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Thursday 28 February 2013

I Can See For Myles

Heather Myles features on a number of  compilation albums I have from the late 90s/early 00s.


This track is from her" Sweet Little Dangerous" album recorded Live at the Bottom Line from that Country hotspot Shepherds Bush and features on a Demon compilation from 1996  "Doing it Right".
She doesn't appear to have been the most prolific of artists with only 5 albums over a 20 year period.

Wikipedia compares her Bakersfield honky tonk sound to the mighty Dwight Yoakam -high praise indeed!

Heather Myles - Love Me a Little Bit Longer


Wednesday 27 February 2013

The Third Eye Centre

On my most recent foray to the Charity Shops of Glasgow I purchased Cover Girl by Shawn Colvin.

This put me in mind of a previous purchase of hers - A Few Small Repairs - the one with the wifey on the front cover with a third eye!


Credit where credit's due - this is a good if slightly disturbing  painting by Julie Speed.

To explain the post's title to you non Weegies out there The Third Eye Centre is the former name of the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) in Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street

Shawn Colvin - Sunny Came Home

Tuesday 26 February 2013

50 Not Out


This is the 50th Post on Charity Chic Music. It only seems like yesterday rather than the end of November when I took my first baby steps.
Thanks to all of you who have taken the trouble to visit this blog and to those of you who have left comments.
Today also happens to be the 50th birthday of regular commenter George (he's been a busy boy over the last month!)
He shares his birthday (but not birth year!) with the mighty Johnny Cash.
Seeing as how this is a double celebration you are getting a bonus track -a quite superb cover version from Marc Almond  from 'Til Things Get Brighter the 1988 Tribute to Johnny Case Album in aid of the Terrance Higgins Trust

Johnny Cash - Man in Black

Marc Almond - Man in Black


Sunday 24 February 2013

The Promised Land

The sleeve notes of Promised Land by the Holmes Brothers promise a "deeply spiritual blend of soul-shouting rhythm and blues and prayer-meeting gospel music,with vocal harmonies guaranteed to send shivers down your spine"
Who wouldn't buy a record following that description?


Seeing it's Sunday I've gone for the gospel option.

My second hand CD came complete with a ticket stub from a concert at Festival Central on 6th July 2000 as part of the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival.Unfortunately I was not the recipient of this ticket

The Holmes Brothers -There's a Train

Saturday 23 February 2013

Long Distance Information

Long distance information give me Memphis, Tennessee
One of the many great songs from Chuck Berry's back catalogue.




And to think that he is probably best known for My Ding-a -Ling apparently his only number one in both the US and Britain.
It really makes you despair

Chuck Berry - Memphis Tennessee

Friday 22 February 2013

Out Come The Freaks

In the late 90s and early 00s I was totally obsessed with Americana/Alt Country music - call it what you will.

I went to loads of concerts in and around Glasgow put on by the late Billy Kelly and Tom Hamilton of Death and Taxes fame.
I have also built up a fairly substantial CD collection from this genre (he said modestly).

One band who feature are Freakwater the Louisville band featuring the dulcet tones of Janet Bean and Catherine Irwin


I have two of their records on Thrill Jockey Springtime from 1997 and End Time from 1999.

Given the relatively specialised nature of the genre CDs do not often spring up in your local Charity Shop and if they do I usually already have them.

Imagine my surprise, and indeed delight, then when I stumbled across Feels Like the First Time from 1993 also on Thrill Jockey but lisenced out to Germany's City Slang in a Charity Shop in Fort William.

Sit back and enjoy


Freakwater - Drunk Friend

Monday 18 February 2013

An Experiment in Manufactured Pop

A description on Wikipedia of The Pipettes



That's as maybe but I think they are good fun (in small doses!)

Apparently the intention was to revive the Phil Spector sound(and polka dot dresses!) and give it a modern twist - the jury is out on that one.

Here's the title track from their 2006 debut album We Are the Pipettes purchased in Inverness.

They are still on the go apparently albeit with an ever changing line up.

The Pipettes - We are the Pipettes

Sunday 17 February 2013

The Drugs Don't Work



Urban Hymns from the Verve seems to feature prominently in many charity shops.

Maybe this is because lots of folk bought it on the back of Bitter Sweet Symphony.
Or perhaps it has dated quickly - Richard Ashcroft's hat on the front cover certainly has!

For a long time I thought I had this and then discovered I hadn't. I eventually got round to purchasing it and I'm afraid I'm with the hasn't stood the test of time folks.It was of it's time.

And remember children - The Drug's Don't Work  - Just Say No!

The Verve - The Drugs Don't Work

Saturday 16 February 2013

Nashville Cats

I haven't got round to watching Nashville the new Country Soap yet although it's on the Tivo box for future reference



The picture is of Laura McGhee an erstwhile Scottish folk singer.

