from Merkley???. He has known them for years and years and collaborated with them on some artistic things. Merkley???: We've just been buddies, I was in a band and they were in a band and we toured together...They would always sleep at my house when they came to my town and vise versa. We've been friends ever since, like since 1970. Q: How would you describe your music? A: Bing: Blue eyed soul. Q: How long have you known Tommy? A: Bing: Since I was 12 years old, but only through the Bones Brigade videos as a kid skater. When I was 12 I first saw him bombing the hills in Bones Brigade and thought how rad he was. Then I moved to SF in 1991 and have lived here for years and years and have always had mutual friends with him for years. My mutual friends always said they'd introduce him to me, but never did because they are schmucks. Finally one day, Monte who plays with Tommy came into my store to sell me something and I struck up conversation with him and he introduced me to Tommy. So a couple of years? Yeah, and I supported him on a tour he did in Japan last year. Q: So is the stuff you're doing on the same level as some of his other projects? A: Bing: I would say, it fits nicely. Kind of a soulful, groovy, funky...You know Tommy's stuff is primarily instrumental, he has always made great music, if you've ever heard any of his music, people really sink their teeth into it. He's a funky mother fucker...The stuff from Bing Ji Ling is all like vocal kind of pop songs in a soulful funky way. Merkley???: It's kind of like Hall and Oats meets Parliament. Bing: That's what I was going to say exactly. We just played with a band of four of the hottest chicks in SF, this group called Von Iva. Like a dance rock, hard driving, upbeat... Merkley???: They're like Devo meets Tina Turner...I like the meets theme. This meets that. Q: What do you do in your spare time besides music? A: Bing: Make love to women...what else. Merkley???: I masturbate a lot. Honestly. Q: Do you have any cool spot recommendations for clothing shopping? A: Bing: Mission district is full of em, they're are so many cool places. Merkley???: Don't lie, most of his gear comes from Japan. Q: Where does your gear come from Merkley??? Merkley???: Crack sales and what not. The Crack sales are the best because you can buy the suit off the dudes back. If he doesn't have anything on the ground you want, you just look him head to toe and everything is for sale. Q: Any last words? Merkley???: Here's one for Thrasher. I never knew Tommy Gurerrero till we just got introduced, but I knew Jason Jesse, so how's that?!?! Check out the artist's website: http://www.bingjiling.com Track List: 1. Do What I Gotta Do 2. Put Your Hand In Mine 3. Can't Say Much 4. So Natural 5. Use A Hand 6. Money In The Meter 7. Where Is Your Love? 8. You 9. Seen That Look 10. Circular Situation 11. Time To Breathe Other Genres:
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