If It Ain't Stiff 5 ....

 

The fifth and final installment of the tracks from If It Ain't Stiff (A Stiff Records Collection) released in 2001 and covering the period 1976 to 1986.

I've been struck by the variety of the music on the label run by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera, something I didn't appreciate at the time. Plus when you look at the list of artists who graced the label you could easily justify some more compilations. Indeed A Bunch of Stiffs and Hits Greatest Stiffs require further exploration.

That's for another time as it's time to concentrate on the final four tracks. The Equators are a Ska and Reggae band from Birmingham who are still going strong. You should all recognise Baby Come Back a cover of the song written by Eddy Grant and originally recorded by The Equals.

Dirty Looks were an American power-pop trio from Staten Island, New York who signed for Stiff in 1979. Dirty Looks was the title from from the first of the two albums they recorded for Stiff.

Max Wall was an English actor, music hall singer and comedian.Here he covers the Ian Dury song England's Glory.

Finally we conclude with a live version by Dr Feelgood and their song Back In The Night.It is appropriate that the album began and ended with a live number by Canvey Island's finest.

The Equators - Baby Come Back

Dirty Looks - Let Go

Max Wall - England's Glory

Dr Feelgood - Back In The Night (Live)

Outlaw Country

 

Apologies - this should have appeared here last Sunday but technical problems got in the way.

Outlaw Country is the second burn compilation I have from Fab 14 records after Texas Troubadours. Again it the first time I've ever seen the cover. It seems that these are two of many budget compilations from the label

Here is the tracklist courtesy of Discogs. I'm pretty surprised that it is fetching up to 6 quid 

When it comes to Outlaw Country your first thoughts should by Waylon and Willie but most,if not all, of the artists are from a later era. I am probably familiar with, and have music by, about half of the 14 artists Two out of the three Flatlanders make an appearance with Butch Hancock missing out.

I've gone for three artists that I am familiar with, the latter two of whom I've seen live and who graced my Friday Three Names series back in 2016/17.

Heather Myles - Sweet Talk and Good Lies

Jimmie Dale Gilmore - Georgia Rose

Ray Wylie Hubbard - If Heaven Is Not a Place To Go

Saturday Shuffle 148

 

We kick off the Shuffle this week with a debutant, namely the band Glasvegas with their song Geraldine. I'm pretty sure that this is the only song I have that features a Social Worker but am happy to be proved wrong.

Little Richard (who would probably be a Social Workers worst nightmare) is no stranger to the Shuffle. This time round he is suggesting that we Rip it Up.

We conclude with something reasonably appropriate.From their 2020 album The Unraveling here are the Drive-By Truckers with Armageddon's Back in Town. Ain't that the truth? It seems that things are getting worse rather than better.

Stay tuned for another Shuffle next Saturday if we are spared

Glasvegas - Geraldine

Little Richard - Rip It Up

Drive-By Truckers - Armageddon's Back In Town

Blog Country 144 - Bermuda

 

From Afghanistan we head to the North Atlantic Ocean and the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda an archipelago of 181 islands with a population of around 64000 which is less than East Kilbride.

I was under the impression that it was somewhat idylic until I read a couple of posts by SWC. It has maybe more in common with East Kilbride than I thought!

Enough nonsense, let's get on with the music.

It's always good to have a tune which references the country and even better if it is included in the band's name. We start then with The Bermuda Strollers , lead by Ted and John Ming and the song Bermuda is Another World.

Next up we have someone who I already had something by in the Music folder. Heather Nova is a Bermudian singer-songwriter. Born in Bermuda to a Canadian mother and Bermudian father, she spent most of her childhood aboard a sailboat, sailing throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean oceans. Here she is with Ghost In My Room.

Collie Buddz is a reggae singer. He signed with Columbia Records to release his self titled debut album in 2006 which included the single Come Around.

Mishka is another reggae artist who has been on the go since 1997. Oh My Days is the title track from his latest album which was released in February .

We conclude with Old Uncle Joe by The Talbot Brothers of Bermuda  a 1950's calypso band not to be confused with The Talbot Brothers from Nebraska as I initially did.

It's back to Africa next time round.

The Bermuda Strollers - Bermuda Is Another World

Heather Nova - Ghost In My Room

Collie Buddz - Come Around

Mishka - Oh My Days

The Talbot Brothers of Bermuda - Old Uncle Joe

Jonathan, Jonathan

 

I was listening to the 1989 epoymous album Jonathan Richman the other day and it got me thinking about his solo work as opposed to his stuff with The Modern Lovers

From this album I have opted for Fender Stratocaster for all you guitar geeks out there.

Next from the 1992 album I, Jonathan I give you I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar a song that was first brought to my attention by Andy Kershaw.

From the brilliant 1990 album Jonathan Sings Country I've gone for Reno.

You cannot feature Jonathan Richman without referencing Roadrunner in this case Roadrunner (Twice).

Finally I hand you over to the Rockingbirds who pay homage to their hero.

I will be forever greatful for him taking the time to perform at King Tuts on Friday 26th July 1996 to commemorate my 35th birthay!

Jonathan Richman - Fender Sratocaster

Jonathan Richman - I Was Drinking in the Lesbian Bar

Jonathan Richman - Reno

Jonathan Richman - Roadrunner (Twice)

The Rockingbirds - Jonathan, Jonathan

The Soup Dragons

 

I had an urge to play The Soup Dragons so I dusted down their Past Night From Glasgow compilation Raw Products -Singles & Rarities.

The Soup Dragons were yet another band to come out of Bellshill in the early 80's. They consisted of Sean Dickson (laterly HiFi Sean) on vocals,keyboards and lead guitar, Jim McCulloch (guitar, vocals), Sushil K Dade (Bass) and Ross Sinclair/Paul Quinn (drums)

They were active from 1985 to 1995 with the obligatory comeback from 2003. I'm grateful for that as I missed them first time round

The first two songs are taken from the above album with Whole Wild World being taken from Disc 4 of Big Gold Dreams- A Story of Scottish Independent Music 1977 -1989

The Soup Dragons - Can't Take No More

The Soup Dragons - Head Gone Astray

The Soup Dragons - Whole Wide World

If It Ain't Stiff ... 4

 

Disaster very nearly struck on Friday afternoon.

An aborted Windows update led to what looked like me losing all my documents, downloads,pictures and 14657music files.

I could see on Google Drive that the music files were still there and I could play them from there meaning they hadn't disappeared completely  but I didn't know where they were.

Fortunately it seem to resolve itself fairly quickly but not totally as I have to access my files in a round about way and Express Rip CD Ripper is no longer working. I may be required to shell out some hard cash to get that fixed.

Back to If It Ain't Stiff 4 - the penultimate post featuring tracks 14-17.

Track 14 is Wunderbar by Tenpole Tudor  and not Wonderbra as some folk are prone to sing. You know who you are.

Track 15 is Killer Joe by the Tommy Chase Quartet. Yes we're talking Jazz - Nice!

Track 16 is Suffice to Say by British band The Yachts who were Power Pop/New Wave exponents as opposed to Yacht Rock - sorry Alyson

Any Trouble were a British Rock Band from Crewe who were led by Clive Gregson.According to anytroble.net they an underappreciated bright spot on Stiff Records. Here they are with Girls Are Always Right.

In the unlikely event that anyone is still following this series you will be glad to know that it concludes next week

Tenpole Tudor - Wunderbar

Tommy Chase Quartet - Killer Joe

The Yachts - Suffice To Say

Any Trouble - Girls Are Always Right