I got her 2006 album Green Eyes on spec from a charity shop in Portree on Skye and it is rather good.

I next came across her on a BBC Alba show when some Scots acts went over to Nashville and she popped up as one of the "locals"

Laura McGhee - Tell it Tae The lover


Wednesday 13 February 2013

Midnight to Six Man


Midnight to six man
For the first time from Jamaica
Dillinger and Leroy Smart
Delroy Wilson your cool operator




Delroy Wilson - Cool Operator

Tuesday 12 February 2013

All Wright

Whilst on holiday on the Black Isle last year I had a particularly fruitful CD purchasing foray in the charity shops of Nairn.
I'd never heard of her but I took a punt on "Salt" by Lizz Wright



As the post title suggests it's alright.
It is kind of Jazzy Soul or Souly Jazz  depending on your preference and if truth be told it is just a wee bit too twiddly for me. She can hold a tune though!

One of the good things about doing this blog (apart from communication with all you wonderful people out there) is that it makes you re-visit and re-listen to records that you probably otherwise wouldn't do.
Which is no bad thing.

Lizz Wright - Blue Rose

Sunday 10 February 2013

Coral Coral Coral

Charity shops have proved to be a happy hunting ground for the uplifting pop music of The Coral



To date I've purchased The Coral, Magic and Medicine and the mini album Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker.
The first two are very good but  I haven't really had a chance to give the mini album a good listen so think I'll pop it on  and check it out now

The Coral - Liezah

Saturday 9 February 2013

Wedding Bells


Regular commentator on the blog George married Jo today.

Congratulations to you both!

By way of a present here is a  track that was bought new as opposed to a charity shop

Carl & Pearl Butler - Easy Loving

PJ Harvey? He's Good

A few years ago I mentioned to Donno that I had bought a PJ Harvey album.
He responded with the immortal words " PJ Harvey? He's good!"
This picture is for his benefit!



About a year ago in a charity shop in Fort William I purchased Bizarre Nightmares a bootleg of a performance Live at the Bizzare Festival Cologne 1998.
It's not really my cup of tea to be honest

However the anti war concept album Let England Shake is a different kettle of fish entirely (getting a bit carried away with my metaphors!) A top top record.
I got this for a couple of quid in St Andrews a  few weeks after it won the Mercury Music Prize -total bargain!

Take those problems to the United Nations Polly!

PJ Harvey - The Words That Maketh Murder


Wednesday 6 February 2013

Oh the Crystal Chandaliers


Oh the Crystal Chandaliers light up the paintings on your wall


Ah a great karaoke standard.
For those of you from the West of Scotland and of a nervous disposition don't panic it is not the Sidney Devine version.

No it is the great Charley Pride. Many years ago when I was working in Ullapool Charley Pride's brother Eddie (he plays all Charley's songs) played in one of the hotels one evening.
Unfortunately I was working and was unable to see him but I am content in the knowledge that he almost certainly played this.

Charley Pride - Crystal Chandaliers

Tuesday 5 February 2013

I'll give you Fish

I'm conscious that some of you may have not been around in 1980
For those that were it's time to wallow in nostalgia.


I was a spotty student whose Saturday night consisted of going to Strathclyde Level 8, Glasgow Tech or some such venue and drinking as much as possible.
After a few drinks I was even known to dance.
My particular favourites from this time were Another Girl, Another Planet by the Only Ones, Pretty in Pink by the Psychedelic Furs and this little ditty from the B52s
I've got it somewhere along with Rock Lobster, Planet Claire and Future Generation - a sort of Best of on a 12 inch single!

B52s - Give Me Back My Man

Sunday 3 February 2013

Tom Petty Highway

On honeymoon in Skye my wife and I christened the road to our cottage Tom Petty Highway as we felt it somewhat resembled the front cover of Into the Great Wide Open



The title track and Learning to Fly are the only two songs to feature on a later charity shop purchased Greatest Hits which I feel reflects the quality and longevity of his career rather that a comment on this album which  I don't think contains a duff track

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Into the Great Wide Open

Friday 1 February 2013

Who's Sorry Now


Karine Polwart " the finest folk singer songwriter of her generation" according to Steve Kersley in the sleeve notes of This is Proper Folk Too!! and who am I to argue.
Off to see her at the City Halls tomorrow with Anais Mitchell as support which should be good.

Her latest album Traces is superb.On the first track Cover Your Eyes she highlight's Donald Trump's folly of a golf course on Menie Links and suggests that Mother Nature will extract her revenge which she has done recently!
King Canute with a dodgy syrup!
You've been Trumped!  Who's sorry now?

Karine Polwart - Sorry