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Monday 18 March 2024

Steve Harley R.I.P.

 


It was sad to read over the weekend of the death of Steve Harley aged just 73. His real name was Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice but I suppose that Steve Nice was not as edgy and poppy as Steve Harley.

He was no age at all when Cockney Rebel became one of the stalwarts of the Glam Rock scene in the early to mid 1970s. They are probably best remembered for Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) which reached number one in 1975 but they had plenty of good songs around then although their popularity dwindled in the 80s.

I bought the 1977 album Face to Face - A Live Recording for 50p in a Library Sale in the late 80s/early 90s and it remains one of the best live albums in my collection. Sebastian is playing as I type.

Rest easy Steve and thanks for the music.


Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Mr Soft

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - (I Believe) Love is a Prima Donna

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Sebastian

Sunday 17 March 2024

Hong Kong Songs

 


Our friends from Singapore appear to have handed over the bot baton to their colleagues from Hong Kong. It makes the stats look more acceptable but it can be pretty annoying.

On a more positive note it got me thinking about Hong Kong songs. The obvious one immediately sprung to mind but I was quite surprised that I actually had a good few more. 

Let's start with reggae band The Ethiopians who appear to be having a bout of Hong Kong Flu. Let's hope they get better soon.

I'm not sure that Hong Kong would be the first place you would think about when it comes to Hillbillies unless of course you were Clarence White.

Next up are Leicester indie band Cornershop who give us the Hong Kong Book of Kung Fu from their 1995 album Woman's Gotta Have It.

The obvious one? It is of course Hong Kong Garden by Siouxsie and the Banshees which almost certainly have been cancelled were it released today.

Something else which would probably be cancelled would be Hong Kong Phooey the  great cartoon featuring Penry the Mild Mannered Janitor. For years I was under the misapprehension that he was called Henry

Ethiopeans -Hong Kong Flu

Clarence White -Hong Kong Hillbilly

Cornershop - Hong Kong Book of Kung Fu

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Hong Kong Garden





Saturday 16 March 2024

Saturday Shuffle 45

 


We are starting in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland this week with the band Ash. The song Shining Light was the lead single from their 2001 album Free All Angels. I don't have that one but I do have Intergalactic Sonic 7's - The Best of Ash from where this is taken.

From Northern Ireland it is a trip across the Atlantic and then across the continent to catch up with Americana singer Jonny Kaplan and the title song off his  fantastic 1999 album California Heart.

From the West Coast of America we cross the Atlantic again to the North Sea and the East Neuk of Fife. From his epic 2014 masterpiece (gosh  10 years ago!) From Scotland With Love we conclude with  our cover star Kenny Anderson aka King Creosote as we rise above the gutter with Pauper's Dough.

More rising above the gutters next Saturday.

Ash - Shining Light

Jonny Kaplan - California Heart

King Creosote -Pauper's Dough


Friday 15 March 2024

Low

 


2024 Charity Shop Purchases #21 - David Bowie - Low

I'm still shivering at Rol's tale of opening a copy of The Next Day in a charity shop only to discover a Will Young CD!

As I mentioned to C  in the comments of Sunday's Alladin Sane post I actually picked up two David Bowie CDs in the Tatty Shack farmshop in Troon. Fortunately neither contained a Will Young album. There were actually three on the shelves containing books and CDs available for a charity donation. There was also a copy of Heathen but I already had that on CD.

Unlike Aladdin Sane which I initially got at the time it was not until 2022 that I got round to acquiring a copy of Low until late 2022. As Sound and Vision and  Breaking Glass were probably the only two songs that I was familiar with I have still to become totally immersed in this album. A good few do appear on the live album Stage but that is one I haven't listened to in years

Originally from 1977 just as Punk was taking off it is the first of his Berlin Trilogy  collaborations with Eno ("Heroes" and Lodger being the others)

A plus point in picking up the CD to accompany my vinyl version is that it contains three bonus tracks the previously unreleased Some Are and All Saints and a remixed version of Sound and Vision.


David Bowie - What in the World

David Bowie - Warszawa

Thursday 14 March 2024

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

 


As I mentioned on Monday I have started a cull on the  boxes of Mojo and Uncut compilations  in a bid to free up space. There were only two CDs that I have kept from the first box tackled - Monday's Instant Garage and the one above.

From Mojo in October 2012 I give you There is a Light That Never Goes Out -Indie Classics 1982-1987. Don't worry the Manchester Racist does not feature.

As I mentioned when I first posted a couple of songs from this CD in January 2015 I was not necessarily familiar with too many of the featured bands when the songs were initially published thanks to the Blogging community I am much more familiar with many of them now as I was then. Here is the tracklist on the off chance that anyone is interested.

The Weather Prophets and The Flatmates featured last time round which leaves 13 to choose from. 

I'm going to go for The Chesterfields as I know that Jez is a huge fan. I'll also include The Nightingales once they return from a Crafty Fag. And lets finish with The Go-Betweens and Cattle and Cane.

Most of you will recognize the young lad on the cover as Billy Casper from Ken Loach's majestic film Kes

The Chesterfields - Completely and Utterly

The Nightingales - Crafty Fag

The Go-Betweens - Cattle and Cane


Wednesday 13 March 2024

Broughty Ferry Bound

 


I'm off to Broughty Ferry today with a couple of pals to catch up with George who is home from Portugal to see his mum.

I was wondering if there are any bands from the Ferry and the best that I could come up with was that some of Deacon Blue may come from or live there. I am aware that some of George's pals from there are in a Genesis tribute band but I have my standards to maintain.

There are plenty of acts from neighbouring Dundee to choose from. So many in fact that I have had to omit the likes of Danny Wilson, Michael Marra, Swiss Family Orbison and The View from my choices for today. I'm sure that there are more that I have missed. I'll bear them in mind for next time round.

The ones who survived my somewhat arbitrary cut are The Hazy Janes, Spare Snare and The Average White Band.

Deacon Blue - Fergus Sings the Blues

The Hazy Janes - Toulouse

Spare Snare - We Are The Snare

Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces

Tuesday 12 March 2024

The Caravan Club

 



If there is one thing worse than being stuck behind a truck it is being stuck behind a caravan.

Welcome then to the Caravan Club who will be pitching their wagons for the next couple of Transport Tuesdays.

This mode of transport was inspired by Barbara Dickson and her great Caravan Song which appeared here recently

How to you follow that? With the Isley Brothers of course and Caravan of Love which was in contention for the title of this mini series.

Obviously they are not the only two acts to extol this particular mode of transport. Portland band Blitzen Trapper for instance appear to be proud owners of a Country Caravan.

Finally, for this week on the 2008 ethereal album Seventh Tree the singer Alison Goldfrapp proudly proclaims that she is in fact a Caravan Girl.

More Caravan girls and boys next week as we unshackle our caravans and head off to our next pitch

Isley Brothers - Caravan of Love

Blitzen Trapper - Country Caravan

Goldfrapp - Caravan Girl