It was George, of course, who started it. Isn't it always?
He made some fairly disparaging remarks about Sweet Virginia a song by the tartan teeny pop sensations The Bay City Rollers.
As one who has owned up to having been such a fan that she often dressed head to toe in tartan Alyson was quick to spring to their defence
Fairly even stevens then until the bold Mr Goggins stepped forward. It appears that Ernie is such a big fan that he has even gone as far as amassing tribute songs about Prestonpans' finest.
Trying desperately to regain some credibility he throws in the names Nick Lowe and Yo La Tango but by then the damage is done so let's here it for Tartan Horde.
While most of the above is admittedly fairly tongue in cheek I remain of the opinion that Shang-a- Lang is a stonking pop song.
To quote Alyson there just isn't enough Roller goodness around here Tartan Horde - Rollers Show
You could be forgiven for thinking that the name of this Ferlin Huskey album is Star of the Grand Ole Opry.
You would be wrong there - if you read the small print it is in fact Easy Livin’. Ferlin was the first artist to appear in the rehash of this series and here he is making a return a couple of months later
Not much to add from the last time round so I'll quote some blurb from the album sleeve
He never permits himself to give acommonplace rendition of even the simplest compositions or routines.His approach and conception of any piece of music is inventive,creative, original
Judge for yourself
I'm putting him down as one of the better ones in the series
As mentioned yesterday we went to the album launch of Broken Chanter at Glasgow's CCA a week ago today
It was the first time I'd been to the CCA since it was done up and I was pretty impressed. A nice wee theatre styled room for the music which was seated which greatly pleased Mrs CC.
The support act were Cambridge based Mammouth Penguins who I quite enjoyed.
The Broken Chanter set was the album in it's entirity with a couple of Kid Canevral songs stuck in the middle for good measure.
The album (an Olive Grove /Last Night from Glasgow co-production) is very good indeed.Atmospheric indie folk with a smattering of Gaelic here and there.
A tight band consisting of David McGregor (aka Broken Chanter) on vocals/guitar , Gav Prentice on bass,Audrey Tait on drums, Kim Carnie on keyboards and Jill O'Sullivan on violin and vocals.
McGregor is a great front man - full of patter and interaction with the audience.
I've a couple of their songs here and there but am not all that familiar with his former band Kid Canaveral. I'm going to make it my business to track down more of their music.
I also remember that Jill O'Sullivan had performed as part of the band Sparrow and the Workshop a few years ago who were also well worth a listen.
Another very good night out. Thanks to all those involved in putting it togther
Things are pretty hectic here at the moment for one reason or another (but in good way) so expect a slightly reduced service on these pages for the next few weeks.
I had the pleasure of bumping in to JC at Broken Chanter's album launch on Friday (more of which later).
As he mentioned recently on his blog he and his good lady are heading to Barcelona this weekend where they are hooking up with Jonny the Friendly Lawyer and his good lady.
I asked him to give JTFL my regards and to advise as to when The Ponderose Aces were likely to appear again on this side of the pond.Sadly JC advised me that they are no more. He then very kindly gave my his copy of their album No Particular Way which is a splendid example of Outlaw honky tonk music.
The story of how Jonny became an Ace is the stuff of blogging legend and can be found here
Hope that the international hook up on neutral territory goes well folks as I'm sure it will. I look forward to hearing the stories.
Does anyone out there (is there anyone reading these pages apart Charity Chic and myself????) remember that 1960s cowboy programme The Virginian? It sticks in my mind because in England it was broadcast at ten past eight at night. And that marked my bedtime. (Now that I am older I can stay up later). So I can recall that The Virginian wore black, and that Doug McClure was in it. Mr McClure went on to greater things in the films The Land That Time Forgot and then The People That Time Forget. Here’s the theme tune, play it (older readers), it will be familiar to you
Neko Case played a concert in Lisbon in June, but I did not attend.
Doug McClure, not Neko Case, and not The Virgininian.
It has been said that the Bay City Rollers have not featured in the pages of CCM often enough, so here’s a first. On their 1977 album It’s A Game is song called Sweet Virginia. Having read the lyrics I am not sure if Virginia is used as a name or the state; having listened to the song all the way through, and a live version I have made the ruling it’s not good enough for inclusion anyway. It was not too difficult a decision to make. That song is certainly not a cracker, but this song by Cracker is (a cracker), and in a first on the series it is not about a city or town, but a river, the James River (named by British colonists after King James VI) which is entirely in the state of Virginia (and thus the rules of the series are adhered to). From the Gentleman’s Blues album. Camper Van Beethoven cover this song, which is not that surprising given that Cracker man David Lowery is also a Camper Van Beethoven man.
And before you ask, Virginia Plain is excluded, it has nothing to do with the state. Similarly that T. Rex song about Virginia Waters, which actually is meant to be about Virginia Water, which is in Surrey (England). It is the most expensive place to buy a house in the entire United Kingdom bar a few boroughs in London.
The state motto of Virginia (Brian, are you reading this?) is sic semper tyrannis which in effect but not literally means that tyrants will always be overthrown.
That’s Virginia, home to Foamhenge (yes, a polystyrene replica of those strangely unimpressive stones in Wiltshire, England)
That’s Virginia, home to the largest office building in the world
And Virginia was the birthplace for Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter, his wife Sarah and sister-in-law Maybelle, and also to some other quite well-known people (Mr. G. Washington, Mr. T. Jefferson, Shirley Maclaine and her brother, Mr. S. Earle, Arthur Ashe, and some others).
And the official bat of Virginia is the Virginia big-eared bat
Roddy Woomble is perhaps best known as the front man of the indie band Idlewild.
However in the mid to late 2000's be began to turn to folk music, took to wearing tweed, moved to the Isle of Mull, wrote a column for the Sunday Herald and curated the Ballads of the Book a collabaritive project between Scottish writers and musicians.
In short he was the prototype hipster.
Wiki lists 2011's The Impossible Song and Other Songs as his third solo album. However the alleged second one 2008's Before the Ruin is attributed to Drever, McCusker and Woomble the Drever in question being Kris and the McCusker John.
Some of you may recognize the wonderful artwork on the cover. It is by Mairi Hedderwick who wrote and illustrated the Katie Morag children's books and who also produces and illustrates an annual Hebridean Diary which Mrs CC faithfully purchases.
I got the wee red card through the letter box the other day advising that I had a parcel to collect at the Post Office sorting office.
It was a record (yeah!) but not the one I was expecting.
It is a 10 inch 5 track EP by Emme Woods called It's Ma Party.
I had pledged for it a couple of years ago and wasn't really expecting it to see the light of day once Pledge Music went bust.
Fair play to Morgan (Emme) Woods for finding the wherewithall to eventually get it released.
Emme was the first Last Night From Glasgow artist I ever saw live which led me to tracking down her 2016 single I Don't Drink to Forget (LNFG2)
I thought I'd featured it here before but apparently not.
On first listen It's Ma Party sounds promising. It is however not quite as gothic and menacing as I Don't Drink to Forget.
